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Reading in Retirement: Classics of American Fiction

Defining "Classic" is dicey at best, and I probably have outraged some of my fellow English teachers with some of my choices. Oh well. Anyway, I've used the term in its widest possible meaning: Literary merit, cultural diversity and importance, representation of era, genre and style, and sustained popularity. I could have kept going, but I thought 180 works were enough. I've limited the list to fiction; poetry, drama, essays, and memoirs should get their own lists.
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made by James Loranger
avg. score: 29 of 180 (16%)
required scores: 1, 11, 20, 30, 45 
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Twain)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
1
Twain
All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)
All the Light We Cannot See
2
Anthony Doerr
All the Pretty Horses (Cormac McCarthy)
All the Pretty Horses
3
Cormac McCarthy
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (Michael Chabon)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
4
Michael Chabon
American Pastoral (Philip Roth)
American Pastoral
5
Philip Roth
An American Tragedy (Theodore Dreiser)
An American Tragedy
6
Theodore Dreiser
Andersonville (MacKinlay Kantor)
Andersonville
7
MacKinlay Kantor
Another Roadside Attraction (Robbins)
Another Roadside Attraction
8
Robbins
As I Lay Dying (William Faulkner)
As I Lay Dying
9
William Faulkner
The Awakening (Kate Chopin)
The Awakening
10
Kate Chopin
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
11
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me (Richard Fariña)
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me
12
Richard Fariña
Beloved (Toni Morrison)
Beloved
13
Toni Morrison
The Big Sleep (Chandler)
The Big Sleep
14
Chandler
Billy Budd (Melville)
Billy Budd
15
Melville
Blood Meridian (Cormac McCarthy)
Blood Meridian
16
Cormac McCarthy
The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison)
The Bluest Eye
17
Toni Morrison
Breakfast of Champions (Kurt Vonnegut)
Breakfast of Champions
18
Kurt Vonnegut
The Bride Wore Black (Woolrich)
The Bride Wore Black
19
Woolrich
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Thornton Wilder)
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
20
Thornton Wilder
Bullet Park
Bullet Park
21
The Caine Mutiny (Herman Wouk)
The Caine Mutiny
22
Herman Wouk
Call It Sleep (Henry Roth)
Call It Sleep
23
Henry Roth
The Call of the Wild (London)
The Call of the Wild
24
London
Cannery Row (Steinbeck, John)
Cannery Row
25
Steinbeck, John
A Canticle for Leibowitz (Miller)
A Canticle for Leibowitz
26
Miller
Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
Catch-22
27
Joseph Heller
The Catcher in the Rye (Salinger)
The Catcher in the Rye
28
Salinger
Cat's Cradle (Vonnegut)
Cat's Cradle
29
Vonnegut
Centennial (James A. Michener)
Centennial
30
James A. Michener
The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
The Color Purple
31
Alice Walker
Complete Stories of Dorothy Parker (Dorothy Parker)
Complete Stories of Dorothy Parker
32
Dorothy Parker
A Confederacy of Dunces (John Kennedy Toole)
A Confederacy of Dunces
33
John Kennedy Toole
A Confederate General From Big Sur (Brautigan)
A Confederate General From Big Sur
34
Brautigan
The Crying of Lot 49 (Thomas Pynchon)
The Crying of Lot 49
35
Thomas Pynchon
Dandelion Wine (Bradbury)
Dandelion Wine
36
Bradbury
Dangling Man (Bellow)
Dangling Man
37
Bellow
Death Comes for the Archbishop (Willa Cather)
Death Comes for the Archbishop
38
Willa Cather
Devil in a Blue Dress (Walter Mosley)
Devil in a Blue Dress
39
Walter Mosley
Double Indemnity (Cain)
Double Indemnity
40
Cain
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