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The Greatest American Novels of the 20th Century as Interpreted by Goodreads Voters

"Interpreted" because the people who voted on this list which I created decided to expand the definition of all three qualifications -- George Orwell apparently was a closet American, the 20th Century lasted well past the year 2000, and true crime books now qualify as fiction. Most impressive were the voters who violated more than one rule and added memoirs published in 2006. Still, some people voted for unfamiliar but intriguing titles, and that's what it's all about, right?
895 users · 4,191 views
 
from goodreads.com · made by putzberger
avg. score: 14 of 96 (14%)
required scores: 1, 6, 10, 13, 20 
type to search

How many have you read?

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The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
The Great Gatsby
1
F. Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
To Kill a Mockingbird
2
Harper Lee
Absalom, Absalom! (William Faulkner)
Absalom, Absalom!
3
William Faulkner
Gravity's Rainbow (Thomas Pynchon)
Gravity's Rainbow
4
Thomas Pynchon
For Whom the Bell Tolls (Ernest Hemingway)
For Whom the Bell Tolls
5
Ernest Hemingway
Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)
Invisible Man
6
Ralph Ellison
The Sun Also Rises (Ernest Hemingway)
The Sun Also Rises
7
Ernest Hemingway
A Confederacy of Dunces (John Kennedy Toole)
A Confederacy of Dunces
8
John Kennedy Toole
East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
East of Eden
9
John Steinbeck
Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut)
Slaughterhouse-Five
10
Kurt Vonnegut
As I Lay Dying (William Faulkner)
As I Lay Dying
11
William Faulkner
In Cold Blood (Truman Capote)
In Cold Blood
12
Truman Capote
Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)
Ender's Game
13
Orson Scott Card
The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy
The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy
14
The House of Mirth (Edith Wharton)
The House of Mirth
15
Edith Wharton
Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)
Of Mice and Men
16
John Steinbeck
1984 (George Orwell)
1984
17
George Orwell
O Pioneers! (Willa Cather)
O Pioneers!
18
Willa Cather
The Crying of Lot 49 (Thomas Pynchon)
The Crying of Lot 49
19
Thomas Pynchon
Angle of Repose (Wallace Stegner)
Angle of Repose
20
Wallace Stegner
The Naked Lunch
The Naked Lunch
21
My Antonia (Willa Cather)
My Antonia
22
Willa Cather
Cannery Row (John Steinbeck)
Cannery Row
23
John Steinbeck
American Pastoral (Philip Roth)
American Pastoral
24
Philip Roth
Ethan Frome (Edith Wharton)
Ethan Frome
25
Edith Wharton
Light in August (William Faulkner)
Light in August
26
William Faulkner
The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
The Color Purple
27
Alice Walker
V.
V.
28
Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston)
Their Eyes Were Watching God
29
Zora Neale Hurston
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (Carson McCullers)
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
30
Carson McCullers
The Call of the Wild (Jack London)
The Call of the Wild
31
Jack London
Infinite Jest (David Foster Wallace)
Infinite Jest
32
David Foster Wallace
The Road to Los Angeles (John Fante)
The Road to Los Angeles
33
John Fante
The Day of the Locust (Nathanael West)
The Day of the Locust
34
Nathanael West
The Hours (Michael Cunningham)
The Hours
35
Michael Cunningham
An American Tragedy (Theodore Dreiser)
An American Tragedy
36
Theodore Dreiser
A Bell for Adano by John Hersey
A Bell for Adano by John Hersey
37
Native Son (Richard Wright)
Native Son
38
Richard Wright
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (Michael Chabon)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
39
Michael Chabon
The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
The Good Earth
40
Pearl S. Buck
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