Stop! Before you read another word, please think about your immediate Top 3 picks for the great American novel.
Do this now. Do not consult Google. Just note which Top 3 American novels pop into your head first.
Got your Top 3 great American novels in mind? OK.
When I asked myself this question, The Grapes of Wrath and To Kill a Mocking Bird came immediately to mind. It took a moment longer for me to think of The Call of the Wild.
- The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck (1939)
- To Kill a Mocking Bird, by Harper Lee (1960)
- The Call of the Wild, by Jack London (1903)
I read all of these books in my teens. Was I more easily impressed at that age? Were my feelings more easily stirred? Or are these novels really great?
I read each of my Top 3 novels more than once, though. They were still impressive the second time around, years later.
In particular, when I reread Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, I saw this book had highly influenced my sense of social justice and socio-economic views. Admittedly, I also watched the movie several times. (Uh-oh. Emotion and repetition are the key elements of propaganda. Maybe I was brainwashed.)
What makes a novel “great” anyway? Maybe… You want to read it a second time. It changes the way you view the world. It is beautifully well-written. It stands the test of time. It illuminates a universal truth. It is emotionally moving and/or thought provoking. What else…?
Which great American novels are on your Top 3 list, and why? If you are willing, please share your thoughts in the Comments Section. Thank you! You may inspire somebody to pick up a great novel to read.
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