In 1868, a little-known writer by the name of John William DeForest proposed a new type of literature, a collective artistic project for a nation just emerging from an existential conflict: a work of fiction that accomplished βthe task of painting the American soul.β It would be called the Great American Novel, and no one had written it yet, DeForest admitted. Maybe soon.
The Atlantic Culture Desk https://web.archive.org/web/20240314123418/https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2024/03/best-books-american-fiction/677479/
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I am always a sucker for a book list, I agree with the comment that the major text missing is Gravity’s Rainbow.
α₯ in Yesterday the Atlantic published a list of great American no… ()