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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?
887 users · 4,031 views
 
from goodreads.com · made by putzberger
avg. score: 14 of 96 (14%)
required scores: 1, 6, 10, 13, 20 

How many have you read?

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