Best Twentieth Century American Novels

1.
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird 4.26 avg rating — 6,688,829 ratings
2.
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby 3.93 avg rating — 5,731,297 ratings
3.
The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye 3.80 avg rating — 3,800,419 ratings
4.
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath 4.02 avg rating — 971,577 ratings
5.
Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451 3.97 avg rating — 2,718,842 ratings
6.
Catch-22
Catch-22 3.99 avg rating — 873,324 ratings
7.
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men 3.89 avg rating — 2,751,885 ratings
8.
Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five 4.10 avg rating — 1,451,271 ratings
9.
Lolita
Lolita 3.87 avg rating — 919,194 ratings
10.
East of Eden
East of Eden 4.43 avg rating — 602,185 ratings
11.
The Old Man and the Sea
The Old Man and the Sea 3.81 avg rating — 1,265,639 ratings
12.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
by: Ken Kesey
4.20 avg rating — 767,632 ratings
13.
The Color Purple
The Color Purple 4.27 avg rating — 737,184 ratings
14.
The Bell Jar
The Bell Jar 4.05 avg rating — 1,153,761 ratings
15.
The House of Mirth
The House of Mirth 3.97 avg rating — 103,536 ratings
16.
My Ántonia
My Ántonia 3.84 avg rating — 144,864 ratings
17.
The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury 3.86 avg rating — 192,270 ratings
18.
Sophie’s Choice
Sophie’s Choice 4.17 avg rating — 93,607 ratings
19.
The Stand
The Stand 4.35 avg rating — 814,321 ratings
20.
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces 3.89 avg rating — 291,777 ratings
21.
The Road
The Road really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,001,683 ratings
22.
As I Lay Dying
As I Lay Dying 3.72 avg rating — 182,465 ratings
23.
Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1)
Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1) 3.97 avg rating — 476,946 ratings
24.
Absalom, Absalom!
Absalom, Absalom! 3.99 avg rating — 47,014 ratings
25.
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God 3.99 avg rating — 377,787 ratings
26.
The World According to Garp
The World According to Garp 4.11 avg rating — 235,959 ratings
27.
Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind 4.31 avg rating — 1,258,010 ratings
28.
Invisible Man
Invisible Man 3.92 avg rating — 198,730 ratings
29.
Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte’s Web 4.21 avg rating — 1,994,072 ratings
30.
Cannery Row (Cannery Row, #1)
Cannery Row (Cannery Row, #1) 4.06 avg rating — 149,639 ratings
31.
On the Road
On the Road 3.61 avg rating — 438,501 ratings
32.
The Poisonwood Bible
The Poisonwood Bible 4.11 avg rating — 779,768 ratings
33.
A Farewell to Arms
A Farewell to Arms 3.82 avg rating — 344,474 ratings
34.
The Age of Innocence
The Age of Innocence 3.97 avg rating — 189,915 ratings
35.
The Good Earth (House of Earth, #1)
The Good Earth (House of Earth, #1) 4.01 avg rating — 257,768 ratings
36.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
For Whom the Bell Tolls 3.99 avg rating — 311,401 ratings
37.
The Shipping News
The Shipping News 3.88 avg rating — 150,735 ratings
38.
An American Tragedy
An American Tragedy 3.97 avg rating — 38,266 ratings
39.
Breakfast of Champions
Breakfast of Champions 4.06 avg rating — 275,067 ratings
40.
The Sun Also Rises
The Sun Also Rises 3.79 avg rating — 482,022 ratings
41.
Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1)
Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1) 4.56 avg rating — 222,341 ratings
42.
Franny and Zooey
Franny and Zooey 3.96 avg rating — 235,155 ratings
43.
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter 3.99 avg rating — 116,837 ratings
44.
The Accidental Tourist
The Accidental Tourist 3.90 avg rating — 107,779 ratings
45.
Ethan Frome
Ethan Frome 3.45 avg rating — 134,932 ratings
46.
The Killer Angels (The Civil War Trilogy, #2)
The Killer Angels (The Civil War Trilogy, #2) 4.33 avg rating — 90,453 ratings
47.
Death Comes for the Archbishop
Death Comes for the Archbishop 3.97 avg rating — 41,766 ratings
48.
The Maltese Falcon
The Maltese Falcon 3.87 avg rating — 113,189 ratings
49.
Tender Is the Night
Tender Is the Night 3.77 avg rating — 146,417 ratings
49.
The Things They Carried
The Things They Carried 4.14 avg rating — 337,459 ratings
51.
Rabbit, Run (Rabbit Angstrom, #1)
Rabbit, Run (Rabbit Angstrom, #1) 3.59 avg rating — 62,563 ratings
52.
Native Son
Native Son 4.04 avg rating — 103,288 ratings
53.
Herzog
Herzog 3.76 avg rating — 22,522 ratings
54.
84, Charing Cross Road
84, Charing Cross Road 4.16 avg rating — 93,092 ratings
55.
Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West
Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West 4.16 avg rating — 204,451 ratings
56.
The Cider House Rules
The Cider House Rules 4.17 avg rating — 192,666 ratings
57.
The Shining (The Shining, #1)
The Shining (The Shining, #1) 4.28 avg rating — 1,650,366 ratings
58.
The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride 4.27 avg rating — 936,544 ratings
59.
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
The Bridge of San Luis Rey 3.79 avg rating — 37,707 ratings
60.
Main Street
Main Street 3.78 avg rating — 26,593 ratings
61.
Go Tell It on the Mountain
Go Tell It on the Mountain 4.05 avg rating — 78,204 ratings
62.
The Secret History
The Secret History 4.16 avg rating — 950,479 ratings
63.
O Pioneers!
O Pioneers! 3.90 avg rating — 57,276 ratings
64.
Gravity’s Rainbow
Gravity’s Rainbow 4.01 avg rating — 46,893 ratings
64.
Kindred
Kindred 4.31 avg rating — 258,314 ratings
66.
The Ambassadors
The Ambassadors 3.63 avg rating — 12,857 ratings
67.
The Beautiful and Damned
The Beautiful and Damned 3.73 avg rating — 63,650 ratings
68.
Infinite Jest
Infinite Jest 4.25 avg rating — 98,658 ratings
69.
The Outsiders
The Outsiders 4.14 avg rating — 1,538,286 ratings
70.
Tortilla Flat
Tortilla Flat 3.83 avg rating — 61,121 ratings
71.
Angle of Repose
Angle of Repose 4.24 avg rating — 61,307 ratings
72.
The Left Hand of Darkness
The Left Hand of Darkness 4.10 avg rating — 209,445 ratings
73.
The Wings of the Dove
The Wings of the Dove 3.79 avg rating — 17,385 ratings
74.
Rabbit at Rest (Rabbit Angstrom, #4)
Rabbit at Rest (Rabbit Angstrom, #4) 4.01 avg rating — 16,293 ratings
75.
A Canticle for Leibowitz
A Canticle for Leibowitz 3.99 avg rating — 116,701 ratings
76.
The Executioner's Song
The Executioner's Song 4.05 avg rating — 22,786 ratings
76.
The Human Comedy
The Human Comedy 4.03 avg rating — 6,505 ratings
78.
Look Homeward, Angel
Look Homeward, Angel 3.92 avg rating — 15,522 ratings
79.
A Thousand Acres
A Thousand Acres 3.82 avg rating — 71,373 ratings
80.
All the King's Men
All the King's Men 4.09 avg rating — 65,741 ratings
80.
The Kitchen God's Wife
The Kitchen God's Wife
by: Amy Tan
4.04 avg rating — 87,069 ratings
82.
Carrie
Carrie 3.99 avg rating — 813,678 ratings
83.
The Adventures of Augie March
The Adventures of Augie March 3.84 avg rating — 18,692 ratings
84.
Crossing to Safety
Crossing to Safety 4.16 avg rating — 49,594 ratings
85.
The Postman Always Rings Twice
The Postman Always Rings Twice 3.76 avg rating — 47,112 ratings
86.
Portnoy’s Complaint
Portnoy’s Complaint 3.71 avg rating — 72,165 ratings
87.
The Pearl
The Pearl 3.56 avg rating — 261,795 ratings
88.
Housekeeping
Housekeeping 3.81 avg rating — 57,347 ratings
89.
’Salem’s Lot
’Salem’s Lot 4.10 avg rating — 636,659 ratings
90.
The Hours
The Hours 3.96 avg rating — 146,852 ratings
91.
Rabbit Redux (Rabbit Angstrom, #2)
Rabbit Redux (Rabbit Angstrom, #2) 3.81 avg rating — 16,267 ratings
92.
Elmer Gantry
Elmer Gantry 4.01 avg rating — 6,232 ratings
93.
Love Medicine (Love Medicine, #1)
Love Medicine (Love Medicine, #1) 4.01 avg rating — 28,024 ratings
94.
This Side of Paradise
This Side of Paradise 3.64 avg rating — 78,638 ratings
95.
The Jungle
The Jungle 3.78 avg rating — 152,235 ratings
96.
Naked Lunch: The Restored Text
Naked Lunch: The Restored Text 3.46 avg rating — 96,896 ratings
97.
Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon 4.15 avg rating — 123,929 ratings
98.
Sula
Sula 4.05 avg rating — 117,008 ratings
99.
Wise Blood
Wise Blood 3.82 avg rating — 36,561 ratings
99.
The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe, #1)
The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe, #1) 3.94 avg rating — 165,229 ratings
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