Best Twentieth Century American Novels

1.
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird 4.26 avg rating — 6,689,413 ratings
2.
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby 3.93 avg rating — 5,731,783 ratings
3.
The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye 3.80 avg rating — 3,800,724 ratings
4.
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath 4.02 avg rating — 971,639 ratings
5.
Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451 3.97 avg rating — 2,719,159 ratings
6.
Catch-22
Catch-22 3.99 avg rating — 873,367 ratings
7.
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men 3.89 avg rating — 2,752,126 ratings
8.
Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five 4.10 avg rating — 1,451,365 ratings
9.
Lolita
Lolita 3.87 avg rating — 919,276 ratings
10.
East of Eden
East of Eden 4.43 avg rating — 602,294 ratings
11.
The Old Man and the Sea
The Old Man and the Sea 3.81 avg rating — 1,265,789 ratings
12.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
by: Ken Kesey
4.20 avg rating — 767,677 ratings
13.
The Color Purple
The Color Purple 4.27 avg rating — 737,242 ratings
14.
The Bell Jar
The Bell Jar 4.05 avg rating — 1,153,990 ratings
15.
The House of Mirth
The House of Mirth 3.97 avg rating — 103,541 ratings
16.
My Ántonia
My Ántonia 3.84 avg rating — 144,873 ratings
17.
The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury 3.86 avg rating — 192,278 ratings
18.
Sophie’s Choice
Sophie’s Choice 4.17 avg rating — 93,612 ratings
19.
The Stand
The Stand 4.35 avg rating — 814,357 ratings
20.
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces 3.89 avg rating — 291,789 ratings
21.
The Road
The Road really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,001,786 ratings
22.
As I Lay Dying
As I Lay Dying 3.72 avg rating — 182,480 ratings
23.
Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1)
Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1) 3.97 avg rating — 476,986 ratings
24.
Absalom, Absalom!
Absalom, Absalom! 3.99 avg rating — 47,016 ratings
25.
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God 3.99 avg rating — 377,803 ratings
26.
The World According to Garp
The World According to Garp 4.11 avg rating — 235,966 ratings
27.
Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind 4.31 avg rating — 1,258,046 ratings
28.
Invisible Man
Invisible Man 3.92 avg rating — 198,738 ratings
29.
Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte’s Web 4.21 avg rating — 1,994,208 ratings
30.
Cannery Row (Cannery Row, #1)
Cannery Row (Cannery Row, #1) 4.06 avg rating — 149,653 ratings
31.
On the Road
On the Road 3.61 avg rating — 438,528 ratings
32.
The Poisonwood Bible
The Poisonwood Bible 4.11 avg rating — 779,801 ratings
33.
A Farewell to Arms
A Farewell to Arms 3.82 avg rating — 344,504 ratings
34.
The Age of Innocence
The Age of Innocence 3.97 avg rating — 189,938 ratings
35.
The Good Earth (House of Earth, #1)
The Good Earth (House of Earth, #1) 4.01 avg rating — 257,778 ratings
36.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
For Whom the Bell Tolls 3.99 avg rating — 311,421 ratings
37.
The Shipping News
The Shipping News 3.88 avg rating — 150,742 ratings
38.
An American Tragedy
An American Tragedy 3.97 avg rating — 38,269 ratings
39.
Breakfast of Champions
Breakfast of Champions 4.06 avg rating — 275,079 ratings
40.
The Sun Also Rises
The Sun Also Rises 3.79 avg rating — 482,054 ratings
41.
Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1)
Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1) 4.56 avg rating — 222,382 ratings
42.
Franny and Zooey
Franny and Zooey 3.96 avg rating — 235,169 ratings
43.
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter 3.99 avg rating — 116,845 ratings
44.
The Accidental Tourist
The Accidental Tourist 3.90 avg rating — 107,780 ratings
45.
Ethan Frome
Ethan Frome 3.45 avg rating — 134,939 ratings
46.
The Killer Angels (The Civil War Trilogy, #2)
The Killer Angels (The Civil War Trilogy, #2) 4.33 avg rating — 90,458 ratings
47.
Death Comes for the Archbishop
Death Comes for the Archbishop 3.97 avg rating — 41,770 ratings
48.
The Maltese Falcon
The Maltese Falcon 3.87 avg rating — 113,194 ratings
49.
Tender Is the Night
Tender Is the Night 3.77 avg rating — 146,440 ratings
49.
The Things They Carried
The Things They Carried 4.14 avg rating — 337,485 ratings
51.
Rabbit, Run (Rabbit Angstrom, #1)
Rabbit, Run (Rabbit Angstrom, #1) 3.59 avg rating — 62,566 ratings
52.
Native Son
Native Son 4.04 avg rating — 103,289 ratings
53.
Herzog
Herzog 3.76 avg rating — 22,521 ratings
54.
84, Charing Cross Road
84, Charing Cross Road 4.16 avg rating — 93,106 ratings
55.
Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West
Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West 4.16 avg rating — 204,506 ratings
56.
The Cider House Rules
The Cider House Rules 4.17 avg rating — 192,677 ratings
57.
The Shining (The Shining, #1)
The Shining (The Shining, #1) 4.28 avg rating — 1,650,506 ratings
58.
The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride 4.27 avg rating — 936,577 ratings
59.
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
The Bridge of San Luis Rey 3.79 avg rating — 37,713 ratings
60.
Main Street
Main Street 3.78 avg rating — 26,594 ratings
61.
Go Tell It on the Mountain
Go Tell It on the Mountain 4.05 avg rating — 78,213 ratings
62.
The Secret History
The Secret History 4.16 avg rating — 950,682 ratings
63.
O Pioneers!
O Pioneers! 3.90 avg rating — 57,279 ratings
64.
Gravity’s Rainbow
Gravity’s Rainbow 4.01 avg rating — 46,897 ratings
64.
Kindred
Kindred 4.31 avg rating — 258,367 ratings
66.
The Ambassadors
The Ambassadors 3.63 avg rating — 12,858 ratings
67.
The Beautiful and Damned
The Beautiful and Damned 3.73 avg rating — 63,651 ratings
68.
Infinite Jest
Infinite Jest 4.25 avg rating — 98,665 ratings
69.
The Outsiders
The Outsiders 4.14 avg rating — 1,538,462 ratings
70.
Tortilla Flat
Tortilla Flat 3.83 avg rating — 61,125 ratings
71.
Angle of Repose
Angle of Repose 4.24 avg rating — 61,309 ratings
72.
The Left Hand of Darkness
The Left Hand of Darkness 4.10 avg rating — 209,480 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 — 116,706 ratings
76.
The Executioner's Song
The Executioner's Song 4.05 avg rating — 22,789 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 — 15,524 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 — 65,742 ratings
80.
The Kitchen God's Wife
The Kitchen God's Wife
by: Amy Tan
4.04 avg rating — 87,070 ratings
82.
Carrie
Carrie 3.99 avg rating — 813,755 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 — 49,596 ratings
85.
The Postman Always Rings Twice
The Postman Always Rings Twice 3.76 avg rating — 47,119 ratings
86.
Portnoy’s Complaint
Portnoy’s Complaint 3.71 avg rating — 72,172 ratings
87.
The Pearl
The Pearl 3.56 avg rating — 261,810 ratings
88.
Housekeeping
Housekeeping 3.81 avg rating — 57,355 ratings
89.
’Salem’s Lot
’Salem’s Lot 4.10 avg rating — 636,711 ratings
90.
The Hours
The Hours 3.96 avg rating — 146,853 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 — 28,025 ratings
94.
This Side of Paradise
This Side of Paradise 3.64 avg rating — 78,641 ratings
95.
The Jungle
The Jungle 3.78 avg rating — 152,238 ratings
96.
Naked Lunch: The Restored Text
Naked Lunch: The Restored Text 3.46 avg rating — 96,900 ratings
97.
Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon 4.15 avg rating — 123,945 ratings
98.
Sula
Sula 4.05 avg rating — 117,019 ratings
99.
Wise Blood
Wise Blood 3.82 avg rating — 36,564 ratings
99.
The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe, #1)
The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe, #1) 3.94 avg rating — 165,240 ratings
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