When the folks at Atlantic magazine recently named the “great American novels” of the last century, they said they expected disagreement on their 136 picks. So, here goes.
Obviously, these lists are meant to be debated. They generate controversy and snag clicks — probably one reason the story is now behind a paywall. That’s because we all have different tastes and definitions of “great American novel.”
For starters, people used to talk about writing “the great American novel” (meaning: one greatest novel), but now we’re supposed to believe there are 136? That number is random. Even picking one from each of the last 100 years would make more sense. But Atlantic created the list, so they get to make the rules and withstand our scorn.
If my math is correct, Toni Morrison has more books on the list than anyone else (“Sula,” “Song of Solomon,” “Beloved”), which seems right. No scorn there. And titles like “Catcher in the Rye” and “Native Son” are slam dunks. “On the Road,” too, even if I think it’s misogynistic, dated and hogging a spot that could be filled by John Irving’s “A Prayer for Owen Meany.”