Not from the States, but been having an Americana kick lately, despite the goings on over there politically.
I’m looking for novels that really embody the spirit, landscape, culture, and people of each region, not just any book that happens to be set there. I want to really feel their specific vibe, not just the general milquetoast, oh hi, this is american suburb #267, how may I help you?
Classics are welcome, but contemporary picks are fine too. Big bonus points if the setting feels essential to the story.
Here are my current front-runners rn (but I’m very open to better suggestions!):
- Northeast: The Great Gatsby (obv, but yeah, I like it)
- Midwest: My Ántonia (so americana, love immigrant stories)
- South: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (another obv pick)
- West: East of Eden (love James Dean, read it, love John Steinbeck)
by FoamTank
3 Comments
Given you mentioned a Willa Cather book already, you should also check out “Death Comes for the Archbishop” for a look at the Southwest.
Also, read Flannery O’Connor, especially her short stories, to get a sense of the Deep South.
I have not read it in a while, but The Violent Bear it Away by Flannery O’Connor feels very representative of the weird religious rural south.
Northwest: *Deep River*, by Marlantes or. *Sometimes a Great Notion*, by Kesey