By Josh Humphrey
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain) and James (Percival Everett)
Huck Finn, published in 1885, follows the adventures of the title character on the Mississippi River of the antebellum South. Criticized for its use of coarse language and racial epithets upon its release, it has since earned the reputation of a satire of bygone attitudes towards racism, especially.
For extra credit, check out the more recent James, Percival Everett’s 2025 Pulitzer Prize winner, which flips the script on Twain’s masterpiece, focusing on the character of fugitive slave, Jim. This fine, modern reinterpretation of a classic is on its way to classic status, too.
Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
I would be remiss not to mention this 1936 novel of the plantation-era South, both for its stirring depiction of the Civil War and also for its fascinating connection to Kearny. Mitchell’s publishing representative, Harold Latham, was an important resident of town, who was also instrumental in the Boy Scouts and a founding member of the Kearny Museum. To this day, the Kearny Public Library has a large collection of foreign translations of the novel, which Mitchell herself gifted to Latham, in many cases adding little notes and signatures.
The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
This 1983 Pulitzer Prize winner tells the story of poor African-Americans in rural Georgia at the turn of the century, focusing on the plight of women during this time of history. It is one of the most well-known examples of an epistolary novel, meaning that it is told through a series of letters.
Sadly, it has also earned a place on the list of the top banned books, due to its unflinching depiction of violence. Read the book and then watch the amazing 1985 film adaptation, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.
Lonesome Dove (Larry McMurtry)
This epic Western novel won the Pulitzer in 1986. Set in the last days of the Old West in the 1870s, it is the story of a band of retired Texas Rangers who drive a cattle herd from Texas to Montana. Through its memorable characters, it covers themes of aging, friendship, and the freedom that comes with wide open, unpopulated land. If you want to explore more McMurtry, check out the novel’s two prequels and its 1993 sequel, Streets of Laredo. Also check out its much-beloved television miniseries adaptation from 1989.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
My favorite book of the list by far, this 1943 novel is the author’s semi-autobiographical story of a girl’s coming-of-age in Brooklyn of the 1910s.
It is full of wonderful descriptions of a lost world of tenements and factories. While it deals with heavy themes of poverty and alcoholism, it is more a story of rising above difficulties in life through love and hope. At the time of its release, it was even published in a small Armed Forces edition and given to soldiers in WWII.
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
This 1960 winner of the Pulitzer Prize is another classic coming-of-age novel that takes place during the years of the Great Depression in Alabama. It includes two of the most beloved characters in all of literature, with young “Scout” Finch and her father, small-town Lawyer, Atticus. While it covers issues of racism and prejudice, it is also full of humor and warmth. According to a poll of British Librarians, its importance is ranked right next to the Bible.
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
This 1925 classic is set in the Jazz Age of New York City, and is famous for its depiction of the lavish lifestyles and parties of 1920s Long Island. It is an enduring portrait of the Prohibition era American dream, full of music, movement and rebellious youth. While unpopular at the time of its publication, it also found new life when it was given free to WWII soldiers. At this point, it has been adapted into plays, several films, a television series and three musicals, the most recent of which is currently on Broadway.
On the Road (Jack Kerouac)
Much like the Gatsby of the 1920s, this 1957 novel is a classic story of the disillusionment of postwar America, also full of music, poetry and rebellion. Kerouac’s semi-autobiographical story launched the Beat Generation, a cultural and literary movement, and depicts many of its best-known writers, including William Burroughs, Jr. and Allen Ginsberg. It has gone on to be an influence on many writers and musicians, including David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Hunter S. Thompson.
The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
Published in 1939, this classic novel won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Set during the Great Depression, it is the story of a family of poor farmers who travel the famed Route 66 from Oklahoma to California in search of work, food and survival. Read Steinbeck for his grand themes of humanity in the face of hardship, and his homespun wisdom. The title of the novel is taken from the lyrics of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, which is itself quoting a passage of the Bible.
American Pastoral (Philip Roth)
This 1997 novel follows the story of “Swede” Levov, a businessman in the Newark, New Jersey of the late 1960s, a time of riots and great political upheaval. The events of the novel are put in motion after the Swede’s daughter sets off a bomb during a Vietnam protest that kills an innocent bystander. While trying to live a conventional American dream life, the family is swept up in the angst and disillusionment of their time in history. It is the first of a trilogy for Roth covering American eras. It is followed by I Married a Communist, which deals with the 1940s and The Human Stain, set against the Clinton impeachment of 1998.
FOR FURTHER READING
Since it is nearly impossible to mention just 10 great American novels, here are a few more that are worth checking out. Speaking of checking out, every book on this list is available at your hometown Kearny Public Library…
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (Michael Chabon)
Blood Meridian (Cormac McCarthy)
All the King’s Men (Robert Penn Warren)
Moby Dick (Herman Melville)
A Farewell to Arms (Ernest Hemingway)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Truman Capote)
The World According to Garp (John Irving)
Josh Humphrey is the director of the Kearny Library.