# Business Insider's "Most Famous Novel Set in Every State"... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2013, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-insiders-most-famous-novel-set-in-every-state/672073 "2013-10-24T01:03:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-insiders-most-famous-novel-set-in-every-state/672073/81 "2013-10-27T17:51:57Z")
My first thought was “The Wizard of Oz” was not set in Kansas. I’m glad to see Stephen King represented. Though I would have gone with _IT_, set in the famous famous fictional town of Derry, Maine. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-insiders-most-famous-novel-set-in-every-state/672073/82 "2013-10-27T17:56:01Z")
> [@bup](#): > > One’s Minnesota, the other is Michigan, right? Yes, My friends the Minnesota Librarians all prefer Betsy’s Wedding (or another Betsy Tacy book) over Main Street, but its in and out of print and not well known. A Million Little Pieces or Lake Woebegon Days would be other possibilities - I would have gone for Lake Woebegon Days. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-insiders-most-famous-novel-set-in-every-state/672073/83 "2013-10-27T18:04:52Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > … I would have gone for Lake Woebegon Days. Oooh, good call! A lot of people hear “Minnesota” and immediately think of Lake Wobegon. A friend said he was moving to the midwest and all he could picture was small towns and “Norwegian Bachelor Farmers”. Another friend has a “Lake Wobegon: Gateway to Central Minnesota” bumper sticker. These are native west-coasters, so Prairie Home Companion is well-known enough to rate a book choice. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-insiders-most-famous-novel-set-in-every-state/672073/84 "2013-10-27T19:28:46Z")
Two more MA ones: _A Civil Action_ _Johnny Tremain_ ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-insiders-most-famous-novel-set-in-every-state/672073/85 "2013-10-27T19:52:16Z")
_Freckles_ was the first book I thought of for Indiana. I’ve never heard of almost half of these books - including the one for my home state and the one for where I live now. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-insiders-most-famous-novel-set-in-every-state/672073/86 "2013-10-27T20:44:05Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I don’t know anything about her, but I have thought about reading that book. I’m just glad it wasn’t something about Jeffery Dahmer or Ed Gein. **A Map of the World** reminded me of the Wisconsin I knew. **LHOTP** could only remind me of the spot on the wall where there was a Currier & Ives litho. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-insiders-most-famous-novel-set-in-every-state/672073/87 "2013-10-28T02:23:49Z")
> [@Eman\_Resu](#): > > I kind of figured a John Irving book would take the New Hampshire spot, but you’re right–the Hotel New Hampshire in the book is actually located in Austria. I would have thought _A Prayer for Owen Meany_ would get it, since it’s not only a more New Hampshire-y book, but a much more well-known John Irving book. It seems like the only way _Hotel New Hampshire_ has it beat is that the state’s name is in the title. Hell, I’d argue that _The World According to Garp_ would be a better New Hampshire book; it’s older, but it’s Irving’s first best-seller. As for Pennsylvania, the list is officially bullshit. I haven’t read all of _The Lovely Bones_ yet, but my impression is that it could be set in any suburbia anywhere. Updike’s Rabbit novels are more representative, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-insiders-most-famous-novel-set-in-every-state/672073/88 "2013-10-28T13:13:33Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Two more MA ones: > > _A Civil Action_ > > _Johnny Tremain_ Mary Higgins Clark’s first best selling mystery Where Are The Children, was set on Cape Cod. In terms of popularity, her books win hands down. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-insiders-most-famous-novel-set-in-every-state/672073.md?page=4)