# The most widely read classic American novel **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 7, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789 "2006-04-07T23:11:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/61 "2006-04-09T00:41:09Z")
Catcher in the Rye - Yes Catch-22 - Yes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Yes Slaughterhouse-5 - Yes Grapes of Wrath - Yes Tom Sawyer - Yes The Da Vinci Code - Yes Valley of the Dolls - Yes ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/62 "2006-04-09T01:24:11Z")
I must be getting punchy–I’ve been reading these all day and they’re starting to run together. Catcher in the Sea Mockingbird in the Rye To Kill a Mouse Of Mockingbirds and Blood The Old Man and the Wind Slaughterhouse-22 The Scarlet Dick The World According to Blood In Cold Garp The Letter of the Screw Last of the Gatsbys The Wrath and the Fury The Purple Badge of Color Billy Blood Some of those are damned good books I’d like to write someday, or at least read. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/63 "2006-04-09T01:26:42Z")
The Sun Also Rises - NO Catcher in the Rye - Unfortunately. I want every wasted minute back. The Great Gatsby - No The Color Purple - No Catch-22 - No To Kill a Mockingbird - No- but keep meaning to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Yes- and if I was going to pick a winner out of these lists- this would be it (my own personal ideal American novel is coming up) Slaughterhouse-5 - no Gone with the Wind - Yes- loved it but shouldn’t be THE American Novel. Of Mice and Men - Yes- I like this even more than Huck Finn, but its more of a novella right? Grapes of Wrath - No Tom Sawyer - Yes The Old Man and the Sea - no Scarlett Letter - This one is also one of my favorites- but lacks humor (at all) and is too dated at this point. As a bit of specific, very narrow American historical fiction- its very good but doesn’t capture more of the American spirit/dream/what have you. Moby Dick - I think a chapter or two ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ The Turn of the Screw - Yes The Da Vinci Code - Unfortunately (why is this on this list?) Peyton Place - No Valley of the Dolls - No Now… besides Mark Twain- who is a no brainer- I can’t think of another American author better than Larry McMurtrey. \*Lonesome Dove \* and _Dead Man’s Walk_ are outstanding American epics. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/64 "2006-04-09T01:36:10Z")
The Sun Also Rises- No The Great Gatsby- No The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Yes Slaughterhouse-5- Yes The Valley of the Dolls - No Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Yes The Exorcist - Yes Jaws - Yes God’s Little Acre - No Catch-22 - Yes To Kill A Mockingbird - Yes A Woman of Substance - No The Thorn Birds - Yes Gone With the Wind - Yes Peyton Place - No Animal Farm - Yes The Carpetbaggers - Yes, but only for the sex. The Catcher in the Rye - Yes The Godfather - Yes Moby Dick - Yes. I read it for a hundred years one week. Old Man and the Sea- Yes Farewell to Arms - No Scarlett Letter - No Of Mice and Man - Yes The Turn of the Screw- No Grapes of Wrath - Yes Babbit - No The Da Vinci Code - No Tom Sawyer - Yes Huck Finn - Yes ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/65 "2006-04-09T01:40:01Z")
The Sun Also Rises -Yes Catcher in the Rye - Yes The Great Gatsby - Yes The Color Purple - No Catch-22 - Yes To Kill a Mockingbird - No The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Yes Slaughterhouse-5 - Yes ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/66 "2006-04-09T01:40:54Z")
> [@pseudotriton ruber ruber](#): > > The Sun Also Rises > Catcher in the Rye > The Great Gatsby > The Color Purple > Catch-22 > To Kill a Mockingbird > The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn > Slaughterhouse-5 > > Just a “Yes/No/ No/ Yes” etc. response is fine, but if you want to argue with me, go right ahead. Yes/No/No/Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/67 "2006-04-09T02:56:40Z")
> [@pseudotriton ruber ruber](#): > > The Scarlet Dick Let’s hope that’s fiction. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/68 "2006-04-09T03:14:28Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > … > The Thorn Birds - Yes I’m glad you’ve claimed that one for the USA. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/69 "2006-04-09T07:27:39Z")
The Sun Also Rises - Yes Catcher in the Rye - Yes The Great Gatsby - Yes The Catcher In The Rye - Yes (I think seven times or more) The Color Purple - No (but saw the movie) Catch-22 - Yes To Kill a Mockingbird - Yes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Yes Slaughterhouse-5 - Yes Gone with the Wind - No (but saw the movie) Of Mice and Men - Yes Grapes of Wrath - Yes Tom Sawyer - Yes The Old Man and the Sea - Yes Scarlett Letter - Yes Moby Dick - Yes The Turn of the Screw - Yes The Da Vinci Code - Yes Peyton Place - Yes Valley of the Dolls - Yes May I add (not necessarily written by Americans, but read in English Literature classes): The Hobbit - Yes Lord of The Rings - Yes Lord of The Flies - Yes Cat’s Cradle - Yes Almost all Edgar Allen Poe - Yes In Cold Blood - Yes Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Wolff - Yes Ulysses by James Joyce…Hell no…tried to read that at least ten times and could never get past page 30, and a roommate of mine read it about 10 times and could quote volume and verse from memory. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/70 "2006-04-09T08:58:08Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > I have read all of those but To Kill a Mockingbird. Just to say that I really hate it when people tell me I MUST read a book, but you really must read Mockingbird. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/71 "2006-04-09T11:16:02Z")
> [@Sevastopol](#): > > I’m glad you’ve claimed that one for the USA. Oops. I plead guilty and ask for mercy due to having had a brain fart. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/72 "2006-04-09T11:29:00Z")
The Sun Also Rises - several times Catcher in the Rye - once The Great Gatsby - very often The Color Purple - nope Catch-22 - 3 times To Kill a Mockingbird - several times The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - once Slaughterhouse-5 - once ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/73 "2006-04-09T11:32:30Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Animal Farm - Yes When did Orwell migrate? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/74 "2006-04-09T11:49:38Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > When did Orwell migrate? Ah, oops again? I was working off a list from a different post, and obviously wasn’t careful enough. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/75 "2006-04-10T12:29:10Z")
The Sun Also Rises - No Catcher in the Rye - Yes The Great Gatsby - No The Color Purple - No Catch-22 - Yes To Kill a Mockingbird - Yes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Yes Slaughterhouse-5 - No Gone with the Wind - Yes Of Mice and Men - Yes Grapes of Wrath - No Tom Sawyer - Yes The Old Man and the Sea - Yes Scarlett Letter - Yes Moby Dick - No The Turn of the Screw - No The Da Vinci Code - No Peyton Place - No Valley of the Dolls - No ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/76 "2006-04-10T14:49:35Z")
Anyone feel like doing a score card for this? I admit, I’m lost. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/77 "2006-04-10T15:23:51Z")
The Sun Also Rises - Yes Catcher in the Rye - Yes The Great Gatsby - No (But I have seen the movie with Robert Redford.) The Color Purple - No (But I have seen the movie.) Catch-22 - No To Kill a Mockingbird - Yes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - ? I don’t remember. Probably yes. Slaughterhouse-5 - No Gone with the Wind - Yes Of Mice and Men - No Grapes of Wrath - No Tom Sawyer - Again I don’t remember. I think so. The Old Man and the Sea - Yes Scarlett Letter - No Moby Dick - No (But it’s on my list as soon as my dad gives it back to me.) The Turn of the Screw - Yes The Da Vinci Code - Yes Peyton Place - No Valley of the Dolls - No Babbitt - Yes (Probably my favorite of all of these.) I’d suggest adding On the Road by Jack Kerouac but I seem to be the only person who’s read it who actually liked it. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/78 "2006-04-10T15:35:54Z")
> [@yellowval](#): > > I’d suggest adding On the Road by Jack Kerouac but I seem to be the only person who’s read it who actually liked it. Well, a lot of people read The Da Vinci Code. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/79 "2006-04-10T17:22:34Z")
Nitpick: “Scarlett” is a character in _Gone With the Wind_. Hawthorne’s novel is _The Scarlet Letter_. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789/80 "2006-04-10T17:55:42Z")
The Sun Also Rises–yes, for school Catcher in the Rye–yes, at home The Great Gatsby–yes, for school The Color Purple–yes, at home Catch-22–no To Kill a Mockingbird–yes, at school The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn–yes, I think at school Slaughterhouse-5–no Gone with the Wind - No Of Mice and Men - yes, at home Grapes of Wrath - yes, at home Tom Sawyer - yes, at home The Old Man and the Sea - Yes, at home Scarlett Letter - yes, for school Moby Dick - Yes, at home The Turn of the Screw - yes, at home The Da Vinci Code - No Peyton Place - No Valley of the Dolls - No Babbitt --No [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-widely-read-classic-american-novel/351789.md?page=5)