On the Road, by Jack Kerouac. I read it in high school, probably around 1958, and it was fairly new than, and I have re-read it several times. I even read the Finnish translation of it, Matkalla.
Suttree by Cormac McCArthy would be up there - phenomenally consistent writer but that is his best one, IMHO.
Denis Johnson is probably my favourite American writer of recent times (passed away recently, sad to say), but was at his best in the shorter form - think he was a poet at heart. Short novels like Angels, or collections like Jesus’ son, are perfection. On the larger canvas, though, he could be a bit uneven.
Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun mentioned above is also a personal favourite. I read it a long time ago, though, and am sort of reluctant to pick it up and change the memories I have of it.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.
I cried watching the film (starring Gregory Peck), a stage version at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and a key scene on youtube.
Lolita
**The Stand **
The Bonfire of the Vanities as a runner-up.
Absalom, Absalom! William Faulkner
Angle of Repose
Grapes of Wrath
Huckleberry Finn
To Kill a Mockingbird
Moby Dick
All great presentations of Americana. If I had to pick one, it would be Grapes of Wrath.
Love Steinbeck, but never understood Tortilla Flat.
Crane
I read nearly all of Steinbeck’s novels (in one long binge many years ago) and my pick would be East Of Eden. I agree about ** Tortilla Flat**, found it underwhelming.