100 Best Usa Authors

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Greatest American Writers

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Rated 130 points - posted 5 years ago by pxc0 in category People.
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1.
William Faulkner
988 points - added 5 years ago by pxc0 - 10 comments
Comments:
Best American writer of all time because of his beautiful prose and
experimental writing. Love him or hate him, in regards to literature,
few who have contributed as much as him.
Added 8 months ago by guest, 3 points
"Absalom, Absalom!" is the greatest American novel that I've read. It woul
not be excessive to praise Faulkner as the American Shakespeare, but it wo
also not do justice to his individuality.
Added 1 year ago by guest, 4 points
He's really a good writer. PS. Guys, could you write a sgort bio for him? Ju
few sentences.
Added 2 years ago by guest, 1 point
favorite writer. Light in August is my favorite book. As I Lay Dying is aweso

reading sound and the fury.
Added 2 years ago by guest, 11 points
I see Faulkner, Twain, and Poe as the top 3, in that order. Faulkner's writin
provides an intimacy into a character that is unmatched by any writer, save
Joyce.
Not only the greatest American writer of all time, but quite possibly the
greatest writer of all time bar none.
http://shareranks.com/533,Greatest-American-Writers
12/17/2014
Greatest American Writers - best, most ranked User Contributed Rankings - ShareRanks.c... Page 2 of 30
Greatest of them all.....gave us the vision of the great american disconnect

not at all...
Added 3 years ago by guest, -3 points
his prose just blows me away

greatest American writer

2.
Mark Twain
The quintessential American writer, Twain was able to capture

American spirit in works like Tom Sawyer and A Connecticut Yank
in King Arthur's Court. Known for his wit, his satire and his love for
America Twain was the country's biggest supporter and its bigges
critic - shining a light on his homeland, warts and all.
Comments:
best!
Twain's apercu on the Southern church - in which Huck sells his soul rathe
than selling out Jim - thereby proving his salvation - is ironically and brillian
written. Not that the Northern church, other than the Quakers, were much
more awake regarding "man and God and law" previous to Uncle Tom's Ca
Yes
3.
Edgar Allen Poe
Perhaps no other American writer has influenced literature

Western hemisphere as much as Poe. His deft use of horror and t
macabre, his masterful use of the short story and his creation of th
detective story all changed literature as we know it and many auth
today still feel Poe's influence in their work.
Comments:
I am writing a paper about Edgar Allen Poe.

I only go to sleep when i read his stories. 3:)

i think he is one of the best and deserves to be number one on this list
Wooooooooo!
He has eerie stories. The Black Cat is a creepy one.

Poe is eloquent, but so comma happy that his choppy sentences are at tim
unreadable. No one better at evoking the macabre, though.
Poe was so ahead of his time, that's how original he was.

12/17/2014
Poe, at one point, epitomized the new American Gothic: the latent reaction to
the English literary focus that began 200 years before it. However, the
suggestion that Poe was an American writer unequaled in international literary
influence is ridiculous. There is no documentation or any evidence to support
that kind of claim.
i love your poetry... (:

Allan
spell his name right

Tick tock tick tock

4.
Ernest Hemingway
Comments:
Yes, he was rather popular in Russia in the 60-ies

Added 8 months ago by guest, 1 point
I thought the sun also rises,and a farewell to arme where his best
Though I might strike you all as a tad of a hypocrite, spending time

commenting on another's opinions of a novel seems, well, and insufficient
altercation with your already battered and defensive ego. Adios Amigos
One of the greatest. A geat writer and his life itself makes for a "novel'.
Hemingway being ranked lower than Poe is abominable.

Many of Hemingway's stories are written on the 6th grade level. The reason:
He did not elaborate his writing with a lot of adjectives. He wanted to reader
to fill in the blanks with their own imagination. He would write a sentence
using the word "tree". He left it up to the reader to decide what the tree
looked like.
Hemingway doesn't translate well into our time, and For Whom the Bell Tolls
was absolutely painful to read. Fitzgerald should be #1.
He's amazing. Truly. I agree with one of the preceding comments: Cormac
McCarthy gives me the same fuzzy feeling when I read his work.
known ironically for his dialogue, which is frequently laconic and absurd: "you're lovely dear." "yes"
"we'll be lovely together darling." "yes, we will" "have a drink darling." "ok" "oh you're so lovely darling."
and so on....this is basically the entire dialogue to 'Farewell to Arms' i do like Hem but he's overrated. he
either writes a 4 word sentence or an incoherent one with 6000 "and's" in it. where's the specialness?
I'll say this about Hemingway, he's really easy to read. I'd have him at the
bottom part of the top 10.
Hemingway probably wrote the best dialogue of any writer.

Overrated, his work is always good the first time around, but never endures, upon further reading there
is really nothing else there.
12/17/2014
Changed literature forever. No better short story writer and four of the best
American novels ever written. Only Twain had similar impact. No argument.
Probably over-rated. Hemingway's early novels are great; but with the
exception of the novella "Old Man and the Sea" which was just a retelling of
an actual event from many years earlier, he produced nothing of substance
during the last 20 years of his life.
Still no one else in his category, in my view, except for Cormac McCarthy.
Always at the top.
The Old Man and the Sea - Pulitzer Prize 1952. The Sun Also Rises 1924, For
Whom the Bell Tolls 1940, A Farewell to Arms 1929, The Snows of Kilimanjaro
1936, To Have And Have Not 1937. Several books and stories made into films.
The Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954.
Added 4 years ago by pandora, 3 points
5.
John Steinbeck
The voice of the people, Steinbeck is famous for books like The
Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, which show the dark
underbelly of the American dream and champion the poor and
downtrodden. His work was not only art, it was seminal in bringing the
plight of millions of suffering Americans to the forefront and his
historical accuracy allows us to glimpse an America that no longer
exists.
Comments:
grapes of wrath, and cannery row where very good reading, east of
eden,great also
East of Eden is his best novel.

Grapes of Wrath. Of Mice and Men, Tortilla Flat, and Cannery Row, that's it. Four nice novels and then
nothing worthwhile. I wouldn't have Steinbeck in the top 15.
This awful list gave me AIDS. I think this page should be deleted, or at least removed from search
engines.
The Grapes of Wrath - Pulitzer Prize 1939. Of Mice and Men 1937, East of
Eden 1952, The Red Pony 1933, Tortilla Flat 1935, Cannery Row 1945, Viva
Zapata 1975, etc. 14 books made into movies. Nobel Prize for Literature 1962.
Added 4 years ago by pandora, 5 points
6.
Tennessee Williams
Best known for his plays "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "A Streetcar Named
Desire," and "The Glass Menagerie."
573 points - added 5 years ago by guest - 1 comment
Comments:
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Pulitzer Prize 1955, A Streetcar Named Desire Pulitzer Prize 1948. The Glass Menagerie 1945, The Night of the Iguana 1961,
The Rose Tattoo 1952.
12/17/2014
Added 4 years ago by pandora, -2 points
7.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Comments:
Anyone that could write "The Great Gatsby" should be ranked higher.That was
the best american novel ever written.
To say the least, the way in which F.Scott Fitzgerald poses the characters in
his stories is in the most poetic sense that any reader has seen, take Amory
Blaine as an example. The themes discussed in his novels directly relate to
American Literature, far more closely related to true American Writing.
Fitzgerald deserves to be in the top three by his sheer will to become the
greatest novelist, like he once said.
I agree that Fitzgerald should be ranked higher. His lyrical prose is beautiful
and his short story output was simply astounding! He is easier to read than
Faulkner,yet Faulkner's sheer genius,his creativity, is amazing. I think that
Hemingway is way overrated.....
Added 2 years ago by mickcollin, 3 points
How is Fitzgerald eleventh!?

The American author who personified struggle not only in his novels, but in his
personal life as well. He overcame his adversity to win his wife and put that
fierceness into his novels
This Side of Paradise is an exceptional first novel from Fitzgerald at 22, but it
is no Gatsby written at the peak of his talent at 28. He never again equalled it
nor has any other writer since.
He's the man, This Side of Paradise, perfect American novel

He should be # 1. Especially when you take into count how american his
writing is.
By far the greatest

Possibly the most eloquent.

his works, in particular The Great Gatsby, brought to life the American dream
and the pursuit of it , in such a way that touches all Americans across
generations.
8.
Cormac McCarthy
522 points - added 5 years ago by glorf177 - 10 comments
Comments:
I love McCarthy. A deeply moving author who is master in his own right. I
would agree with those who argue that he is the greatest author OF OUR
TIME....I just cringe a little to see him higher than the likes of Fitgerald and
Eliot. He is a great american author...just not the GREATEST.
12/17/2014
I had never wept when reading or finishing a novel, but I was "shaken", and
had to compose myself emotionally after finishing this novel, " The Road". I
am well read and did not expect to be so moved. Definetly among the top 5
greatest novels I have ever read, but sadly I haven't read anything else of his
YET.
you must be joking

The greatest writer of all time. Period.

Two words: Sunset Limited

"McCarthy is certainly the most readable, but accessibility doesn't necessarily

yield greatness". What on earth are you talking about? Of course it's natural to
like or not like a particular author according to your taste in literature; themes,
style of writing etc. But to say that McCarthy is accessible and also imply that
this particular feature is what makes critics and people alike to rank him
among the best is preposterous! Outrageous I tell you! Have you read
anything other than "No Country for Old Men"? Child of God, perhaps? Blood
Meridian? And while we're at it, tell me this: you consider Roth to be a much
more difficult author to read than McCarthy?
Not sure what "respects" the first comment refers to. Harold Bloom called
McCarthy, Delillo, Roth, and Pynchon the four best writers of our time.
McCarthy is certainly the most readable, but accessibility doesn't necessarily
yield greatness. Just curious what the other "respects" are.
Definitely in my top 5. Mastered 3 distinct styles. Compare Suttree, Blood

Meridian and The Road, each compelling in their own way, and each as good
as anything written here in the last 30 years.
do you have a relative named CLARE?

CM seems to be in the running for the best fiction writer of our time, certainly
the best in the USA in many respects, ranking in the top section, the best of
the best, with Faulkner, Hemingway,Flannery O'Connor, James, et al. Read
'Blood Meridian' and find out what i'm talking about.
9.
Flanery O'Connor
I find it really hard believe that Jack London can hold a candle to
O'Connor. I would also put Melville higher on the list.
504 points - added 5 years ago by guest - 3 comments
Comments:
It's actually Flannery, not Flanery. She was a great writer, but she's not as
much fun to read as some others.
FOC certainly deserves to be a lot higher on this list that #43. Read 'Wise
Blood' and "A Good Man Is hard To Find," and you'll see what i mean. Good,
hard, tough, and philosophical [deep, in other words]. Most heartless bad guy
i ever read about --- just pure evil ["A Good Man..."]. jmc
12/17/2014
since she is one of your favorites, perhaps you might consider spelling her
name correctly
Added 5 years ago by highspeedmdd, 0 points
10.
David Foster Wallace

Comments:
i had to read his speech for psotmodern authors... oh man! i couldnt have
picked a better author i mean this guy is the perfect icon for post post post
modernism i have 3 of his books and am in the process of reading them... i
know they make your brain hurt but just keep reading because the knowledge
you earn in the end is sooo much better then the pain of reading itself :D and i
think that is what truly holds you on and keeps you reading just love this guy!
this guy is amazing! he did something most would never dare to do he is on

my nostalgic list of people I wanna meet from any time to just talk and learn
from i mean this guy is the true definition of 21st centuary post modernsim
a brilliant mind, no doubt. but each book should come with a free bottle of
aspirin for the inevitable headaches that follow reading his stuff. distracting
pretentiousness, endless digressions and an annoying ambition to out postmodern all other post-modernists, his post, post, post, post modern ramblings
are second only to henry miller in the unreadable category.
I would never claim DFW to be the best, but I would not argue with him being
in the top 10.
Gifted writer, but for me tragically chose style over substance in his fiction.
Supposedly Fun Thing I will never do again? Read Infinite Jest.
Are you kidding? Infinite Jest? Brief Interviews? A Supposedly Fun Thing? He
was already the greatest writer of his generation, and he ended his life at 46
just as he was transforming into one of the greatest of American writers.
11.
Harlan Ellison
A science fiction legend.
442 points - added 4 years ago by pandora - 3 comments
Comments:
A great writer, but not better than Heinlein, Asimov, LeGuin, or Herbert. Also
great as editor of Dangerous Visions anthology
I confess I haven't read a word by this author, but the list we are compiling is
Greatest not Favorite - unfortunately I was made to suffer through more
Tough Sxxx Eliot than anyone should have to. A hateful, bigoted, rascist, PAB but where does he rank in the scheme of Greatest, very high up
I would have gone with Ray Bradbury. He influence a good many of those who
followed in this genre.
12/17/2014
12.
Herman Melville
Comments:
Moby-Dick is without a doubt greater than the sum of many of the authors on
this list's entire outputs
Moby Dick is one of the most powerful novels in the language. The poetic
richness of the prose and the mythic grandeur of the narrative convince me
that it is the greatest American book of all
will likely never be widely understood and thus underrated.

Sinclair Lewis should be in the top 10. Winner of Nobel Prize, refused the
Pulitzer. Exposed many American myths.
Just read the first three pages of Moby-Dick again....wow!

Definitely one of the best American Novelists, and, in my opinion, should be

ranked right below Edgar Allen Poe.
Added 4 years ago by Apollo92797, -1 points
13.
Kurt Vonnegut
Comments:
Read SL 5 and CC . . . Not changed

I'm only 17 and Vonnegut is my favorite author. I've read his top 3 books (we
all know those) and just got Sirens of Titan and Mother Night. He's also the
King of Satire! RIP
It is Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and please make a note of that. He preferred it with the
Jr. Thank you. Captain Anastasia
Greatest American novelist and public intellectual of the 1950's through

1990's.
is kilgore trout on this list? :)

To whoever feels Vonnegut is a "self-impressed' child, I can only question your

validity to criticize any literature. Vonnegut was without a doubt one of the
greatest authors of all time but you had to be able to following more than one
thread per book to appreciate the fact.
In all my reading experience, no writer has ever matched Kurt's ability to say
more with fewer words. His writing literally sings off the page to me. I only
regret that I've read all his books, some several times and that he's now
passed on.
Maybe you two could get together for a cage match.

12/17/2014
The idea that Vonnegut does not belong in the top 500 just goes to show how
ignorant some people can be. Either this person does not understand his
writing, or is a 16-year-old snot. Vonnegut may be the greatest of all American
writers. At his best his work is ingaging, thought provoking and hilarous. At his
worst his work is only great.
Kurt Vonnegut is a self impressed child who has convinced the world he is
brilliant. I wouldn't put him in the top 500.
I feel as if he is the best writer of all time.

possibly the best writer ever. as bold as that sounds, there is no man or
woman that wouldn't be changed by Cat's Cradle, Breakfast of Champions, or
Slaughter-House Five
14.
Walt Whitman
A poet rather than a writer of fiction, Whitman's Leaves of Grass
stands as a testament to the American experience. Whitman sent
years traveling the country, experiencing everything America had to
offer and revising his work. He was the voice of America for many
years and no work better captures the spirit of his age.
Comments:
Poets and writers should be separated. Make two lists guys.

Added 1 year ago by guest, 1 point
Far too low down on the list. Should be in the top ten. Probably the greatest
American poet in terms of his lyricism and his ability to depict the beauty and
suffering of real life. Surely one of the criteria for determining 'greatest' should
be the degree to which they have influenced other writers and the enduring
nature of their work. These qualities alone should boost his score. What an
amazing man he was.
Getting to heaven faster than anyone on this list!

15.
T.S. Eliot
Comments:
Shocking that Eliot is so low down. Really should be in top five. His essays and
poetry, for adults and children, are far reaching in their scope and style. A
Modernist genius who challenged the face of poetry. 'The Waste Land' alone
should get him into the top five. One of the most important poems of the last
century. His influence cannot be denied.
Just a matter of opinion, and it's probably going to be seen as prosaic, but
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is a must-read for anyone who wants to
understand American poetry.
16.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
12/17/2014
Greatest American Writers - best, most ranked User Contributed Rankings - ShareRank... Page 10 of 30
Comments:
It is shocking (and, might I add, disappointing) to see arguably the greatest

essayist of history hardly cracking the top 20...
The "father" of American Literature deserves a top ten position.

I'm writing an essay on you now waldo!

17.
Jack London
While today his books are mostly read by children and young adults in
school, in his day London was one of the most famous authors in the
world. The majority of his stories center around the wilderness and
the tough, down to earth characters that live off the land.
Comments:
Definitely must be higher on the list, in the top ten. We grew up on his stories.
Come on guys help me on this. He is much as great as Hemingway, Twain,
Dreiser and Poe.
Added 1 year ago by guest, -1 points
Some of London's best work is political. The Iron Heel, for instance. Parts of
Martin Eden. He's known for Call of the Wild, White Fang and some great short
stories, but he was a (socialist) radical in many of his other works.
London should be moved up to the top of this list. The Sea Wolf is an all-time
classic, well over the head of "children and young readers." No where is the
juxtaposition between religion and the existence of a higher power versus
atheism more well laid out. Wolf Larsen may be the best literary character
ever. We are all "in the yeast."
18.
J.D. Salinger
Comments:
how can you say salinger is dated but whitman is not?

the guest below put it well. read "nine stories" and "franny and zooey", as well
as "raise high the roof beam, carpenters and seymour: an introduction"
catcher is still a very good, very original novel, but too often readers stop
there with salinger.
Catcher has nothing to do with a "disaffected youth." It is about a desperate

desire to preserve the innocence of children in a world where to grow up is to
lose one's individuality and the qualities of good character, and the subsequent
depression that results from such a tragic view of life. Take a look at how
Holden interacts children in the book in comparison with the adults, or how
any other of his characters interact with children in any of his short stories.
"Phoniness" is the only way Caulfield knows to describe the b.s. he sees in the
world, something paralleled in his conversations when he admits to a lack of
articulation. Salinger is also a master of the third-person narrative and the
short story; read Nine Stories.
12/17/2014
'Catcher in the Rye' is overrated. If you want disaffected youth, read 'Ask The
Dust' by John Fante. A superior novel by a superior writer.
10 spots higher than Jack...20 spots higher than Walt! You have to read this
list upside down to get right...
Contextually dead? Are we serious? Pervasive phoniness and the lack of

catchers and the subsequent depression in that very few are rising to be
catchers, the text is more relevant today than most texts.
Catcher in the Rye seems juvenile in today's context, but in historical terms is
a classic. That being said, Salinger's true mastery is in his short stories. Every
major university studies his short fiction with exhaustive detail. Anyone who
thinks his work is outdated and overrated has clearly only read Catcher.
You are an absolute nut! Franny and Zooey is truly one of the greatest
american novels of the 20th century! And the Catcher in the Rye? C'mon! I do
agree with you though about Walt Whitman.
Unfortunately, his work is dated and over-rated. Would not put him in the top
50. Also it is a travesty that Walt Whitman is not in the top five.
19.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Comments:
He is most famous for his novels The Scarlet Letter and The House of the
Seven Gables both fantastic novels, but he has written several fine short
stories too.
In addition to the first comment, which is right on for the most part, I find it
also quite readable today because of its keen descriptive style. While I do
admit that I had to keep 'Websters' close at hand for the first couple of reads,
I still have not read anyone as descriptive as our illustrious Puritan son!
His best is The Scarlet Letter. It explores the mind of the puritan. The insights
of the story are applicable today.
20.
Emily Dickinson
Comments:
7 poems of hers was published in her life time but she disliked how the
publisher edited her work. Some of the poems she wrote were on nature and
while her poems seem light and happy many have deep and sometimes dark
thoughts.
She was never published in her lifetime. Her sister was her only, posthumous,
editor.
She hated editors
12/17/2014
21.
Henry David Thoreau

Comments:
Beautiful prose, spiritual and uplifting. Far out.

Thoreau? 18??? And no one has even commented on this amazing man?
People, please, where are your minds?
22.
Henry James
Comments:
Dry as a popcorn fart.

The Bostonians and Daisy Miller: A Study capture the essential American
expatriates, including those who feel isolated even though they are still in
America
Did most of his writing and living in England.

23.
Harper Lee
wrote To Kill a Mockingbird
Comments:
Probably the most prolific novelist on this board :)

Added 29 days ago by guest, 0 points
I love her book to kill a mockingbird.

she only wrote one book, and it was mediocre at best. there are a lot of much
better writers below her on this list.
i'm doing a paper on youuuu!!!!!!

im reading harper lee book to kill a mocking bird and it is really good book and
i love it
24.
Arthur Miller
174 points - added 5 years ago by pxc0 - 1 comment
Comments:
you make meh giggle.. (:

25.
Joseph Heller
Catch-22. Need I say more?
12/17/2014
Comments:
That's some catch, that Catch-22. Yep. It's the best there is.
liked catch-22, but loathe his annoying habit of assigning 3 adjectives to every
noun. it's as if he went back during editing and just filled in unnecessary 50
cent words to meet some sort of maddening quota.
Catch 22 is one of the best books, easy to read, highly amusing, wonderfully
constructed, appropriately rated novels of all time. Heller also wrote Closing
Time.
Catch-22 figured prominently in a list by the Independent of the most

unreadable famous books. I have to agree. I have given up on it again. It is
massively dated, poorly constructed, not remotely amusing, although it thinks
that it is. Totally overrated. And apparently, no one can think of anything else
Heller has written that might justify his inclusion in this list.
26.
Dr Seuss
Comments:
He is a very good author and inspires little children even inspires me i like him
i thought his name was fake at first then i realized when i looked here on this
website it wasn't so sorry for me thinking the name was fake so thank you for
being our kids author you really give them good things about the worl in little
kid version
Added 3 months ago by guest, 1 point
inspirational
27.
Washington Irving
Comments:
irving washington
28.
Thomas Pynchon
Comments:
I would place him much higher on the list

And here ends the credibility to this list. Thomas Pynchon (though some
believe John Updike) is the next American favorite for the Nobel Prize in
Literature. How could he possibly be beneath Dan Brown and on the same list
as J. K. Rowling? Both humorous and scary that American readers prefer
Stephen King.
the king of postmodern fiction

12/17/2014
29.
Charles Bukowski
153 points - added 5 years ago by juki64 - 8 comments
Comments:
He certainly should never have been below Martin or Rand.

There is no reason why Bukowski shouldn't be number one.

Bukowski's the best poet of his generation. Frank, honest, and polarizing.
That, and I love that he wouldn't give a damn if he's on this list or not.
the only reason i scrolled this list was to see if he was included. frequently left
off lists like this to leave room for more 'literary' choices, Buk does not get the
respect he clearly deserves. i've read almost everyone but i always come back
to Bukowski.
Oh come on, I LOVE Buck, absolutely love him, but the best American writer?
Idiotic. Somewhere in the top 100 would have been fine with him I'm sure.
i definitely agree with those above. he's either the best writer to come out of
our 50 states, or the worst, depending on the reader. you either savor his
bleak outlook and lack of faith in humanity, or you can't stand it. i think he
should be right up there with hemingway
No one writes like Bukowski, though many have tried. He is in a class of his
own and should be hoisted to the top of this list.
Should be number one or not here at all

30.
Hunter S. Thompson
Seriously? I was disturbed when he wasn't in the top 20 let alone top
70. Also Vonnegut should be further up on the list.
Comments:
Making this list would be an exhaustable task for me, so I know that I disagree
on placement, but as long as my favs aren't overlooked, bravo. Thompson
compared to Poe and F. Scott Fitz., tough, such different times, styles, etc. I
would put Thompson much higher on the list, but I never cared for Whitman,
not to say that he doesn't deserve his placement, but it's so personal
sometimes.
#1 New American Writer - america as america (the america I know) seen

through his eyes changed my life
A great writer to be sure, but to complain that Hunter S isn't sharing the stage
with authors like Poe, Twain or Hemingway is just drug-addled. Hunter S is
akin to Slavador Dali, both great artists to be sure, but Dali is mainly
appreciated by teenage heads and not serious art afficionados...
Thompson at 32. This is a travesty, This is like putting Michael Jordan as the
32nd basketball player that ever lived
12/17/2014
VONNEGUT AND THOMPSON SHOULD BE ATLEAST IN THE TOP TEN.

Seriously? I would think that an author has to be heard of by main stream

folks, and for him to be as rated as high as Harper Lee? I think not.
Added 4 years ago by ellsworthpc, -2 points
31.
Truman Capote
light years ahead of some of the lesser figures on this list.
Comments:
IN COLD BLOOD is most definitely a novel. It was the first of its kind. Although
it is based on a true event it is considered a novel.
In Cold Blood is not a novel.

In Cold Blood is one of the finest & cleverest novels of all times. Capote
deserves more than a 29!
32.
HP Lovecraft
Besides Poe, the most read and critiqued author of the macabre and
horror. Tales from the Crypt, Stephen King, Clive Barker and Wes
Craven all consider HP Lovecraft as their main influences.
Comments:
his writing blows my mind. i want to write like that someday.

He is the best. Others are behind. He is my favourite american writer.

33.
Jack Kerouac
His books defined and continued to define a generation that is now
known for it's literary importance.
Comments:
Sad that most people only read 'On the Road.' His essays are interesting
explorations into language and syntax. Some of his lesser well known novels
are also very good. Try 'Tristessa,' 'Visions of Gerard,' 'Lonesome Traveller,'
and 'Desolation Angels.' There is far more to Kerouac than the image
presented within 'On the Road' and his jazz writing, whether or not you
appreciate the youthful content, is a supreme example of writing trying to be
innovative in its sounds and rhythms. It captures a spirit and enables the
reader to 'feel' the place being described. That is not something that all writers
manage, not even good ones.
Yes the ego of us all brings out our beautiful ignorance

Really? Kerouac's lacks a definitive style, his work is for weak-minded pseudointellectuals, and hipsters who invoke "On the Road" as their favorite novel.
How Walt Whitman is below him perplexes, and frankly disgusts me.
12/17/2014
Eastern Philosophy in the Western world is the Beats lasting contribution and
Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Burroughs all had to look up to catch a glipse of N.C.
Then Allen Ginsberg deserves to be much higher on the list than JK since his
poetry [r]evolutionized so much of what had become staid and stale, whereas
K's work, as Truman Capote noted, "That's typing, not writing," as even the
briefest comparison of K with TC will quickly and readily reveal. The most
lasting contribution of the Beats would seem to be at this juncture, the
growing love of marijuana. God bless them all.
34.
Ayn Rand
A big surprise at not seeing her in the top 10 list. This quentissential
american writer not only juxtaposed her philosophical thought with her
characters, but also elevated american literature to its noble height
Comments:
Rand's so-called philosophy isn't taught in college philosophy courses and her
novels are filled with cardboard characters illustrating her objectivism
"philosophy."
top 10? really? i wouldn't even put her in the top 100. she is widely considered
to be a bad writer, and her philosophy is ridiculous. if you want to read a great
writer who was also a great philosopher, read albert camus, or william gass
Brilliant, very flawed writer. Too extreme to actually live your life by, but
makes terrific points on individualism and flaws in past ethical standards. One
of my favorites, even though she was kind of crazy...
I have enjoyed Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. However, whenever I

think I want to read something over 3 pages that could be said better in one,
Ayn Rand is the first author that comes to mind.
Terrible writer...she elevates nothing....philosophically vacant...she is a

narcissistic, manipulative sociopath.
Scrooge and Mr. Gradgrind pretty much covered Ayn Rand's so-called
"philosophy" about 100 years before she wrote anything. The thing is, Dickens
didn't run around demanding people call him a philosopher.
Brilliant philosopher, terrible literary writer.

pedestrian style, vapid "philosophy"

35.
Raymond Chandler
Father of his genre
125 points - added 5 years ago by Rocker704 -
Steven King
12/17/2014
36.
122 points - added 4 years ago by tboneya - 17 comments
Comments:
My favourite author, The Stand, It and Duma Key are masterpieces.

Added 4 months ago by guest, -1 points
he's good nuff said

He is a great writer. I love the darkness he writes with.

I will not say he is the best because he will never be due to his genre
restraints. Personally, I feel he right very vividly and honestly, given any
situation, which warrants him a great writer. Will I say he is better than
Ginsberg? No, never; however, I will give him a top 25 rating. Bestsellers are
one thing, but the reputation to get every book he writes a best seller takes
serious dedication and greatness to his craft. I wont say he is the best, but
Stephen King is one of the great writers of our generation(1975-2000) and one
of the best writers of the past 100 years, way better than 40 on this list.
How can Stephen King not be in the top 20? Whith novels such as It, The Dark
Tower, The Stand, Insomnia and even recent top sellers like Under the Dome,
Lisey's Story, Duma key and 11/22/63. The list goes on and on. Some of the
authors listed above him on this list surely can't compare to Stephen King.
Whoever made this list didn't even bother to find out how to spell his name.
Stephen, not Steven. At least that's what it says on the cover of his books.
i dislike this author. i find nothing he writes to be scary in the slightest.

King is a very good writer but,he doesn't belong in the top 20.
best writer ever. by far. have read most of his books and reread them often.
tried to find some other good writers, but failed. compared to stephen they
suck. if you like stephen king read "it", "eyes of the dragon", "long walk",
"misery", "christine". These are exceptionally great.
If being a 'snob' means getting irritated at reading every character's every

thought (including the unnecessarily perverse in often historically inaccurate
slang) over 500 pages rather than seeing them take action over a terse 200
pages...then, yes, I'm a snob. And Stephen King is an awful writer.
did you also know hes gay :D
definately a great writer, anyone who says otherwise is a snob.

spell his name right

His name is Stephen please fix this

classical canon of literature my ass :)

Is it not Stephen???
he may not be part of the classical canon of literature however there is no

doubt about it that he writes incredibly. His characters are vividly unparalled
12/17/2014
37.
Sylvia Plath
Perhaps the greatest American poet of the 20th century.
Comments:
Sylvia Plath, one of the greatest poets to have ever lived, deserves far better
than 64th on a list of greatest AMERICAN authors! Wow...
I rise with my red hair and I eat men like air -Sylvia Plath Lady Lazarus
38.
John Updike
The author of the Rabbit Chronicles touches upon the struggles that
exist in a typical American family in a completely original way.
Comments:
Probably the best next to Hemingway. Between his style and his narrative
sense, he's a master of the craft of fiction. I'm honestly not a huge fan
(preferring a more postmodern style), but I can't deny his talent. In fact, two
sentences later, I'm going to say that he may even be better than Hemingway.
Updike's fluid prose is better than anyone else's. He was the master.
39.
Jean Auel
Earth's Children Series: The Clan of the Cave Bear 1980, The Valley
of Horses 1982, The Mammoth Hunters 1985, The Plains of Passage
1990, The Shelters of Stone.
113 points - added 4 years ago by pandora - 1 comment
Comments:
Her stories are remarkable, but she is NOT a major writer. She repeats herself
and the plot of the last two novels of the series was weak. I love to read her
but she is not a great writer.
40.
Ken Kesey
Comments:
Sometimes a Great Notion & One Flew Over are two of the greatest tales
ever.That man could write!!
Dig a lttle deeper? Several people on this list are but tones of a single voice. "
Listen to the river sing sweet song to rock my soul"
41.
Edna Ferber
So Big - Pulitzer Prize 1925. Show Boat 1926, Giant 1952, Ice Palace
1958, Saratoga Trunk 1941, Cimmarron 1929, Dinner at Eight 1932. 3
novels turned into musicals.
12/17/2014
105 points - added 4 years ago by pandora -
42.
Margaret Mitchell
Wrote Gone With the Wind
Comments:
Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!

Ah yes! The personal story of love and a woman's determination [read 'love of
power and greed'] to achieve the success denied her by the Old South. And by
the way, slavery, if addressed at all. "Oh please, Miss Scahlet, could i lick yo
toes?" But you're kidding, right? jmc
Pulitzer Prize 1937.

Added 4 years ago by pandora, 1 point
43.
Henry Miller
Writes Best About Life Of An Artist.
Comments:
This ranking shows how puritan America still is. Miller loved Europe (brr so
decadent!), women (brr this is not moral at all) & literature (but not the one
you praise).
God, I second that. Miller was the wellspring of all raw, unbridled thought in
American letters, and still the most goddamned original of any that followed
his giant steps. Any and every artist in any medium, should absorb the body of
Henry Miller's work; he is the great example of tapping directly into the
individual engine of creation. His writing is alive, swimming even on the page.
The instituions of literary criticism have yet to give him his due.
Thank god he made it here. He should be much higher; he laid down the
framework for future writers like Kerouac and Ginsberg. Miller told it how it
was and Bible belters couldn't handle it so he was banned in the US for 34
years. Now, his books are among the greatest of the 20th century.
44.
Toni Morrison
Probably the best living American writer. Wrote Beloved (Pulitzer
Prize for fiction), Sula (nominated for the National Book Award), and
Song of Solomon (National Book Critics Circle Award)
Comments:
Here in Scotland, her works are cherished. Some of the most beautiful, lyrical
prose in modern writing.
The most overrated writer ever, I mean EVER! - Miss Nobody outside USA. All
her honours and achievements because Oprah and the colour of her skin.
Indeed the best living American writer to also be canonized!

12/17/2014
It seems that you're basing your definition of "best living American writer" by
awards for the writer. If that's the case, then maybe Roth seems a better
candidate - winner of the Pulitzer, two-time National Book Award winner, and
two-time National Book Critics Circle winner. Morrison is unfortunately not
regarded by the American literary community as the greatest living writer.
Until recently, John Updike held that reputation, and currently Pynchon and
McCarthy are being debated heavily.
I still strive to write how she wrote in Song of Solomon, so vivid and lyrical.
45.
Langston Hughes
Comments:
WHAT?!?!? There is no way that Hughes should be this low.

46.
Saul Bellow
Comments:
Most scholars rate him higher than Faulkner, who is your #1. So much for the
integrity of the list.
Added 8 months ago by guest, -1 points
Bellow, while great, was born in Canada.

This is a Nobel Prize winner; what is he doing this far down on this list?
way low here

Read Herzog and Henderson, the Rain King. He's brilliant and he constructs his
works--from individual sentences to the characters themselves--masterfully.
47.
William Saroyan
Comments:
One of the few writers who could be called great and still be very comfortably
published.
Deep enough to seem primitive.

one of the most intellectual writers of all times. His poems are full of passion.
one of the greatest writers in the world. his "my heart is in highlands", "human
comedy" and"hey, who is there?" are on highest level of intellectual and
humanitarean level.It"s a shame he's not very well known to public now times.
Amazing writer, too little known today, wrote with a style all his own.
12/17/2014
48.
John Irving
One of the best of modern writers.
92 points - added 5 years ago by guest -
49.
Vladimir Nabokov
Russian born American author of Pale Fire, Lolita, and other highly
regarded English language books.
Comments:
I agree. He is Russian
he's russian...
50.
Norman Mailer
The Naked and the Dead
Comments:
Norman Mailer didn't write "Sophie's Choice." While his later novels are usually
ignored, Mailer retain his abilities and his epic visions.
Sophie's choice is the story of the most god-forgiven event of all times. Mailler
trods in Sophocles' shadow. Yes this note is much too low!
absurdly low
60: he may have a little guy syndrome the size of Texas, and a chip on his
soldier bigger than Alaska, but this guy should easily be in the top 20.
51.
Sinclair Lewis
Winner of the Nobel Prize in literature.
52.
George R. R. Martin
Most known for A Song of Ice and Fire Series.
Comments:
A Song of Ice and Fire is a very enjoyable read, but the writing is much closer
to the level of Rowling or Collins than it is to Updike or Sinclair. Martin's a solid
writer who, to his credit, pushes himself to provide great imagery to the
reader and often strikes out trying.
ASOIAF is one of the Greatest Fantasy series there is.

Don DeLillo
12/17/2014
53.
White Noise is best novel of the 1980s, and Underworld is one of the
best of the 1990s.
Comments:
Should be much, much higher. Above Stephen King undoubtedly along with
many others on the list. His style and rhetoric defeats many modern writers in
consistency when it comes to philosophy, plot, characters, humor...dare I say
more?
The maths need fixing by Ratner. Adjusting the Libran scales by minusing (sic)
the six. DeLillo is number one.
54.
Thomas Wolfe
NOT Tom Wolfe.
Comments:
Hard to judge Wolfe. He died before he was 40 with only two finished novels
and how much was Wolfe and how much was Max Perkins? Goes from lyrical
to forgettable in the blink of an eye--but those lyrical scenes are amazing.
Certainly deserves better than the mid 40s.
Thomas Wolfe 55? Has to be the top 7 or 8.

London, Hemingway ,Wolf are greatest american writers...

Agree with Faulkner to some degree. He is the best Southern writer ever.
Fantastic, always makes my head spin. I guess he is under read. Certainly
underrated here.
according to Faulkner, Wolfe was the best American writer

I was worried he might not be here at all... too bad he's so low, but then
Wolfe seems to be criminally under rated in general
Not sure why Thomas Wolfe fallen so much out of favor - You
More than any writer I know you have to read Thomas Wolfe out loud! Then
he moves to the top of the list.
Added 4 years ago by wolfehound, 0 points
55.
Willa Cather
Comments:
Should definitely be in the top 10... my vote would be #3 (although I'd rather
read her before Twain and Faulkner any day). At least she's ahead of Grisham
(?) Silly list
Willa should be at least in the top 20. I would have her around #10, but to
have her outside the top 20 is almost as silly as having Stephen King at #18.
12/17/2014
Willa should be ranked much higher.Like Steinbeck, her prairie series records
an important piece of passing americana. Her novels were continually good,
original, and complex ; and she was also her own editor .
56.
James Michener
epitomizes American Writer!
57.
Ben Hecht
A true child of the century, he was equally at home with reality or the
imaginary.
58.
Chuck Palahniuk
The modern master of minimalistic "monster"pieces
59.
Pearl Buck
Human nature hasn't changed - we stil try to rise above difficulty and
help future generations
60.
James Clavell
The Asian Saga
61.
John Cheever
Self explanatory.
Comments:
Agreed! Cheever's prose is powerful without a hint of purple.

A better short story writer than a novelist though he did produce some real
gems of novels.
62.
James Baldwin
Harlem Renaissance writer who captured the plight and inner turmoil
of African-American males during his day. His style blended the
everyday speak of the average man with the prophetic oratory
cadences of a Black pastor. Great works include: "Go Tell It on The
Mountain" and "Notes of a Native Son."
Comments:
truly a great writer!

12/17/2014
he was born to late to be part of the Harlem renaissance .

from the ivory coast i felt his heartfelt sympathy for women, universal love and
even his indulging in feminism. great among the greatest
63.
Philip K. Dick
THE COLLECTED STORIES 1952-82 I-V (87) Solar Lottery (55) The
World Jones Made ('56) Eye in the Sky ('57) Time Out of Joint ('59)
Dr. Futurity (60) The Man in the High Castle (62) The Game-Players
of Titan (63) Martian Time-Slip (64) The Simulacra ('64) The
Penultimate Truth ('64) Dr. Bloodmoney; or How We Got Along After
the Bomb ('65) The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (65) Now Wait
for Last Year (66) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? ('68) Ubik
(69) A Maze of Death ('70) Our Friends from Frolix 8 ('70) Flow My
Tears, The Policeman Said (74) A Scanner Darkly (77) The Divine
Invasion ('81), VALIS (81) & The Transmigration of Timothy Archer
(82)
64.
Ralph Ellison
Comments:
How is he so far down on this list? He may not be one of the best, but he is
far greater than most of the writers on this list. I am grieved whenever I take
a look at his low quantity of published work. His short stories are wonderful.
Invisible Man (although a tough read and a victim of repetitive, redundant
motifs) with its epically sophisticated structure and style, immortal cultural
themes, and beautifully artistic construction, can only be truly appreciated and
loved trough a thorough close-reading, yet still admired by a curious casual
reader.
Stephen Crane
65.
66.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Comments:
Today, Uncle Tom's Cabin is viewed as revolutionary and racist. Over the
years, the characters, events, and underlying themes have been distorted.
However, one cannot dipute the overall impact that Stowe's work had on
American Society and the eventual conflit of the Civil war that resulted, in part,
from the picture Stowe painted of the cruel and injust system of slavery that
plauged the United States. All in all, UTC is a classic American work, and its
social impact can be placed in the rankings of Sinclair's The Jungle and
Carson's Silent Spring.
The space between Whitman and Kesey should be filled with something a lot
bigger than Uncle T's cabin, no?
12/17/2014
67.
68.
Zane Grey
Philip Roth
Comments:
What more could one want? Well, female prose springs to mind. Or perhaps
stories which do not involve academic older men shagging their young
attractive students - so obvious, so unoriginal, so dull.
Harold Bloom is right when he says Roth is in the top league of american
literature. Postmodernist, masculine, muscular prose. What more could one
want?
69.
Thornton Wilder
Known primarily as a playwright, Wilder's novel, The Bridge of San
Luis Rey, is a masterfully woven web of faith, love, guilt, and doubt.
62 points - added 5 years ago by jakemanspiff -
70.
Ray Bradbury
Comments:
Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Something

Wicked This Way Comes,
71.
Raymond Carver
His short stories are well written, genuine, human, unsentimental, and
memorable.
Comments:
this short story writer captures humanity with a quality of mystery and power
that is rarely attained in literature. everyone should read carver's stories
72.
73.
Edith Wharton
Sidney Sheldon
Prior to his novels, he created The Patty Duke Show, I Dream of
Jeannie and Hart to Hart. Novels include The Other Side of Midnight
1973, Rage of Angels 1980, Master of the Game 1982 and Windmills
of the Gods 1987.
50 points - added 4 years ago by pandora - 2 comments
Comments:
Jacqueline Suzanne, Sidney Sheldon... Ah. The giants.

12/17/2014
So Sidney ranks above Salinger, Chandler, et al. Not in your lifetimes, folks.
jmc
74.
John Grisham
Comments:
Perhaps not the greatest American author of all time, but he is definetly
prolific! Not to mention popular (I know, I know, popularity doesn't mean
"great")
Added 2 years ago by bonnielass, 3 points
75.
Isaac Asimov
Most prolific American author ever. Nobody else even comes close!
Known for his Sci Fi stuff, but wrote hundreds of books on nearly
everything.
44 points - added 1 year ago by guest -
76.
Dashiell Hammett
"The Maltese Falcon", "Red Harvest", "The Thing Man". 'nuff said
77.
78.
O. Henry
Upton Sinclair
wrote "The Jungle"
79.
Bret Harte
The Luck of Roaring Camp, The Outcasts of Poker Flat - both written
in the late 1800s.
39 points - added 4 years ago by pandora - 1 comment
Comments:
At one point, the highest paid writter in the US and someone Mark Twain
looked upto- sould be ranked higher.
80.
81.
Allen Ginsberg
Sherwood Anderson
Sherwood Anderson is not read as much as some of the other early
modernists, but he was one of the most important, influencing writers
like Hemingway, Faulkner and Steinbeck. Modern Library ranked his
novel/story collection "Winesburg, Ohio" 24th on its list of the 100 best
English-language novels of the 20th century.
12/17/2014
82.
Tom Robbins
Comments:
In my top 10. Another Roadside Attraction, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues,
Jitterbug Perfume, Still Life With Woodpecker are unique, intriguing, brilliant
books, and just the tip of the iceberg. He's a national treasure.
83.
Robert A. Heinlein
The second greatest science fiction writer of all time (Behind Arthur
Clarke). His works like, "Starship Troopers", "The Moon is a Harsh
Misstress", and "Stranger in a Strange Land" changed the landscape
of science fiction. Do not judge his abilities by the 'Starship Troopers'
movie - completely different than the book. Needs a reboot.
Comments:
I believe Heinlein is above Clarke, and is the greatest writer of all time, from
any country
Heinlein gets overshadowed by the bigger names in sci-fi. Stranger in a

Strange Land may be the best sci-fi book period. Other than Azimov himself he
was the best science fiction writer of all time.
84.
William S. Burroughs
An essential American writer. A member of the Beat Generation and
friend of Kerouac and Ginsberg. His book "Naked Lunch" is a classic.
85.
James Fenimore Cooper

First American Adventure! LEATHERSTOCKING SAGA! I-V (182341)
86.
Gene Wolfe
The Fifth Head of Cerberus ('72) Peace ('75) The Devil in a Forest
(76) THE BOOK OF THE NEW SUN I-V (80-87) THE BOOK OF
THE LONG SUN I-IV (93-96) THE BOOK OF THE SHORT SUN I-III
(1999-00-2001) THE SOLDIER TRILOGY (1986-89-2006) There Are
Doors ('88), Castleview ('90) & Pandora, by Holly Hollander ('90) The
Wizard Knight (2004) An Evil Guest (2008) The Sorcerer's House
(2010) Home Fires (2011) COLLECTIONS: The Island of Doctor
Death and Other Stories and Other Stories (80) Gene Wolfe's Book
of Days (81) Storeys from the Old Hotel ('88) Endangered Species
(89) Strange Travelers (2000) Innocents Aboard (2004) Starwater
Strains (2005)
87.
Ambrose Bierce
Can Such Things Be? (1893) & In the Midst of Life (1898), at least.
12/17/2014
88.
Tom Wolfe
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test ('68) The Right Stuff (79) The Bonfire
of the Vanities ('87) A Man in Full (98) I Am Charlotte Simmons
(2004) Back to Blood (2012)
89.
RICHARD YATES
Oh,he writes with amazing language-layered one -it lets you think
more than it tells about the most difficult things in the life of
Americans.I have read at least two of his novels and i could not stop
finding more about this author.However, i have come to know that
ones the apple of greatest of writers on this list like like Kurt V.,Julian
Barnes,David Hare.His 'Eleven Kinds of Loneliness' is often viewed
as the best short story fiction of all times. His first novel, Revolutionary
Road (1961), was an instant success, a finalist for the National Book
Award alongside Catch-22 and The Moviegoer, and equally
deserving. As a chronicler of mainstream American life from the
1930s to the late 60s
90.
Robert Penn Warren

Comments:
I'd argue that All the King's Men is one of those truly quintessential American
stories. It contrasts the rise of a politician, Willie Stark (based on Huey Long,
governor of Louisiana) with a truly personal story of Jack Burden. It deals with
a lot of complex issues, but it delivers them in a compelling way that draws
the reader in.
91.
Elmore Leonard
Novels and short stories that pack a gritty punch with tremendous
dialogue. "Rum Punch", "3:10 to Yuma", "Out of Sight", and more.
Yes, he's been highly publicized for film adaptations of his work. And
yes, it's deserved. From western to crime fiction to suspense thrillers,
Leonard is at the forefront of contemporary realist writing.
92.
Tim O'Brien
Stunning prose writer most notable for being the quintessential
American writer on the subject of the Vietnam War.
93.
94.
Shelby Foote
21 points - added 4 years ago by tboneya -
E.B. White
Great American voice, wrote fantastic non-fiction as well as children's
literature: Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little.
12/17/2014
18 points - added 1 year ago by guest - 1 comment
Comments:
She is an amazing author. Loved reading her books when i was young.
95.
Andrew Mason
His 2011 novel "86 Hours in England" speaks for itself!
16 points - added 2 years ago by carnydrew -
96.
Robert E. Howard
Comments:
He created Conan the Barbarian.

97.
Tom Clancy
15 points - added 4 years ago by tboneya - 2 comments
Comments:
This guy should be number 1 in all of American Literature... The best writer of
all time.
He shouldn't be here at all. Dude has a ghostwriter and produces nothing of

substance. It's pure plot, nothing deeper.
98.
John Fante
Ask the Dust alone should easily have him in the top 50, but the
expanse of his works and the character of Arturo Bandini put him in
the top 25. If he'd expanded more beyond Bandini, he'd be near the
top of this list. The fact he's not even on it is a travesty.
99.
Kate Chopin
Spectacular short story writer. One of the best feminist and anti-racist
writers of our country.
100.
Edgar Rice Burroughs

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Greatest American Writers - best, most ranked User Contributed Rankings - ShareRanks.c...

Greatest American Writers

favorite writer. Light in August is my favorite book. As I Lay Dying is aweso

Greatest of them all.....gave us the vision of the great american disconnect

his prose just blows me away

greatest American writer

The quintessential American writer, Twain was able to capture

969 points - added 5 years ago by pxc0 - 3 comments

Edgar Allen Poe

Perhaps no other American writer has influenced literature

930 points - added 5 years ago by pxc0 - 12 comments

I am writing a paper about Edgar Allen Poe.

I only go to sleep when i read his stories. 3:)

He has eerie stories. The Black Cat is a creepy one.

Poe was so ahead of his time, that's how original he was.

i love your poetry... (:

spell his name right

Tick tock tick tock

Yes, he was rather popular in Russia in the 60-ies

Though I might strike you all as a tad of a hypocrite, spending time

Hemingway being ranked lower than Poe is abominable.

Hemingway probably wrote the best dialogue of any writer.

Added 3 years ago by guest, -10 points

887 points - added 5 years ago by pxc0 - 5 comments

East of Eden is his best novel.

573 points - added 5 years ago by guest - 1 comment

Added 4 years ago by pandora, -2 points

How is Fitzgerald eleventh!?

He's the man, This Side of Paradise, perfect American novel

By far the greatest

Possibly the most eloquent.

you must be joking

The greatest writer of all time. Period.

Two words: Sunset Limited

"McCarthy is certainly the most readable, but accessibility doesn't necessarily

Definitely in my top 5. Mastered 3 distinct styles. Compare Suttree, Blood

do you have a relative named CLARE?

504 points - added 5 years ago by guest - 3 comments

David Foster Wallace

this guy is amazing! he did something most would never dare to do he is on

442 points - added 4 years ago by pandora - 3 comments

will likely never be widely understood and thus underrated.

Just read the first three pages of Moby-Dick again....wow!

Definitely one of the best American Novelists, and, in my opinion, should be

Read SL 5 and CC . . . Not changed

Greatest American novelist and public intellectual of the 1950's through

is kilgore trout on this list? :)

To whoever feels Vonnegut is a "self-impressed' child, I can only question your

Maybe you two could get together for a cage match.

I feel as if he is the best writer of all time.

227 points - added 5 years ago by pxc0 - 3 comments

Poets and writers should be separated. Make two lists guys.

Getting to heaven faster than anyone on this list!

Ralph Waldo Emerson

214 points - added 5 years ago by pxc0 - 3 comments

It is shocking (and, might I add, disappointing) to see arguably the greatest

The "father" of American Literature deserves a top ten position.

I'm writing an essay on you now waldo!

206 points - added 5 years ago by pxc0 - 3 comments

how can you say salinger is dated but whitman is not?

Catcher has nothing to do with a "disaffected youth." It is about a desperate

Added 2 years ago by guest, 6 points

Contextually dead? Are we serious? Pervasive phoniness and the lack of

She hated editors