11 Best American Authors You Must Read

[@foureyefreak00]

Thanks! I agree with your choice of the best American writers, but perhaps Jack London worth an honorable mention, if not included on the list.

[@ron403b]

Hi Bryan, I've watched and really enjoyed all your great books videos, and I must say we have remarkably similar taste. This is the only one for which I feel compelled to suggest a few additions. To me one of the most moving and best structured classics and one with some of the most evocative language is Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. I was surprised, since our preferences match up so well, not to see Henry James on the list. The Portrait of a Lady, The Ambassadors and The Americans I believe are among the greatest psychological novels ever. I'd also include Richard Wright, especially for Native Son. Perhaps you later felt Harper Lee deserves to be on the list for the magnificent, moving To Kill a Mockingbird since you included it in your more recent Classic Literature video.

[@Becomeawritertoday]

Good suggestions, I'll add them to another video

[@francesca9041]

My favorite american writer is Jack London. But I'm European and this author seems to be loved more here than in America. Am I right ?

[@purplesprigs]

I'm American and can't stand Jack London. So, I guess that's "yes."

[@voz805]

I'd say Jack London would fall within many American's list of favorite novelists but not numbers 1-5. Many of us were assigned to read in high school, Call of the Wild, White Fang and Sea Wolf. My favorite novel of his that I read as a young adult was, Martin Eden and I can recall many parts of it to this day.

[@mmerry6021]

Martin Eden is one of the most underrated books.

[@davidsigler9690]

I think James Fenimore Cooper, Washington Irving, or Nathaniel Hawthorne would be considered the true contenders for the Father's of American Literature not Mark Twain; Twain was certainly more popular and wrote more, but it's of course debatable the Father of American Literature title is his.....over-all great video.

[@ianwalker404]

Billy Budd is really good

[@Semogaberkah266]

I am a student from Indonesia, and currently I am studying literature. Its very visible once you read the text, when explaining

[@PastorKThroop]

I'm always surprised that James Fenimore Cooper never seems to make any of these lists, despite the fact that he was one of the first prominent truly 'American' authors and that so many of his books are still in print. I suspect one reason for his decline in the eyes of many is due to Samuel Clemens' incredibly unfair attack on him, in which he almost entirely misrepresented Cooper's work. I know it is difficult to narrow down the list when selecting only eleven authors, and Cooper certainly shouldn't be put ahead of many on the list, but he helped put American authors on the map, and he really does deserve at least some recognition. Anyway, it was a good list, but maybe think about adding Cooper as an honorable mention at least.

[@jamesstrom6991]

Hate to break it to you, but Cooper was a hack. Read Twain’s critique and you might see Cooper differently.

[@RB-tc3tw]

Pynchon, Updike, Roth. And, most of all, Henry James. (And, necessarily, Nabokov, IF he counts.)

[@nathanieladams7624]

I’ve read almost every novel and short story by F Scott Fitzgerald. He had a magic way with words that is rare with most authors. The Great Gatsby is my favorite novel. “So we beat on, boats against the current, bourne back ceaselessly into the past.

[@amirhosseinm3554]

Great! But why didn't mention Jack London?

[@kmurph512]

I just read Sun Also Rises by Hemmingway. I believe you're wrong. Hemingway's book capitulated him to being the most prominent American author. It was banned in some locations...Fitzgerald on the other-hand was not born wealthy but had an infatuation with a younger upper class girl while at Princeton who picked a man with money. He said he the third and fourth most important things, looks and intelligence, but not the most important an animal magnetism and money (to paraphrase). This became a great theme for his tragic life. And yes, The Great Gatsby was not well received at the time!

[@bluegregory6239]

'The Great Gatsby' aside, Hemingway was a much better and more consistent writer than Fitzgerald. I think 'The Sun also Rises' is better than 'Gatsby', as well as being much more enjoyable and re-readable.

[@thomasthompson6378]

@@bluegregory6239 Respectfully, I'd say "The Sun Also Rises" is among Hemingway's weakest books, consisting, as it does, of a group of people drifting about from bar to bar while they all get increasingly drunk. By far his best novel, in my view, is his book set against the Spanish Civil War, "For Whom the Bell Tolls."

[@BigOfJosephine]

My 2nd favorite Hemingway after The Old Man and the Sea.

[@stevenpace1849]

Raymond Chandler and Carson McCullers. And don't forget Harper Lee.

[@Becomeawritertoday]

good additions

[@mctaguer]

Pynchon. Absolutely MUST be on such a list. I would add Poe as well.

[@Becomeawritertoday]

Good addition

[@brian9438]

Good video. Edgar Allan Poe gets left out all to often. Also, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter, which has been called the best novel ever written by an American. And lesser known Nathanael West, who wrote among the modernists.

[@BookishTexan]

Edith Wharton and Ralph Ellison deserve a place on your list.

[@Becomeawritertoday]

agreed

[@mr.t6142]

Review some Thomas C. Stuhr Lesser known American author. 💀💀💀

[@christopheryuen9498]

Poe, Roth, McCarthy, Delillo, Wallace

[@gs547]

Salinger & Heller are each famous for only one major success and so I would not have selected them. It is probably only me but I don't care for Faulkner or Morrison. I think you overlooked two major women writers: Willa Cather & Edith Wharton. Wharton is the greatest American writer, in my opinion. She hardly ever writes a boring novel or short story. Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammet might deserve consideration.

[@jamesstrom6991]

For those interested in American literature, one would consider Ambrose Bierce. In a crowded field, I don’t suggest he’s unfairly omitted from this list, but a too 20, certainly.

[@Becomeawritertoday]

good suggestion

[@levibaer18]

Edgar Allen Poe William Gilmore Simms Zane Grey Louis Lamour Charles Portis

[@mr.t6142]

If interested in lesser known American author, try anything by Thomas C. Stuhr

[@bluegregory6239]

Charles Portis, yes!

[@helenelliott5919]

You missed Pulitzer Prize winner Ralph Ellison “Invisible Man”.

[@stevenpace1849]

Willa Cather and Saul Bellow

[@richfarmer3478]

JD Salinger one the most prolific writers? He published 4 books and nothing in the last 45 years of his life.

[@Becomeawritertoday]

4 classic books though. He also write a lot after getting famous but purposefully didn't publish any

[@BEdaEDGAR69]

NICE VIDEO

[@ovoremek]

Never heard of Toni Morrison. Is she really a classic?

[@Nigel-y3g]

Yes! Nobel Laureate too.

[@Becomeawritertoday]

Hidden classic!

[@bluegregory6239]

Mr. Cormac McCarthy was better than any of these admittedly great authors, even Faulkner and Hemingway. David Foster Wallace should get some credit as well.

[@tinydancer2607]

McCarthy is overrated IMO

[@bluegregory6239]

@@tinydancer2607 Whatever. To each his/her own. If you don't dig it, then don't read it.

[@tinydancer2607]

@@bluegregory6239 I suppose the next thing you’re going to counter is that LONESOME DOVE is in your top 10 best books that you have ever read…

[@fazlibayramov7581]

@@bluegregory6239w

[@austinquick6285]

@@tinydancer2607ur a nasty little counter culture-ist aren’t you?

[@MineBook371]

Good speaking English for Asian

[@jamesstrom6991]

Washington Irving must be read by anyone trying to get a view of American literature.

[@cdane7]

Nice list but you can’t have a best American authors list and leave out Cormac McCarthy.

[@Becomeawritertoday]

Notable omission!

[@dash4800]

I'd get rid of Melville. He's famous only for Moby Dick and pretty much nobody readsbanything else he ever did. And even Moby Dick is very split between people loving and hating it. There are definitely other authors more deserving of this list.

I disagree. Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener" is read widespread.

[@dash4800]

lol, no its not