Whether you’re taking AP English or preparing for college, reading the novels on this list will put you ahead of the game and even impress your teachers. Look here for some of the most compelling, page-turning American classics of the 20th century.
6 Classic American Novels for College Bound Kids
* The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Carson McCullers – John Singer is a deaf-mute whose best friend, also a deaf-mute, is suddenly put into an asylum. Now, completely alone in 1930s Georgia, Singer somehow attracts the company of four troubled individuals: an African-American doctor, an alcoholic socialist, a teenage girl, and a reticent diner owner. This is an emotionally powerful novel without much of a bright side, but it’s one you won’t regret.
* Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury – The classic novel about burning books also has a shockingly relevant message for today’s youth. It takes place in a fast-paced society full of distractions: obsessions with mindless entertainment, new forms of media, and even drug abuse.
* The Crying of Lot 49, Thomas Pynchon – A great introduction to postmodern literature, blending together history, science, conspiracy theories, and a parody of “The Beatles” all into one wacky little novella. The plot follows the heroine, Oedipa Maas, as she tries to uncover the truth behind a secret, centuries-old postal service known as “the Tristero” (which may or may not actually exist).
* Under the Feet of Jesus, Helena María Viramontes – Follows a family of Latino migrants working, and living, in the California grape fields. The narrator shifts between the perspectives of the main characters, transmitting their subconscious feelings and motivations. The family’s hardships are contrasted against the lush descriptions of the beautiful but uncaring landscape.
* Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison – The novel addresses several issues faced by African-Americans in the early twentieth century. The nameless hero, having faced discrimination throughout his whole life from whites and African-Americans alike, escapes into a life of solitude and “invisibility” to tell us his compelling story.
* The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner – A challenging novel, but not without reward. This novel uses a number of intertwining narrative styles that create one stunning family drama about racism and misogyny in the American South. The beginning might seem confusing, but if you hang in there, things will fall into place.
