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Greatest American Writer: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Angelou, Steinbeck, Twain, Capote or Kerouac?

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Greatest american writers: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Angelou, Steinbeck, Twain, Capote and Kerouac

America gave birth to many genius writers like Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Angelou, Capote, Kerouac, Steinbeck or Twain. Who was the greatest among them?

On netivist we already had great debates about literature from different countries. We discussed who was the best Russian writer between Dostoyevsky or Tolstoy, we talked about famous British mystery writers such as Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle or we had a debate about Scandinavian crime literature. This time we focus on some of the greatests American writers.

As countries go, America has not been around very long at all. Its writers, however, have wasted no time in creating some of the most profound and popular works of literature ever written, inspiring change in politics, culture and identity, and enrapturing audiences across the globe. But who do you think is the greatest?

The individual style of each of the nation’s greatest wordsmiths can make them difficult to compare. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s (1896 – 1940) intense characters take form through beautiful description and elegant metaphor, whereas Ernest Hemingway (1899 – 1961) forgoes the lashings of vibrant language to convey an incredibly powerful tale shortly and simply in his The Old Man and the Sea. Both books, however, are often considered the ultimate American novel.

Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014), whose plays and poems rocked the country’s politics and culture and made a great contribution to the civil rights movement, similarly might be crowned the best. John Steinbeck (1902 – 1968), however, similarly made many people question how close reality was to the great American Dream. Shoulder-to-shoulder in the running are surely Mark Twain (1835 – 1910), famous for his silver-tongued wit and author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and more modern authors such as Truman Capote (1924 – 1984) and Jack Kerouac (1922 – 1969). Both these later writers captured the essence of souls in chaos, struggling to come to terms with their place in the world around them, or perhaps its effect upon them and their identity.

    

All of these writers are masters of their craft, but each explores there world in their own, powerful way. Whose work do you think earns them the title of the greatest American writer? Vote and comment below!


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#13  |  billy colmer  04 May 2016 @ 15:41

Steinbeck captured his era,in so many ways relative to his time,and probably influenced the future of impending culture like few can IMO!! Novel's n short stories. Have a wide range of characters, in all kinda situations in life relative to time immemorial!! But Ken keyseys Cukoos Nest tops my personal favorites, but much kudos to Joseph wambaugh & John d. Macdonald also for their takes on modern stories of the 1950's and today's sketches of people and their lives and the sensibilities of the eras

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#12  |  Gary Miller  30 August 2015 @ 22:26

Charles Bukowski is the best American writer IMHO...

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#11  |  cayecasado  03 April 2015 @ 14:58

I was debating myself between Fitzgerald or Steinbeck but finally decided to vote for Steinbeck. I have enjoyed most of his works, from the short novellas The Pearl or Of Mice and Men to the thicker East of Eden or the Grapes of Wrath.

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#10  |  Anar Kamil  03 April 2015 @ 12:31    Avenger  (#8)

Apparently, The Great Gatsby passed unnoticed early after its publication, and Fitzgerald was puzzled as well as depressed about it. It wasn't until after Fitzgerald's death that it came to prominence. (SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK!) Ironically, Fitzgerald's funeral was as 'well' attended as that of his most famous protagonist, and someone at the funeral drew a parallel between the two men: moaning 'The poor sound-of-a-bitch' - quoting what happened at the funeral scene in the book.

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#9  |  Mazinger Z  03 April 2015 @ 12:23    KatyFerry  (#6)

You point at very good alternatives for this poll. But you forget Herman Melville (as the Avenger has just pointed out). Do you think he also deserves to be shortlisted or just one great novel is not enough?

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#8  |  Avenger  03 April 2015 @ 12:16    Anar Kamil  (#1)

The Great Gatsby may have been such as shocking book at the time of publication. I just feel that people currently don't really appreciate the value of such a revolutionary masterpiece. I have not great experience with these American authors. I was going to vote for Hemingway thinking of the Old and the sea... but then Melville's Moby Dick came to my mind...

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#7  |  Tomas  01 April 2015 @ 14:57

Dont forget Herny James, Kurt Vonegut, John Kennedy Toole, Jack London or Edgar Alan Poe!!

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#6  |  KatyFerry  01 April 2015 @ 12:27
Ok, here goes. This is my first time commenting. I studied English in college in the U.S. This question intrigued me so much that I have been having a lively debate about it on Facebook. All of these are worthy candidates. I am still undecided because there are many great American authors. Harper Lee, who wrote "To Kill a Mockingbird" isn't on this list. Neither is J.D. Salinger who wrote, "Catcher in the Rye". Also, what about Ralph Ellison, author of "Invisible Man" or Richard Wright, author of "Black Boy"? Their novels capture a very specific time in American history from the African-American perspective. A friend argues that Junot Diaz, an author from the Dominican Republic who lives in New Jersey might be best. He wrote, "The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao".

However, i… Read more
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#5  |  Riquette Waldmann  01 April 2015 @ 11:54

I choose Hemingway but I also like to read Steinbeck ,I will have a look on Angelou books.

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#4  |  ronalcubo  31 March 2015 @ 22:50

I must admit I do not know the works of many of them... But my vote goes to Steinbeck. His literature is both great and amusing (great literature needs not be boring!).

I see that Hemingway is the most voted... My very last option!

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#3  |  TBONTB  31 March 2015 @ 16:57

What about Henry Miller or Herman Melville? Moby-Dick is one of the masterpieces of American literature...

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#2  |  Juanan  31 March 2015 @ 13:49

Why is not Stephen King in this poll? ;-)

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#1  |  Anar Kamil  31 March 2015 @ 13:06

Each is probably great in something. My favorite is Fitzgerald. If, following Borges, we judge authors by their (arguably) best work and if we appreciate the ability to convey something substantial economically (whether it's making us think or feel or experience smth) while retaining certain beauty and elegance to writing (which still doesn't try to bring the life's mess down to a couple of 'strong patterns'), then perhaps The Great Gatsby is a candidate for the best writing from among the best produced by these authors. Still, my preferences that reflect my subjective experience and thinking.


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