Reading Copy Book Blog

In the past 232 years, the United States has produced an impressive array of fiction authors. From Steinbeck to Salinger, Capote to Kerouac, to celebrate Independence Day, we are proud to share some of the finest books from these pillars of literature.

J.D. Salinger

Best known for his coming-of-age novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Jerome David Salinger (born January 1, 1919) is a mainstay in American literature.

The Catcher in the Rye [First Editions] & [Signed Copies]
The Young Folks Salinger’s debut short story.
Franny & Zooey This novel consists of two different but related stories.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald is hailed by many as one of the greatest American authors of all time. He finished four novels, left a fifth unfinished, and wrote dozens of short stories.

The Great Gatsby [First Editions]
This Side of Paradise Defined the 1920s flapper generation.
Tender is the Night The last novel Fitzgerald would complete.

Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott, a perennial favorite of many, was the first woman to register to vote in Concord, Massachusetts.

Little Women [First Editions]
Flower Fables Alcott’s first book
An Old Fashioned Girl Alcott followed up her success of Little Women with Old Fashioned Girl in 1870.

John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 for The Grapes of Wrath and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 for his novella Of Mice & Men.

The Grapes of Wrath [First Editions]
Of Mice & Men This novel was made into 5 films.
The Red Pony Tales of Steinbeck’s childhood recounted as a 10 year old boy.

Truman Capote

Did you know that Truman Capote was the basis for Harper Lee’s character, Dill, in her famous book To Kill A Mockingbird?

In Cold Blood [First Editions] & [Signed Copies]
Breakfast at Tiffany’s The book that inspired the classic Audrey Hepburn movie.
A Christmas Memory Tales based on his childhood in Alabama.

Ernest Hemingway

From 1925 to 1929, Ernest Hemingway produced some of the most important works of 20th century fiction, including:

The Torrents of Spring Hemingway’s first novel, published in 1925.
The Old Man and the Sea The last major work of fiction by Hemingway.
A Farewell to Arms A love story, drawn heavily from Hemingway’s experiences as a soldier in Italy.

Zora Neale Hurston

Acclaimed writer and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston passed away penniless in obscurity and was buried in an unmarked grave in Fort Pierce, Florida

Their Eyes Were Watching God [First Editions]
Mules and Men A treasury of black America’s folklore collected by Hurston.
Jonah’s Gourd Vine Hurston’s first published novel.

Jack Kerouac

Jack Kerouac is credited with originating the term “Beat Generation,” which took on associations of the word “beat,” meaning “poor, weary or down and out.”

On The Road First written on a scroll that was nearly 35 meters long.
The Town and the City Kerouac’s first story, written in 1950.
The Dharma Bums [First Editions]

This entry was posted on Friday, July 4th, 2008 at 9:11 am and is filed under books, celebration, holidays. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Classic American Authors