Classic American Authors

In the past one hundred years, the United States has produced an impressive array of fiction authors. From Steinbeck to Salinger, Capote to Kerouac, AbeBooks' booksellers offer a vast selection of rare and collectible 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.

[More Books From J.D. Salinger]

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.

[More Books From F. Scott Fitzgerald]

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.

[More Books From Louisa May Alcott]

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.

[More Books From John Steinbeck]

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.

[More Books From Truman Capote]

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.

[More Books From Ernest Hemingway]

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.

[More Books From Zora Neale Hurston]

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]

[More Books From Jack Kerouac]