What is THE American novel?

I have to cast my vote for the Great Gatsby, it deals with the quintessential keystone of America, the american dream. Now if it was only that and a compelling plot and characters, It would be hardly worth to mention it, but what seals it's place as with all great novels - beautiful prose, which is borderline with no longer being prose, but the novel being a mesh of prose passages and free verse passages, and no american novel I have read has been able to stand next to Fitzgerald in this quality.

I should however mention that I have not read Moby Dick yet, so Dick may very well outdo Gatsby.

I should also mention, in regards to On The Road, that the plot and characters and theme are definitely worthy, but the prose just lacks, and thus the novel falls short. In no way am I saying that Kerouac had bad prose, I think he was capable of producing beautiful prose, unfortunately in On The Road this didn't happen, he himself considered it to be one of his minor works. I only Kerouac had combined the prose of Visions Of Cody and Maggie Cassidy, with the characters and plot of On The Road, then we would have a good contender.

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Originally Posted by Alexander III

I have to cast my vote for the Great Gatsby, it deals with the quintessential keystone of America, the american dream. Now if it was only that and a compelling plot and characters, It would be hardly worth to mention it, but what seals it's place as with all great novels - beautiful prose, which is borderline with no longer being prose, but the novel being a mesh of prose passages and free verse passages, and no american novel I have read has been able to stand next to Fitzgerald in this quality.

I should however mention that I have not read Moby Dick yet, so Dick may very well outdo Gatsby.

I should also mention, in regards to On The Road, that the plot and characters and theme are definitely worthy, but the prose just lacks, and thus the novel falls short. In no way am I saying that Kerouac had bad prose, I think he was capable of producing beautiful prose, unfortunately in On The Road this didn't happen, he himself considered it to be one of his minor works. I only Kerouac had combined the prose of Visions Of Cody and Maggie Cassidy, with the characters and plot of On The Road, then we would have a good contender.

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I'm actually surprised to see Moby Dick so much. It is an excellent novel but I don't think thematically it is the appropriate choice for THE American Novel.... maybe for "One of the best novels ever written by an American"

Also I found the plot and characters of The Great Gatsby to be very compelling... well the characters anyway... but I was definitely never bored with the plot

I think there is something quite American about Moby Dick. The manly need to conquer nature...I never finished it but there was definitely something American about it. I don't think a Brit could have written it.

Yes I think the theme of Moby Dick, could only have been writ by an American. A man who rejects fate and any higher power, who will kneel to no man, a man who treats men equally, and a man driven crazy by his pursuit of an unattainable goal ? It is the essence of America. Or at least the country which was created by the founding fathers. Im quite sure if they were to look at America now, they would not be smiling.

I'll go for The Great Gatsby. I think that covers all the themes I'd associate with American literature: the Dream, 'Lost Generation', masculinity, money...