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Comment by sn41 | Hacker News Reader

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sn41·

Try somewhat off-beat American novels:

1. Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurty

2. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers

3. A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole

They are great novels, and sadly, are less known than they should be. If you are into movies, there are great ones like "Paris, Texas" by the German director Wim Wenders, or "A River Runs Through It" by Robert Redford.

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I would add:

0. 'McTeague' by Frank Norris.

1. All The Kings Men, Robert Penn Warren.

2. Most novels by Sinclair Lewis.

3. Novels of John O Hara

4. Sister Carrie, Theodore Dresier.

5. Little Big Man by Thomas Berger.

6. Last of the Mohicans by Fenimore Cooper.

*James* Fenimore Cooper

The book "A River Runs Through It", which is three short stories, one of which is also called "A River Runs Through It" is very good too. I read it once over 10 years ago and I still think about it from time to time.

I really liked the book as well, and even the film! The author worked with the forestry service and it certainly shows in his understanding and deep love for the outdoors; making nature an integral part of the human psyche. The locale of Idaho (similar to Montana and Wyoming) is some of the shrinking open space left in the lower 48. I'm farther north in the Eastern Rockies and it's a very similar environment.

I also like Louis L'Amour, specifically his non-western short story collections. It's junk food, but perfect for interspersing with harder reads.

My uncle loves Louis L'Amour, I haven't gotten around to anything by him yet but will have to someday soon.

As we are kind of in Ken Kesey country here, I would add "Sometimes A Great Notion", which I think is his best novel - better than "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest".

Dunces is Michael Lewis’s (Big Short, etc)favorite book. Great book.

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