The Great American Novel: 15 books that define a nation

Last time I wrote about what the Great American Novel is, where it came from and whether it was still needed or even possible.

Everyone, including me, has their own definition of the Great American Novel. But at its heart, the idea is simple: a book that captures the spirit, contradictions, and complexity of America.

An important qualifying factor is that it is not only about literary brilliance. It’s more than that. It’s about resonance. The novels below reflect the American psyche, telling us who we are, who we were, and sometimes who we want to be.

What is the Great American Novel – and does it still matter?

One of the questions I’m endlessly fascinated by when it comes to literature is The Great American Novel.

It is so evocative, and carries such weight. It's more than a slogan — it signals ambition, scope, and the desire to say something profound about the American experience. But what exactly is it? Where did the term come from? Why do writers still chase it and why are we still talking about it.    

The fake summer reading list: AI, outrage, and the decline of trust

This story is so wild. It started, as these things often do, with a list. A sunny-season tradition: the trusted newspaper summer reading list. But this year, one went viral for all the wrong reasons.

The Chicago Sun-Times published a feature recommending new books for summer 2025. Just five of the 15 titles were real. Ray Bradbury wrote Dandelion Wine, Jess Walter penned Beautiful Ruins and Françoise Sagan  Bonjour Tristesse.

The rest? Pure fiction. Literally. Titles like Tidewater Dreams by Isabel Allende (which she never wrote) and The Rainmakers by Pulitzer-winner Percival Everett (also fake) were invented by AI and published as if they were real.

Why Hemingway still matters

This year will be sixty-three years since Ernest Hemingway took his own life. He was 61 and a towering presence in literature. His life was marked by enormous creativity, public myth, and private suffering. Six decades later, his literary legacy remains undiminished. Hemingway wasn’t just one of the great American novelists of the 20th century. He changed the way fiction was written.

His influence on modern writing is unparalleled. He revolutionised the short story, made dialogue sharper and more lifelike, and proved that what you leave out is just as important as what you put in.

That’s why, if you are not already, you should be reading him. If you’re unsure where to begin or have questions, continue reading.

Whatever happened to Douglas Coupland?

Douglas Coupland’s novel Generation X didn’t just name a demographic—it captured a mindset. His fiction defined the detached, drifting, hyper-aware sensibility of 1990s youth culture. Generation X was also published 34 years ago. 

He gave us slackers before they were memeable, office ennui before The Office, and a sense that we were all increasingly plugged in and alienated. 

He was prolific for many years, publishing thirteen novels between 1991 and 2013—six of them in his first ten years.

But it’s now been more than a decade since his last novel, Worst. Person. Ever. It was published in 2013. So… what happened?

The ADHD plot twist: making sense of ADHD as a writer

This is something of a confession. Something I’ve never shared publicly. I’ve hesitated to say it even privately. Slightly embarrassed, I suppose. 

However, having gone on a bit of a journey with this, it feels like a good time to write about it. 

This time last year, I got diagnosed with ADHD. I know. It sometimes seems that everyone is getting a diagnosis. 

Mine came after one of my children got a diagnosis (both now have one). 

This post is for anyone, writer or otherwise working in this industry, who’s also neurodivergent, or anyone who’s ever felt like their brain doesn’t quite follow the usual rules.

Why you should read Joan Didion: five unforgettable quotes and the best books to start with

Joan Didion didn’t just write essays and novels, she rewired what prose could do. Her work is surgically precise and emotionally raw, offering a style that has inspired generations of writers and captivated readers for over half a century. 

She helped shape the New Journalism movement in the 1960s, bringing a personal, literary sensibility to reportage. She created some of the most arresting portraits of American life in the second half of the twentieth century.