American Pastoral by Philip Roth
This novel tells the story of Seymour "Swede" Levov, a successful Jewish-American businessman and former high school athlete from Newark, New Jersey. Levov's happy and conventional upper middle class life is ruined by the domestic social and political turmoil of the 1960s during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson, which in the novel is seen through the eyes of the narrator, Nathan Zuckerman, a budding writer who idolizes the Levovs. The novel portrays the impact of this turmoil on Levov and his family, particularly his rebellious daughter who becomes involved in revolutionary political activities.
The 131st greatest book of all time
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following lists:
- 2nd on Best Foreign Work of Fiction Chosen by Francophone Writers (French literary magazine Transfuge)
- 4th on Quintessential American Fiction, According to the Rest of the World (Literary Hub)
- 4th on As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition (New York Times)
- 5th on The New Classics - 100 Best Reads from 1983 to 2008 (Entertainment Weekly)
- 5th on What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years? (New York Times)
- 6th on The Ideal Library (Book)
- 7th on D. G. Myers’ 50 Greatest English Language Novels (D. G. Myers)
- 13th on El Pais Favorite Books of 100 Spanish Authors (El Pais)
- 75th on The 100 Greatest Novels (greatbooksguide.com)
- 99th on The 100 Greatest Novels of All Time: The List (The Observer)
- 113th on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
- 142nd on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 332nd on The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Culture Café)
- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)
- Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (Pulitzer Prize)
- The 75 Best Books of the Past 75 Years (Parade Magazine)
- The 80 Books Every Man Should Read (Esquire)
- 50 Books to (Re-)Read at 50 (nextavenue)
- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels (TIME Magazine)
- The Dream of the Great American Novel (Book)
- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers (Parade)
- A Hundred Novels to Change Your Life (The Daily Mail)
- The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels in English Since 1950 (The Modern Library (Book))