I would bet that in America’s quest to be great again, they probably didn’t have novels in mind.

In the modern day Americans are known as a nation of gun owners who eat a lot of junk food, which sadly overshadows a lot of their good work, in particular; The Great American Novel.  It sounds like an epic turn of phrase, and that’s because it is.  Americans don’t do it small, they do it big.  I’m not sure if there is an English equivalent, but if there was we would probably would call it the Cosy Little Book Read.  

Thanks to my wife, I recently read two great books, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger.  Two books which don’t reveal too much from their titles, but are linked by shared themes including the loss of innocence.

J. D. Salinger was known for being a bit “crazy”, and his book inspired some crazy people to do a few crazy things.  Whilst I wasn’t particularly inspired to do anything out of the ordinary, it definitely placed me vividly in the memories of teenage angst.

Naysayers will tell you that the story doesn’t go anywhere, or that there isn’t a story at all.  But that’s not really the point; sometimes we just like going for a drive.  A cruise in the country where you enjoy yourself without having an actual point to go to.   You don’t always need a story with a good guy and a bad guy and a starting point and an end point.  Sometimes you can be just “there”, and that’s where you are in this story, you’re placed right in the head of an adolescent who really doesn’t know what on Earth he is doing, which really resonates with most of us.  

The book instantly clicked with me, and whilst it’s a novella, I appreciate the quality over quantity, all killer no filler aspect from Salinger. 

With To Kill A Mockingbird, you really get the sense of time and place.  The large wooden houses, sitting on the front porch, the black maid.  

The N word is used a lot. There is a currently a theatre production in London based on the book, and I wonder if the actors will have to say it.

It really is an incredible book, and it is a shame that the author didn’t follow this up with anything else.  Imagine Picasso painting one masterpiece and retiring…

Atticus Finch’s speech at the courthouse was the most memorable moment, despite it being written many decades ago it is still painfully relevant today.

It’s difficult to choose a favourite of the two (I’m not very good at picking favourites) but if I had to choose, then Catcher In The Rye might just edge it, simply because it’s the only book I’ve ever read which really made me laugh out loud.  Not only were the conversations about ducks in Central Park some of the funniest literature I’ve ever read, but it also made me wonder; where do the birds go when the lake freezes over?

So yes, The Great American Novel.  Some people say the term is cliched, others say there is no need for it at all, like it’s an embarrassment to celebrate your nationality.   But honestly, why not brag about the achievements of your fellow countrymen and women?  If you just happen to live in a country where great writers were born, celebrate it and encourage the next generation.  I’m sure there are worse things you can do to make America great again.