Ashleigh's American Literature Attempt

I have always considered myself to be an eclectic reader. I never restrict myself to reading any one genre or any one author. And yet I have recently been made aware of a certain narrow-mindedness to my reading approach.

You see, I tend to avoid American classics. I don't know why; There is no justifiable reason for it. Sure, I read Harper Lee's, "To Kill a Mockingbird", and I absolutely loved it. But I have never gone further than that in my exploration of American Literature.

And so it is time I set myself a reading challenge. Throughout the months of October and November (December, too, if I run out of time) I will make a concerted effort to read some American classics. I have selected six novels that I should read as a part of my American Literature education, chosen because I have either heard good things about them, or they were listed in an online lecture series that I have downloaded. Given my limited knowledge of American History (no doubt due to my lack of reading American Literature!) I feel that the online lecture, provided by Yale University, will help me to gain a true appreciation for what I am reading.

My six candidates are as follows:

• "Catch 22", by Joseph Heller
• "Ulysses", by James Joyce (although I'm not sure if this counts as an American novel?)
• "Lolita", by Vladimir Nabokov
• "The Great Gatsby", by F.Scott Fitzgerald
• "Everything is Illuminated", by Jonathan Safran Foer
• "On the Road", by Jack Kerouac

Follow me as I try my best to understand and appreciate these great works of literature. I will relate my thoughts, feelings, confusions and a review of each of these books as I complete them. 

I have to say, I am excited to be trying something different! Wish me luck, and happy reading :)