Knowing America & Americans?

Question

according to you, what books one should read if he/she wants to know more about American society and its way of life?
(Also not recent books)

Answer 1

I am an American, and lived most of my life in the U.S., but now I am living on another continent. Last month I found two books that I really think help explain America and Americans. There is no denying that Americans have a different view of the world, just as people in every culture view the world differently--from their own life experiences in the culture in which they live.

Take a look at "Made in America", by Bill Bryson, Black Swan publishers, 1998. As it says on the back cover, he de-mythologizes America and tells how America and the American way of life came to be. I found it extremely interesting and informative.

Some of the 21 chapters are: "The Mayflower and Before", "Becoing American", "By the Dawn's Early Light: Forging a National Identity", "We're in the Money: The Age of Invention", "What's Cooking?: Eating in America", "The Pursuit of Pleasure: Sport and Play", "American English Today", "Democratizing Luxury: Shopping in America", "Sex and Other Distractions".

The second book, also by Bill Bryson, is "The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America", His opening line is, "I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to." And this sets the tone for the book. It is humorous and very revealing of the people in small-town America across the country, as he travels throughout the country.

A third book, "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream", by Barak Obama. Again, a very different view. As you probably know, Mr. Obama just recently declared himself as a candidate for the office of president of the United States.

People who only see American movies and don't look further, have a distorted view of the American way-of-life. People who only see some American movies and occasionally the nightly news about the current administration in America also have a distorted view of the American way-of-life. Americans are much nicer than some of their politicians.

There are many travel books on traveling inside America. They are going to be helpful, too.

But there is one source that is the heart and foundation of America and the American psyche--these lines from the "Declaration of Independence":

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

I hope this helps you. Best of luck!

Answer 2

Bill Bryson: Made in America. The Lost Continent: Travels in small town america. And Notes from a big country.

Bill Bryson is an American travel writer, I read Made in America (I'm English) and it was a real insight into traditions, history, language or America. He also writes about us British weirdos in Notes from a Small Island about his time living in Britian.

Fiction - I would say All my son/View from a Bridge/Death of a salesman by Arthur Miller (Plays).

To Kill a mocking bird - Harper Lee.

The invisible man - Ralph Ellison (Black American history fiction)

Stephen King for light relief and Americana.

On the Road - Jack Kerouac

I could go on (Read a lot doing a degree in English) I prefer American fiction to English fiction - Dickens and Austen are highly overrated.

Answer 3

James Michener's Chesapeake, Centennial and Hawaii are long books, looking at America through fiction and the long sweep of history, and present both the good and the bad.

Fiction writing tends to "show" rather than to "tell" America.

Bill Bryson's work is excellent, too.

Another answerer mentioned Stephen King---I think his book The Stand would be an excellent example of what the answerer meant by Americana, and is a rather interesting commentary on our culture.

Answer 4

I live in a country with a comunist past, and I know Americans from what I studied at the University (language and literature )Also one of my favourite teachers used to be a guest teacher - a journalist from America .Some of my favourite American writers have become movies ''The Scarlet letter'', ''The last of the mohicans'', ''The age of innocence ''.Also there is a short story in E.A.Poe which I love to remember the one with the town where even the cats had to wear a clock on their tail..or what's the English for the tail of the cats ..It is a great story showing a great intelligent man .Perhaps other of his stories a showing that sometimes he is stupid..the horror stories..not just stupid but ..into temptation..

Answer 5

A quick answer that springs to mind would be "Working" by Studs Terkel. You might check some of his other works also. I've listed some links below.

Answer 6

"The Great Gatsby" - F.S. Fitzgerald