Another question stolen from Marginal Revolution, this time originally asked by Ryan Holiday: what is the “classic” book of the 80s and 90s?
Holiday describes the typical high school American lit reading list, with a classic for each time period, and asks:
So what book will be required reading for the 80’s and 90’s? The qualifications being that it says something about those decades, not where it’s publication date happens to fall.
I like his own answers, American Psycho or Fight Club—noting that I have read neither but know a reasonable amount about them. Brett Easton Ellis and Chuck Palahniuk are definitely popular suggestions based on comments so far. Tyler Cowen cites Bonfire of the Vanities, and asks, “Dare I mention John Grisham’s The Firm as embodying the blockbuster trend of King, Steele, Clancy and others?” A valid point, I think.
Thinking of this question myself has made me realize how few books I read set in that time period, though. I read plenty of novels set before I was born, and plenty in the time I have adult memories of (say, late 90s to the present), but I feel I lack the perspective to name the To Kill a Mockingbird or The Red Badge of Courage of the 80s or 90s. I do think, however, that The Corrections might be that book for the current decade.
3 responses so far ↓
Amateur Reader // September 3, 2008 at 21:21
If “American Psycho” will be read in the high schools of the future, the high schools of the future will have changed a lot.
nicole // September 3, 2008 at 21:35
It’s true, though they’ve changed a lot since many other staples were written too. I was sort of thinking that “The Rules of Attraction” seemed very appropriate too.
Ryan Holiday // September 3, 2008 at 22:29
I don’t think people give enough credit to how controversial seemingly innocent books like Of Mice and Men were at publication. Almost every book considered a classic was burned or banned at one time or another.
I think that makes American Psycho more likely a pick, not less.