The great American Novel is dying | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Arts Entertainment

The great American Novel is dying

Why Millennials should be scared about this art form dying and why it matters.

60

Ahh the great American novel. We used to read them in high school and for some of us, as early as middle school. We would escape to stories like "To kill a mockingbird" and "The Great Gatsby," and learn names of authors that were icons like Mark Twain and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Now, now we are just settling for books as well just books. This is an extremely important topic we need to address.

But Ty, why do we need to care? Well it's simple really. Have you SEEN the books and novels that are being put out and put on the bestseller's lists? Fad books are dominating the world of reading and if it isn't a fad book more than likely written JUST to become a blockbuster flick, it's some celebrity we all know putting out a self-help book or a biography. Is that really what writing has come to: fad books, another cookbook by Guy Fieri, or another political biography or political thoughts book by Hillary Clinton? Do we REALLY think that's good for literature as a whole? This millennial says, "Uh uh..."

Where have all of the authors that mean something have gone? Are they hiding? Are they writing independently? Are they just self-published? People are going to skewer me when I say this, and the majority will probably be female when I say Fifty Shades of Grey got A BAD REVIEW WHEN IT WAS A NOVEL. Don't believe me? Google Jen Doll's article form the Atlantic and that doesn't include all of the hilarious good read reading critiques out there. (You want a laugh google those too.)

Where are the great writers that introduced us to characters like Snowball and Napoleon in Animal Farm or Guy Montag in Fahrenheit 451? Do we really need to see another fad book hit the big screen because someone wanted the fame and acclaim of Twilight or Harry Potter? No, we really don't. Or at the very least, we shouldn't.

There was a time when authors were treated like celebrities and had their own famous friends in Hollywood or putting out records because it was respectableto be an author. Yes, we have digital books but that should entice people to read good lit, not trash. We still have great authors like Gaiman and Grisham and for those of you who adore him, King. They sell a lot of books and rightly so, but what will happen when these aging authors die? Then what? There is only a certain amount of time for these guys to just touch a book they write and it turns into a New York Times Bestseller.

Millennials, it is beyond time to start reading something new and worthwhile. Broaden your horizons. Heck judge a book by its cover if it will get you to read it. Just don't let something that was so loved die and crumble right before our eyes. The great American novel is in trouble and it's honestly up to us to bring forth a renaissance.


Ty Pulliam is a graduate student at the University of Alabama. He has a bachelor's in English and Political Science and is an avid reader.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

3558
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

449966
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

21931
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

44900
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments