The Dream of the Great American Novel

(Harvard University Press) The idea of “the great American novel” emerged shortly after the Civil War, and still holds sway today. Buell examines the history of this literary concept, showing how it is key to the dynamics of national literature and to national identity. He looks at four main “scripts” for the Great American Novel, and how they showcase the myth of the United States as a nation perpetually under construction. Buell is a professor of American literature at Harvard University.