This is a course that complements my Ten Great English Novels and forms part of a suite of courses on English Literature. The great American novel is a work in progress in that we are continuing to see incredible works of fiction published every year. It is fair to say that some of the finest novelists working today are American and that they are part of a tradition that stretches back almost 200 years. This course aims to familiarise those who need to be reminded of these seminal works and also seeks to make them available to people who have not yet encountered them.