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Best Southern Literature
Our favorite works of Southern literature.
(Books that are set in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.)
(Books that are set in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.)
604 books ·
1,429 voters ·
list created June 23rd, 2008
by JG (The Introverted Reader) (votes) .
Comments (showing 1-37 of 37) (37 new)
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TexasMargarita
(new)
Jul 30, 2008 04:00pm
I think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil could almost make it in here, and some day maybe some James Lee Burke
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cool book peoples and I like them very much you rocklvu you people very much and how you keep voting for these book and as for the people who don't do it now and when I say do it now I mean it just do it now .For those people who collect these books u rock so much that I can't say how much it must be for you to read and that is the one things that is the mager thing about collecting books and I hope thatyou keep collecting these books
thank you
sunpoo0994
Is The Plain Truth really Southern? Jodi Picoult lives near my sister in VT. I read it but don't remember much about it now. Wasn't it about the Amish?
The Prince and the Pauper? It's set in Tudor England!A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is set in a fantasy English Dark Ages.
Susanna wrote: "The Prince and the Pauper? It's set in Tudor England!"Yes... *Southern* Tudor England! ;-)
Hayes wrote: "Susanna wrote: "The Prince and the Pauper? It's set in Tudor England!"Yes... *Southern* Tudor England! ;-)"
hahaha - you are right, the title doesn't say Southern North America now does it; a touch arrogant n'est pas!?
Susanna wrote: "Is this list for works about the South, or by Southerners?"Well, Southerners do tend to read books about the South, honey chile.
Yes, indeedy they do! And I myself interpreted it as "books about the South." But "books by Southerners" is the only way I can think of that Prince and the Pauper, A Tramp Abroad, or A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court could qualify, so I thought I'd ask!
Susanna wrote: "Yes, indeedy they do! And I myself interpreted it as "books about the South." But "books by Southerners" is the only way I can think of that Prince and the Pauper, A Tramp Abroad, or A Connecti..."
I'll wait for an answer to your question before voting
:O)
Ernest Gaines's novels should be added to this list. So should books by Gayl Jones and Nikki Finney.
You could add them; it's easy to add books to lists. At the top of the list, at the tab next to "all votes."
Susanna wrote: "Is this list for works about the South, or by Southerners?"I took a course called "Southern Literature" at the University of Georgia when I was working on a graduate degree. Southern Literature was defined as literature that was written by a Southerner AND set in the South. I have always found this definition to be very helpful.
I didn't see West Virginia in the list of states but I added books with author and setting from WV. Most of the state is below the Mason-Dixon line and we mountaineers consider ourselves southerners.
Forgive my crass marketing here. I've written a book called EVIL IS ALWAYS HUMAN that's been compared to Flannery O'Connor and Cormac McCarthy. I invite you to take a look at it.
Eddie wrote: "Forgive my crass marketing here. I've written a book called EVIL IS ALWAYS HUMAN that's been compared to Flannery O'Connor and Cormac McCarthy. I invite you to take a look at it."Beth wrote: "Susanna wrote: "Is this list for works about the South, or by Southerners?"
I took a course called "Southern Literature" at the University of Georgia when I was working on a graduate degree. South..."
TexasMargarita wrote: "I think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil could almost make it in here, and some day maybe some James Lee Burke"
thank you for the information! I loved "midnight in the garden Of good and evil"
~☆ Alice☆~ wrote: "Susanna wrote: "Is this list for works about the South, or by Southerners?"Well, Southerners do tend to read books about the South, honey chile." Yes we Do! Tina L.
Eddie wrote: "Forgive my crass marketing here. I've written a book called EVIL IS ALWAYS HUMAN that's been compared to Flannery O'Connor and Cormac McCarthy. I invite you to take a look at it."
Shawnee wrote: "I didn't see West Virginia in the list of states but I added books with author and setting from WV. Most of the state is below the Mason-Dixon line and we mountaineers consider ourselves southerners."
W. Virginia separated from Virginia rather than be part of the South. So, that's a done deal. "Sophie's Choice" takes place in Europe with no mention of 'the South' so, multiple people putting it on the list is just sad.
Including William Tecumseh Sherman's biography several times is wrong. While a work about only his maniacal acts in the South could be included, it would hardly seem to merit "the Best Southern Literature".
These mistakes aside, the list is enjoyable.
Pat wrote: ""Sophie's Choice" takes place in Europe with no mention of 'the South' so, multiple people putting it on the list is just sad."Well, in their defense it might be mentioned that the author is from Virginia. Which, owing to the book's setting and subject matter, doesn't make it a "Southern" novel IMHO either, though ... nor, based on the description now added to the list, in the opinon of the list's creator.
JG, do you want the list to be pruned back to books actually set in the states you mentioned?
Lists are made by Goodreads members/readers. Goodreads provides the arena for its readers who can vote for the various books listed in any Listopia. In other words, people have voted for these books and their rank is the result of these votes. Several books on the list would have been ranked differently for me personally. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see where different books line up after votes are calculated.
Yep, those that like southern lit should vote and/or add their favorites. The list will sort out over time.
The one that makes me scratch my head currently is #36: I Talk Slower Than I Think: An Antidote to Helicopter Parenting, as it looks to be non-fiction?Also, 5 ratings and 33 votes???
West Virginia separating from Virginia had more to do with perceived unfair distribution of state resources and divisive beliefs on slavery and nothing to do with whether it wanted to be part of the south. More important, the U.S. Bureau of Census states West Virginia as part of the South Region. I think my position is valid and West Virginia should be included in this category list.
Susanna wrote: "The one that makes me scratch my head currently is #36: I Talk Slower Than I Think: An Antidote to Helicopter Parenting, as it looks to be non-fiction?Also, 5 ratings and 33 votes???"
The voting pattern is highly suspicious (1 of 1 or, at most, 1 of 2, all of them).
It being nonfiction alas doesn't seem to be a reason for exclusion on this particular list, though (the list title says "literature," not "fiction," and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -- currently ranked no. 12 -- is nonfiction as well) ...
Pat wrote: "W. Virginia separated from Virginia rather than be part of the South. So, that's a done deal. "Sophie's Choice" takes place in Europ..."
Sophie's Choice does not take place in Europe,it takes place in New York. Only the memories of Sophie take place in Europe. One of the main characters "Stingo" is a very southern boy who comes to New York to write.
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