The Great American Novel

work by DeForest

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June 29, 2026

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John William DeForest was an American writer known for his realistic fiction, particularly his novel Miss Ravenel's Conversion from Secession to Loyalty (1867), which depicted the American Civil War. DeForest also wrote a significant article titled "The Great American Novel" in 1869, where he advocated for realism in American fiction but noted the difficulty in capturing a rapidly changing society. While F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is often associated with the concept of the Great American Novel due to its themes of the American Dream, DeForest's article predates this and discusses the literary ideal itself.12

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John William DeForest
…a highly significant article, “The Great American Novel” (The Nation, Jan. 9, 1869), in which he called for a full-bodied realism in American fiction but said it was hard to achieve because American society was changing too rapidly to be comprehended as a whole.
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…a highly significant article, “The Great American Novel” (The Nation, Jan. 9, 1869), in which he called for a full-bodied realism in American fiction but said it was hard to achieve because American society was changing too rapidly to be comprehended as a whole.
Read More