Download or read book The Dream of the Great American Novel written by Lawrence Buell and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2014-02-25 with total page 582 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book in many years to take in the full sweep of national fiction, The Dream of the Great American Novel explains why this supposedly antiquated idea continues to thrive. It shows that four G.A.N. "scripts" are keys to the dynamics of American literature and identity--and to the myth of a nation perpetually under construction.