General Discussion

exboyfil

(18,359 posts)

20. Into the Wild

Mon Oct 21, 2013, 01:18 PM

Oct 2013

Versus Jack London's The Call of the Wild. Now you must be kidding.

I think a criteria for such a piece should be the surroundings of the state dramatically impacting the story. This would exclude books like The Lovely Bones for example.

What this list does show is that there are a great many places calling for excellent literature about them (or at least popularizing excellent literature already written). I will check out A Thousand Acres since I live in Iowa and love King Lear.

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The most famous book set in each state: [View all] Sheldon Cooper Oct 2013 OP

How did Tom Brokaw beat Laura Ingalls Wilder in South Dakota? That's bullshit. TwilightGardener Oct 2013 #1

Definitely. nt sufrommich Oct 2013 #23

Agree - but maybe since they picked her for Wisconsin dbackjon Oct 2013 #25

John Grisham appears twice starroute Oct 2013 #33

So he does dbackjon Oct 2013 #36

Same for MN. MNBrewer Oct 2013 #47

I loved "The Shinning" but I would have selected "Centennial" for Colorado. CrispyQ Oct 2013 #2

I love Centennial,one of my favorite books.nt sufrommich Oct 2013 #24

Agreed - but like my answer above dbackjon Oct 2013 #27

"Hawaii" was a good book too. Loved Woo Chow's Auntie! CrispyQ Oct 2013 #34

Turns out there is a John Grisham/Stephen King exception to that :) dbackjon Oct 2013 #37

I see Stephen King's in there twice, too. CrispyQ Oct 2013 #39

It was very, very scary - moreso than other Stephen King novels dbackjon Oct 2013 #42

James Michener pipi_k Oct 2013 #59

Those are three of my favorites, too! CrispyQ Oct 2013 #64

Many of the choices are questionable edhopper Oct 2013 #3

I think the books are set in that particular state, not from that state. Hestia Oct 2013 #6

Okay, my comments edhopper Oct 2013 #46

No Mark Twain malaise Oct 2013 #4

MO: "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" n/t TygrBright Oct 2013 #49

Blind me malaise Oct 2013 #53

A Painted House by John Grisham which I really enjoyed and seemed to be the only Hestia Oct 2013 #5

A Painted House was a wonderful story, a fabulous and authentic regional/period novel. Zorra Oct 2013 #11

A Painted House was also turned into a Hallmark movie! B Calm Oct 2013 #60

Grisham has wrote a lot of novels that are not courtroom dramas. Here are B Calm Oct 2013 #61

"Saint of Lost Things" treestar Oct 2013 #7

Twilight? I thought that was set in Oregon.... Wounded Bear Oct 2013 #8

Forks, Washington Xyzse Oct 2013 #9

I think they filmed the movies in Or, maybe... Wounded Bear Oct 2013 #12

I am... Very much so... Xyzse Oct 2013 #15

I only know that it was Forks because dbackjon Oct 2013 #28

I have a friend who wanted to move there... Xyzse Oct 2013 #31

Definitely!!! Tom Robbins embodies the spirit of Washington. Sissy Hankshaw and Amanda Zorra Oct 2013 #30

Not 'Lonesome Dove' for Texas? panader0 Oct 2013 #10

Another of my favorite books. nt sufrommich Oct 2013 #26

I was thinking Giant, but Lonesome Dove is justabob Oct 2013 #43

Or Terms of Endearment or any of McMurtry's awesome books set in Texas. ScreamingMeemie Oct 2013 #50

Fun idea, silly in a lot of particulars Proud Public Servant Oct 2013 #13

Yeah, this has the earmarks of an ad campaign.... Wounded Bear Oct 2013 #16

Agreed on Witches of Eastwick. Laelth Oct 2013 #44

Umm - yeah, to Ohio. Ms. Toad Oct 2013 #62

Into the Wild Blue_In_AK Oct 2013 #14

Interview with the Vampire? Bite me. dogknob Oct 2013 #17

lol. I hear you. cali Oct 2013 #40

Agreed. n/t Laelth Oct 2013 #48

Washington DC = The Walking Dead BlueJazz Oct 2013 #18

Tom Sawyer over Huck Finn? Come ON. hatrack Oct 2013 #19

I agree it is ridiculous exboyfil Oct 2013 #21

Agreed. Huckleberry Finn is a more significant novel. Laelth Oct 2013 #45

Well, half of Huckleberry Finn is set in Arkansas Art_from_Ark Oct 2013 #66

Could be. Laelth Oct 2013 #69

Into the Wild exboyfil Oct 2013 #20

Anatomy Of a Murder is a much more famous sufrommich Oct 2013 #22

From purely Crepuscular Oct 2013 #65

REALLY hard to believe Willa Cather didn't make it for NM. n/t TygrBright Oct 2013 #29

Cather's so 1920s (and I think of her as MidWest anyway) Retrograde Oct 2013 #56

I thought "Death Comes for the Archbishop" was on every "100 Classics" list. TygrBright Oct 2013 #58

My Antonia, Ms. Toad Oct 2013 #63

Barbara Kingsolver for AZ. Great choice. nt Zorra Oct 2013 #32

Poor Maine. Not the wonderful 'The Country of the Pointed Firs' by cali Oct 2013 #35

Grapes of Wrath is considerably more famous than either East of Eden or Paradise cthulu2016 Oct 2013 #38

A good runner-up for California would be "Valley of the Moon" by Jack London KansDem Oct 2013 #52

No question for Georgia. Gone with the Wind takes the cake. Laelth Oct 2013 #41

Given that the title is "most famous" rather than "best" rsdsharp Oct 2013 #51

Great Gatsby, not read it - four books I have read on this list closeupready Oct 2013 #54

i feel bad for washington state JI7 Oct 2013 #55

"Walden" pipi_k Oct 2013 #57

I think "True Grit" (set in Yell County and Fort Smith, Arkansas) Art_from_Ark Oct 2013 #67

Obscure Hemingway novel for Florida... FAIL JCMach1 Oct 2013 #68

I'm in Georiga, so of course Gone With The Wind. n/t RebelOne Oct 2013 #70