Can you recommend some existential American novels?

One of the most well - known existential American novels is 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J. D. Salinger. It explores themes of alienation and the search for identity through the eyes of Holden Caulfield. Another is 'On the Road' by Jack Kerouac, which embodies the spirit of the Beat Generation and the quest for meaning in a fast - changing world. Also, 'The Sun Also Rises' by Ernest Hemingway has elements of existentialism as it shows characters dealing with disillusionment and the search for purpose in post - World War I Europe.

Some American existential novels include 'Catch - 22' by Joseph Heller. This novel is set during World War II and presents a world that is absurd and where the characters are trapped in a system that defies logic. Yossarian's struggle to survive and make sense of the war is an existential one. Another example is 'The Crying of Lot 49' by Thomas Pynchon. Oedipa Maas is on a journey of discovery, trying to uncover the mystery of the Trystero system, and in the process, she is also exploring her own existence and her place in a world filled with signs and symbols that may or may not have meaning.

Another is 'Native Son' by Richard Wright. This novel shows the struggle of Bigger Thomas, a young black man in Chicago. It's a powerful exploration of how society's constraints and the individual's existential angst interact in the context of race. Bigger's actions are a response to a world that seems to offer him no real options, which is very much an existential concept.

Sure. 'Nausea' by Jean - Paul Sartre had a great influence on Japanese existential novels. Some Japanese works like 'Coin Locker Babies' by Ryu Murakami also show existential elements. It tells a rather dark and complex story about two boys abandoned in coin lockers at birth, reflecting on the absurdity of life and the struggle for existence.

Sure. 'The Plague' by Albert Camus is a great one. It tells the story of a town stricken by plague and through the characters' experiences, it explores themes like human nature, mortality, and the search for meaning during a crisis.

One great existential mystery novel is 'The Stranger' by Albert Camus. It delves into the absurdity of human existence through the story of a man who seems detached from society and its norms. His actions and the events that unfold around him are both mysterious and thought - provoking in an existential sense.

Sure. 'The Stranger' by Albert Camus is a very well - known existential novel. It tells the story of Meursault, a man who seems detached from the world around him and his actions lead to a complex exploration of meaning and existence. Another one is 'Nausea' by Jean - Paul Sartre. It delves into the experiences of Roquentin, who feels a sense of nausea when confronted with the absurdity of existence. Also, 'The Trial' by Franz Kafka can be considered in this category. It shows the protagonist Josef K.'s bewildering experience in a bureaucratic and seemingly senseless legal process, which reflects on the nature of human existence in an oppressive and incomprehensible world.

One great existential fantasy novel is 'The Neverending Story' by Michael Ende. It blurs the line between reality and fantasy and makes readers question the nature of existence. Another is 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' which can be seen as existential in a way as Alice constantly faces strange situations that make her re - evaluate her understanding of the world.

One of the well - known existential detective novels is 'The Stranger' by Albert Camus. In this novel, the main character's detached and indifferent attitude towards life and the events around him, including a murder he commits, reflects existentialist ideas within the framework of a sort of 'detective - like' exploration of his own actions and the world's reaction to them.

Sure. 'The Long Goodbye' by Raymond Chandler is a great example. The main character, Marlowe, is not just a detective but also a complex figure dealing with his own sense of self and his place in a rather unforgiving world. Also, 'American Psycho' by Bret Easton Ellis has elements of existential crime. It shows the extreme and disturbing psyche of a character who is involved in violent acts while also being a part of the consumerist society, which gives it an existential flavor.