Right before the start of the twentieth century, the Klondike Gold Rush created a mad scramble of wealth-seekers travelling to the northern reaches of Canada. Jack London spent a long time observing life in this harsh environment and the effect it had on the dogs used to pull the sleds of prospectors. In this unforgettable tale he describes the story of a dog named Buck as he’s driven to utilize his primordial instincts to survive in this competitive freezing landscape. This is a harrowing tale of survival and a return to primitivism.

This riveting story about adultery and scandal in 17th century colonial Massachusetts follows heroine Hester Prynne as she attempts to reclaim her dignity after being publicly shamed and her trials raising her daughter. It was an instant bestseller upon its initial publication in 1850 and it remains a strong reminder of the country’s Puritan roots. As a major influence on writers D.H. Lawrence, Henry James and George Eliot, this great American novel set the standard for a new kind of literary form.

Long before the 2007 financial crisis, Theodore Dreiser wrote “The Financier” about an unscrupulous businessman whose misuse of municipal bonds and debt securities is exposed after a stock market crash in 1871. The author used his keen journalistic insight and literary flair to bring ruthless Frank Cowperwood to life. As a renowned literary master of gritty realism, Dreiser chronicles how greed, dirty politics and corruption have always been a part of the American landscape with this powerful novel first published in 1912.

Although it only took Louisa May Alcott four months to write Little Women, it became an immediate best seller upon its publication in 1868 and has gone on to capture the imaginations of readers ever since. This richly engaging story of family life and girlhood follows the development of the four March sisters through their teenage years as they work to maintain their household and make the challenging transition into adulthood. The differing personalities of sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy form a mesmerising tale of friendship, romance and the difficulty of making a living during the Civil War.

Melville’s epic tale of adventure and the obsessive pursuit of an elusive white whale has been hailed for over a century as one of the great American novels. However, it’s initial reception was much more muted when it was first published in 1851 and Melville never knew what sterling success it would eventually achieve. Nevertheless, its vivid descriptions of the perils of hunting on the high seas, the quest for whale oil and its Shakespearian themes of revenge are both compelling and captivating.

This unforgettable tale of Southern boyhood has been firmly imprinted in the fabric of American culture. Tom and Huck’s stories are immortalized in paintings and multiple film adaptations. Their episodic adventures capture all the magic and mystery of young adulthood from dangerous encounters with grave robbers to hunting for buried treasure in a haunted house. Filled with humour and acute social criticism, Tom’s journeys capture something ineffable about the American spirit. Although he’d written many successful autobiographical narratives before it’s surprising to know that this was Twain’s first novel.