American Novels

What novel best describes America with all its good and bad traits? Is the real American a small town, a rural landscape or all of these. Is it nineteenth century, twentieth century novels. I doubt anyone would chose current novels or ones from earlier than the nineteenth century. Something like THE SCARLET LETTER really only addressed an isolated group of people to my mind. Although perhaps the fervor of the Puritans has remained or returned.

Here is a list of someone's idea of the most pertinent novels in describing the U.S. of A.

If someone from another planet, landed here, what book would you give him to best understand our nation?

Although THE GREAT GATSBY, MIDDLESEX and AMERICAN PASTORAL are contenders, I am going with MILDRED PIERCE. How about you?