Promised Land: The Books that Shaped America, presented by Jay Parini

[bapyou]

Very interesting talk. In his book 'Mystery Train,' the cultural critic Greil Marcus discusses the dual nature of the American character. One part of Marcus's discussion focuses on how American literature embodies and defines this duality. One side -- the picaresque, careless vagabond -- is represented by Huck Finn. The other side -- an obssessive, hell-bound trajectory towards damnation -- is represented by Moby Dick. I wonder why Mr. Parini overlooks Moby Dick in his list?