Americana

Americana is Don DeLillo’s first novel, published at age 34, and already he is focused on big themes. A successful but alienated New York TV advertising executive takes a cross-country road trip in search of a more authentic version of American culture. While the book is disjointed and overlong — and with themes that feel a bit dated today — its best moments are beautifully written and full of trademark DeLillo aphorisms (“It takes centuries to invent the primitive”).