Literary · Family saga
American Pastoral
A successful New Jersey businessman, once a local sports hero, sees his ordered life fall apart when his teenage daughter commits an act of political violence in the 1960s.
Facts last checked 2026-10-17
- First published
- 1997
- Pace
- Slow
- Length
- Medium
- Pages
- 434
- Format
- Book 6 of 9 in Complete Nathan Zuckerman
Read this if you like dense, ambitious American novels about family, ideals and loss.
Skip this if you want an easy, fast-moving read.
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Content warnings
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Quick answers about American Pastoral
- What is American Pastoral about?
- A successful New Jersey businessman, once a local sports hero, sees his ordered life fall apart when his teenage daughter commits an act of political violence in the 1960s.
- Who should read American Pastoral?
- Read it if you like dense, ambitious American novels about family, ideals and loss. Skip it if you want an easy, fast-moving read.
- How long and how fast is American Pastoral?
- It is a slow-paced, medium read of about 434 pages, first published in 1997.
- Does American Pastoral have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Violence, Death.
- Can I borrow American Pastoral for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends American Pastoral; the borrow button above searches it for you.
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