Winesburg, Ohio

Winesburg, Ohio is structured around the life of protagonist George Willard, from the time he was a child to his growing independence and ultimate abandonment of Winesburg as a young man. The book was well-received by critics despite some reservations about its moral tone and unconventional storytelling. Though its reputation waned, it has since rebounded and is now considered one of the most influential portraits of pre-industrial small-town life in the United States. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Winesburg, Ohio 24th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.