Winesburg, Ohio (1919), a collection of interrelated short stories by Anderson, is set in a fictional Midwestern town and is considered his masterpiece.

The Triumph of the Egg (1921) is another renowned short story collection by Anderson. The title story, with a fable-like quality, is narrated by a child who openly fictionalizes his father's failures.

Written by Theodore Dreiser, An American Tragedy (1925) follows the downfall of Clyde Griffiths. The narrative serves as a harsh critique of American materialistic values.

Main Street (1920), a novel by Sinclair Lewis, tells the story of a big-city girl who marries a small-town doctor. Lewis gently mocks the provincial Minnesota setting, drawing inspiration from his own hometown.

The Nick Adams Stories (1972) are Ernest Hemingway’s well-known semi-autobiographical tales about his boyhood, primarily set in rural Michigan. These stories were influenced by Anderson, sharing autobiographical themes and straightforward language.