Although a great deal of the books you see in the bookstore are fiction, novels weren't always as prevalent as they are now. Thomas Jefferson didn't approve of novels -- especially as reading material for young ladies -- and he wasn't the only one. For a long time, virtually all novels had a moral message.
If you think the title and the cover of Hunt at the Well of Eternity hearkens back to a somewhat antiquated genre, you're right. This book is the first in a series of six, intended to bring back the pulp adventure genre.
Just like the old pulp adventure novels, the book is a fun, quick read. It has a rich hero, sexy women, car chases, and a scholarly aspect. Think James Bond meets Indiana Jones and you've about got it.
Even though it was assigned several times as optional reading in my high school, I never chose to read Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God until recently. The book has been quite controversial since its publication in 1937. Some say that Hurston’s use of dialect—the African American and Caribbean characters in the book use “dat’s” and “tuh’s” and “Ah’s”—makes it more of a way for white people to get a laugh, rather than a serious piece of literature. Whether you love or hate it, Their Eyes Were Watching God is certainly part of the African American literary canon and has influenced generations of writers.