The Recognitions is the 1955 debut novel of US author William Gaddis. The novel was initially poorly received by critics. After Gaddis won a National Book Award in 1975 for his second novel, J R, his first work gradually received new and belated recognition as a masterpiece of American literature. In 2005, Time included The Recognitions in its list of "100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005".