Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Authors, American; Authors, American/ 19th century/ Biography; Twain, Mark; Authors, American - 19th century - Biography; Biography ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

thank you...
this is a must book for anyone really interested in mark twain... thank you for publishing it...

Affectionate biography by an old friend
If you really want to know Mr. Clemens, don't stop with the modern biographies.Read this one by his long-time good friend and consultant.Howells wrote this book in 1910, the year Clemens died.It is a fond recollection of the 44 years he had known the author. Clemens was a complicated man and Howells admits that he did not always understand him.But Howells, a great writer himself, comes close to describing the multi-faceted person that Clemens was.Yes, he was Mark Twain, but that was just one part of a man who surely must be one of the most interesting Americans who ever stood in the spotlight of the world.He was a superstar before radio, TV, and movies.This is certainly not an unbiased account of his life.Howells was clearly in awe of Clemens, a man who was unlike himself in so many ways.He was fascinated by Clemens and drawn to him.How lucky we are that we have this insightful and personal biography, beautifully written by someone who obviously wanted to get it right.Howells put Clemens at the top of the list:"Emerson, Longfellow, Lowell, Holmes - I knew them all and all the rest of our sages, poets, seers, critics, humorists;they were like one another and like other literary men; but Clemens was sole, incomparable, the Lincoln of our literature."
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Customer Reviews (2)

A Singular Voice
It's hard to believe that Howells was a contemporary of Mark Twain. They seem to belong to different centuries: Twain to ours and Howells to Abraham Lincoln's. Howell's voice sounds necessarily a bit strange to a modern reader, but that strangeness gives him a special power.

He is inclined to narrate things from a distance. Even the agonies of a woman who has lost her lover in a war are told at a remove. In extreme cases, the narrator is telling the story as it was told by someone else who is relating events in the past. This style costs some immediacy, but it also keeps us from being totally distracted by personality. We don't root for these protagonists, but we listen to them.

And these are stories that are meant to get our ears. They demand our attention by their lack of polemic and the graceful nature of the narrative. Howells is a master.

Lynn Hoffman

A good book
This is a good book.Please buy it! (Christmas Every Day is good as a read-aloud for children) ... Read more

Product Description
Our foremost champion of literary realism,merges social commentary and social comedy in his examination of contrasts in New England life in the 19th century: Christian ideals and commercial success; the rituals of courtship and the realities of love; a community's democratic aspirations and its class divisions. Surprisingly modern in their psychological motivations, frequently uncertain in their actions, Howells' characters reflect their creator's sense of the complexity and vigor of what he called "poor Real Life." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great introduction to Howells
William Dean Howells is one of those writers who everyone respects and recognizes as an important figure in American literature yet very few people read. This collection offers an excellent introduction. Four of Howells's greatest works are here. "A Foregone Conclusion" and "Indian Summer" are charming romances based in Italy. With the possible exception of James, there is no other male writer from the Gilded Age who captures American women better than Howells as the female leads from both novels show. Howells also offers some interesting social commentary on both Italy and America. Howells had a political background (he wrote offical biographies of both Lincoln and R.B.Hayes) and this is reflected in both novels. Both stories could be conventional romances; but with a skillful author like Howells, these tales are lifted to excellent studies of character, place, society and his times. "A Modern Instance" and "The Rise of Silas Lapham" are much more realistic and are set in the United States. They are also darker. Howell examines the newly rich, journalism, industry and the changes in the Republic during his life. He also continues to portray excellent characters. While these four novels are only a fraction of what Howells wrote (the man wrote over 100 books, including over 35 novels), they provide an excellent starting point. These books have quick plots, lovely images, memorable characters and offer insight into the human heart and into a distant past. The Library of America can be commended for its solid job in assembling this book. Both scholars and general readers will enjoy this collection.

realistic window into another literary age
My friend Paul caught me reading this book and said "Wow, I'd have to believe that I was nearly immortal in order to read Howells." For the early 1880s, though, this is a pretty readable book. The ideas are familiar: "Money is to the fore now. It is the romance, the poetry of our age. It's the thing that chiefly strikes the imagination. The Englishmen who come here are more curious about the great new millionaires than about any one else, and they respect them more." (Rise of Silas Lapham)

My favorite section from The Rise of Silas Lapham:"This comes of the error which I have often deprecated," said the elder Corey. "In fact I am always saying that the Bostonian ought never to leave Boston. Then he knows--and then only--that there can be no standard but ours. But we are constantly going away, and coming back with our convictions shaken to their foundations. One man goes to England, and returns with the conception of a grander social life; another comes home from Germany with the ntion of a more searching intellectual activity; a fellow just back from Paris has the absurdest ideas of art and literature; and you revert to us from the cowboys of Texas, and tell us to our faces that we ought to try Papa Lapham by a jury of his peers. It ought to be stopped--it ought, really. The Bostonian who leaves Boston ought to be condemned to perpetual exile."

If these novels lack the genius of Edith Wharton or Henry James they provide a much more realistic view of American life circa 1880.You might not learn as much about the interior of the human heart but you'll learn something about how people got from place to place, furnished their houses, and managed businesses.

The Minister's Charge
The Minister's Charge cannot be rated, in my estimation, as one of Howells better works.Although the relationship between the minister and his charge is intriging, the superferlous details of the young characterssocial life drags on and on in its useless verbosity.I enjoy Howells, andappreciate most of his works, but I labored through this book butultimately had to leave the last 30 pages unread. ... Read more

Product Description
This title has fewer than 24 printed text pages.

Henry James, Jr. is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by William Dean Howells is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of William Dean Howells then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the text that can both be accessed online and used to create new print copies. This book and thousands of others can be found in the digital collections of the University of Michigan Library. The University Library also understands and values the utility of print, and makes reprints available through its Scholarly Publishing Office. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Masterpiece of realism. One of the most important works of American Literature.
This is a duplicate review of mine that was posted on an out of print copy of this book. I wanted to copy/paste it on here, as it is the only version of this book on amazon that is in stock.

I was introduced to this impressive novel by someone who has a taste for great authors, regardless if they are well known or not. William Dean Howells is not well known. He can be said to be the father of realism in the American literary uprising in the late 19th century, having influenced and discovered such American greats as Henry James and Mark Twain. He can be said to be their father, in a comical sort of way. From where I stand, among all Howell's books, A Modern Instance is his masterpiece.

This book is the very archetype of a realism novel that amasses tragedy, jealously, (of course love) and death. It can be a hard read towards the end for it is exceptional in its descriptions: of settings and characters so much so that you will live vicariously through ever character in this novel. If I am to be let free in this review, it could easily stretch to 2,000 words for there is much to say about so many nuances but I will save you the time.

A brief summary is that it follows a very young couple whom get married without the consent from the wife's parents, starting on a destructive path from the beginning. She is overzealous and fictionalized in her love for Bartley (the husband), that, for Bartley, anything he could share or feel emotionally would sorely be too little. As they go further and further into their marriage, which doesn't span but a couple years, Bartley destructs and withers, while Marcia (the wife) does the same.

This book is overflowing with irony, and the characters will leave you analyzing them for months after putting the novel down. This indeed ranks as one of the top, if not THE top, great realism novels coming out of American literature.

Now, if you have not heard of the book, or the author, stop whatever you are doing and search out the book. If not, you will be missing out on the likes of one of the most powerful authors to come out of the 19th century.

Add William Dean Howells to the list of great realism authors.
I was introduced to this impressive novel by someone who has a taste for great authors, regardless if they are well known or not. William Dean Howells is not well known. He can be said to be the father of realism in the American literary uprising in the late 19th century, having influenced and discovered such American greats as Henry James and Mark Twain. He can be said to be their father, in a comical sort of way. From where I stand, among all Howell's books, A Modern Instance is his masterpiece.

This book is the very archetype of a realism novel that amasses tragedy, jealously, (of course love) and death. It can be a hard read towards the end for it is exceptional in its descriptions: of settings and characters so much so that you will live vicariously through ever character in this novel. If I am to be let free in this review, it could easily stretch to 2,000 words for there is much to say about so many nuances but I will save you the time.

A brief summary is that it follows a very young couple whom get married without the consent from the wife's parents, starting on a destructive path from the beginning. She is overzealous and fictionalized in her love for Bartley (the husband), that, for Bartley, anything he could share or feel emotionally would sorely be too little.As they go further and further into their marriage, which doesn't span but a couple years, Bartley destructs and withers, while Marcia (the wife) does the same.

This book is overflowing with irony, and the characters will leave you analyzing them for months after putting the novel down. This indeed ranks as one of the top, if not THE top, great realism novels coming out of American literature.

Now, if you have not heard of the book, or the author, stop whatever you are doing and search out the book. If not, you will be missing out on the likes of one of the most powerful authors to come out of the 19th century.

Howells examines divorce, 19th century style
William Dean Howells (1837-1920) ranks as one of America's most important authors. Ever heard of him? I hadn't either until I stumbled over his name several years ago, back when I was reading Frank Norris and Theodore Dreiser. Howells was a proponent and practitioner of realism in literature, a concept that meshed pretty well with novels written by Norris and Dreiser. Since I enjoyed "The Octopus," "McTeague," "Sister Carrie," and "An American Tragedy" so much, I just knew I needed to visit a few of Howells's novels at some point. That time is now. I read two of them, this one and "A Foregone Conclusion". I'm not overly impressed with either one of them. I know, I know...I probably need to read "The Rise of Silas Lapham" to get the full William Dean Howells effect. I just don't want to right now. I can say, after reading these two books, that I understand why Howells is such an obscure figure in American literature. He might practice the sort of realism that fueled many of the novels from Norris and Dreiser, but his failure to focus on the truly sordid details of American life cost him a lasting reputation with a popular audience.

"A Modern Instance," written in 1882, studies in minute detail the relationship between Bartley Hubbard and Marcia Gaylord. The story kicks off in Equity, Maine when Hubbard sweeps into town to run the local newspaper. He's quite the dandy, college educated and sharp as a tack, but he lacks morals. Marcia Gaylord is the daughter of the town lawyer, a very beautiful girl who could probably marry anyone she wanted. Of course, she picks the dashing Bartley. The two hit if off well, and Marcia's father likes the young man enough to help him pursue a legal career. Then tragedy strikes in the form of an incident involving Bartley, a young woman, and a young man who works at the newspaper. No one dies, fortunately, but the event sours Hubbard's reputation with Marcia's father. Bartley soon heads for Boston in search of a new start, and Marcia leaves her family to follow him. The two marry, rent a place in Beantown, and Bartley takes a "temporary" position as a big city journalist until he can get his law career on track. It soon becomes clear that Bartley Hubbard will most likely never advance beyond a career in journalism. Nor will his morals improve.

As for Marcia, her devotion to Bartley blinds her to the man's flaws. Even an incident involving Hubbard, alcohol, and the police fail to dislodge her loyalty to her man. His failure to practice law causes tempers to flare, but these emotions soon fade away into semi-blissful domesticity. Anytime Marcia gets angry with her husband, she quickly caves in and lets Bartley do what he wants. This behavior infuriates Ben Halleck, a morose, wealthy young man who went to college with Bartley. He knows his old friend's failings, knows he will never change, but he soon discovers that he loves Marcia. It is this love, and the guilt he has for loving another man's wife, that continually torments his soul. When Bartley shows up on his doorstep asking for a sizable loan, Halleck gives him the money with the knowledge that Hubbard will likely never repay him. Sure enough, Bartley bails on his wife, his kid, and his debts and heads to points west. The resulting furor arising from such an immoral action finds Marcia, her crusty old father, and several members of the Halleck family heading out to Indiana in order to confront the scoundrel in divorce court and put the whole affair in order.

I liked "A Modern Instance" when compared to "A Foregone Conclusion". The story flows better, for one thing, and a few of the characters arouse more interesting. Especially Bartley Hubbard. I hated the guy and his malicious activities, but he carries himself with such aplomb that you can't help but admire his style. I had a tough time liking Marcia. She's whiny, full of self-pity, and a dunderhead of the first order. In addition to Bartley Hubbard, I also enjoyed the subject matter, i.e. divorce and its repercussions in the late 19th century. Howells paints the whole affair as if it's the worst thing that could happen to a person, and that's probably true in America circa 1882. Especially with a young kid in the mix. I'm sure his audience for this book reacted in a highly emotional way after reading the story. Today...eh, not such a big deal. It happens all the time. The story might have induced apoplexy in the audience had Howells made Marcia's actions the main motivation for divorce proceedings. THAT would have really shocked the readers. I don't think Howells was prepared to go that far.

I didn't like a few things about the story. Since a few of the characters aren't interesting personalities (Marcia and Ben Halleck, mainly), it's hard to care about what happens to them. I also didn't enjoy the long, discursive segments of the story in which Howells waxes philosophic about marriage and morals in the context of civilization, among other things. He's right about marriage, of course, as anyone who looks around at the mess we live in today can clearly see, but these digressions hamper the narrative flow in places. Still, "A Modern Instance" contains more good than bad. Howells possesses a vivid writing style that brings the 19th century environment to life, he has a firm grasp on human psychology, and Bartley Hubbard is a fun fellow to read about. I'm having a tough time deciding on how many stars to give "A Modern Instance". I want to label it with three, but I think I'll go with four since I liked the story better than "A Foregone Conclusion". I'm still not overly impressed with William Dean Howells. Read Frank Norris and Theodore Dreiser instead.

Eminently readable
One can tell this is a book first published in 1882, but nevertheless I found it totally readable, and was quite caught up in the story.If you have to like the characters in a novel, then this book might not be for you.I usually prefer to have some admirable characters in a book, but neither the heroine nor the male lead character will excite your admiration.Laid in Equity, a fictional town in Maine, and in Boston in the 1870s, the account of how Marcia Gaylord throws herself at the deficient Bartley Hubbard and they enter into a marriage one suspects will not work, the account is of abiding interest, with many aspects which if viewed from the standpoint of the novel's date of composition are fraught with importance and even today provoke thoughtful consideration.I personally enjoyed this book more than The Rise of Silas Lapham, and you might too.

Hick Duo Go Splitsville in Beantown
Since reading this novel first some six years ago, I�ve always felt that it has one of the most unattractive titles of any book I know.On re-reading it, I still think so. This should not put readers off, however, because behind that bland, unimaginative moniker, which reflected some long-since faded thoughts by the author, you will find a fascinating study of divorce in the 19th century, in a society that condemned it.Fifty years ago I can remember my own mother whispering the word �divorced� when speaking about a couple no longer together�it was too shameful to say out loud.Yeah, well, times have changed.But what about the mid-1870s ?Howells carefully draws the picture in his usual, nuanced style.

A handsome, but shallow youth, Bartley Hubbard, flirts with Marcia Gaylord in a small Maine town.We can see their union is ill-fated right from the start, her family opposes it (he seems to have no relatives), but Marcia burns for Bartley.They marry surreptitiously and head for Boston where Bartley gets a foothold in the newspaper world.He mouths idealistic pap like �I hope I shall never do anything unworthy of your idea.� but basically he has no moral framework in his character; he�s selfish, facile, opportunistic, and self-indulgent.Marcia, though beautiful, is ignorant, self-centered, and very jealous.Howells emphasizes their lack of religion as a key to their deficiencies.As the marriage falls apart, we turn more and more to other characters, all in the higher levels of Boston society, who have the moral fiber that the Hubbards do not.Ben Halleck, Bartley's ex-friend, wrestles with his conscience over his secret love for Marcia as he sees her suffer over Bartley�s abandonment of her.In very 19th century style, he worships her "as a woman whose constancy to her mistake" makes her sacred.He suppresses all his desires, even disappearing to Uruguay for two years, but merely thinking of another man�s wife, albeit a desperately unhappy one, is utterly beyond the pale.He castigates himself unmercifully and winds up a penitent minister.But A MODERN INSTANCE is not a simple melodrama---it is a complex mix of personalities.There are no simple answers---isn�t it easy to be upright when you are financially secure ?---and the end is indefinite.Though Hubbard is used as an example of moral decay, a man without firm principles and moral rectitude, he is still the most vivid, most realistic character.He is a likeable scamp, no matter how he is villified by the Boston society people.

The values that people live by in Boston circa 1875 are far from those we know today.They agonize about things that would not give us much pause.They emote on �civilization� because they, like Howells, could not imagine the horrors of the 20th century.Thus, in a sense, Howells� novel is passé.Yet, his conversations, his picture of relationships, his description of the times, and even of nature are excellent.For example the vivid logging camp scenes (pp.79-97)are pure genius.You feel that you know that time and place by the end.Even if there are certain melodramatic twists and turns in the novel, and even if the last 90 pages drag a little, I would certainly recommend that you read A MODERN INSTANCE if you have any interest at all in American literature.It is a startlingly powerful book whose characters will stay with you. ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Indian Summer
I've only begun reading this book.My main comment is that I ordered the book from another vendor on the Amazon website and was sent 2 copies, one from Amazon and one from the other vendor, both of which I reluctantly paid for because I didn't want to go through the hassle of returning a copy.Rather than a leather bound copy, which I ordered, I received 2 paperback copies.I don't know why I received 2 copies but I recommend that customers be very careful when ordering to make sure you're not getting double billed.

The finest work of art ever created about mid-life crisis
Howells' Indian Summer is probably the finest work of art ever created about a man's mid-life crisis (right up there with Visconti's film 'The Leopard'), and Howells' book is all the more charming and admirable for approaching its subject with lightness and humour. Theodore Colville, 41 and still unmarried, sells his newspaper business and heads on a whim to Florence, scene of a youthful heartbreak some 17 years earlier. As all men of his age, he finds himself both more relaxed and amusing around women than he was when he was in his 20s, as well as far less interested overall in the entire process of romantic love than he was back then. A funnier, and more reluctant, romantic leading man is therefore not to be found in all of literature. Despite its seemingly simple structure (the classic romantic triangle), Indian Summer is never predictable, and I would even suggest that there's a fourth corner to this triangle in the character of the child Effie, whose unconditional affection for Colville may ultimately be a bigger influence on Colville's middle-aged, comfort-seeking heart than landing a beautiful young bride. Howell's novel is as focused on the finer details of human motivation as the best of Trollope or James, but moves with an unrivalled lightness of touch to a surprisingly surprising conclusion. And the dialogue of Howells rivals that of the finest dramatists. I can't think of any writer of fiction whose characters converse more naturally, with all the branching flows and misfiring jokes of common speech. Indian Summer, as a comic novel, will never quite be recognised, alas, as what it is: one of the handful of great masterpieces of American literature.

A pleasant holiday in Italy, but short on action
Theodore Colville, a 40-year-old retired newspaperman from Des Vaches, Indiana, disenchanted with American politics, has returned to Florence, the scene of a failed youthful romance.Here he re-encounters Mrs. Lina Bowen, an enchanting American hostess and her beautiful young protégé Miss Imogene Graham.Miss Graham is 20 years old, beautiful, fascinated by literature and the arts, and considered a bit of an intellectual by the mindless young men who pursue her.Colville finds her utterly charming but extremely naïve, and not nearly as bright as she imagines herself to be.For her part, she is fascinated by the older man's knowledge and experience, and is greatly moved by his romantic history.Colville's behavior is scrupulously correct, even refined, but Imogene's fondness for him breaks through his reserve and they reach an understanding, after which things begin to unravel.Having had his heart broken in Italy decades earlier, will Colville allow history to repeat itself?

Howells is very fine writer, perhaps admired more than he is actually appreciated.He has Henry James' knack for intimate character study, without the run-on interior monologues that frustrate some of James' readers.Howells himself even makes the comparison, and wittily points out through one of his characters that if this were a Howells novel, "nothing would have happened".Certainly little enough actually happens considering just how long this novel is, and the dearth of action will not set well with many.Further, any book of the 19th century has an other-worldly quality to it that makes it challenging to relate to on a personal level.Still, Howells' characters are pleasant and engaging people to spend some time with, and the exquisite descriptions of Italy are an added bonus. But if you don't feel you can identify with the plight of a middle-aged man entranced by a much younger woman, this book probably isn't for you.

Summertime in Florence
When you think of chroniclers of love, life and American society during the Gilded Age, you automatically think of Henry James and Edith Wharton.

But while W.D. Howells never quite reached their levels of prominence, his similar works are full of quiet introspection and evocative, vivid prose reminiscent of Wharton at her best. And "Indian Summer" is one of his better works -- a lush, colorful exploration of 19th-century Florence, and a love triangle of Americans who are taking a prolonged vacation there.

After a disastrous career loss, Theodore Colville is vacationing in Florence, and promptly begins a massive midlife crisis. But he perks up after encountering Lina Bowen, a widowed ex-flame of his who is also staying in Florence with her young daughter Effie. And at a party that evening, Lina introduces him to the young, vivacious Imogene Graham.

Soon Colville is squiring Effie and Imogene around Florence, and even taking all three women out to the carnival. Naturally, Imogene develops a crush on the kind, cynical Colville -- but her innocent liking alarms Lina, who still is carrying a flame for him, and Imogene's well-intentioned errors tie her in society's web. Noow Colville must decide what he wants most, and which woman truly loves him.

At heart, "Indian Summer" is basically an exploration of a love triangle between an older man, a slightly younger woman, and a girl young enough to be his daughter. That's a delicate situation at the best of times, but this was also the Gilded Age -- codes of conduct were strict, and feelings were expressed in a dance of words and gestures rather than outward displays.

But to frame the story, Howells creates an elaborate portrait of how wealthy Americans lived and saw Europe. In between parties and meditative conversations, there are vivid looks at the Florence of the time -- he fills it with dusty chapels, quiet hostels, walks in the rain, meditations in cafes, gorgeous old buildings and a wildly indulgent carnival full of masked flirtations.

And all this is painted with a lush, detailed style that walks the fine line between sensuality and propriety. Like Imogene, it's full of passion and beauty, but not enough to get swept away. But also through the book is a sense of autumnal regret about youth's passage and the question of what happens after that.

Most of that midlife crisis angst comes from Colville, who has just suffered a public humiliation and had to sell the paper he once ran. So unsurprisingly he's a bit depressed, and ends up being inadvertently torn between the affections of two women -- one is his equal in every way, and the other makes him feel old, yet he likes her youthful vibrancy. Lina is a fairly solid character, but Imogene's naive delight in Florence and in an older man's friendship is excellent.

"Indian Summer" in Florence is apparently a pretty nice time to be there, unless you are locked in a love triangle of manners and hidden feelings. A lushly-written look back to a much more complicated time.

It's never too late for love
An American middle-aged man returns to Florence, Italy - the scene of a heartbreaking romance twenty years earlier. There he meets an old friend from those days, her daughter, and her twenty year old female protege. Slowly a surprising romantic relationship develops; but is it really what both people want? Great dialogue, wonderful character development, and a happy ending. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice
This is a travelog by an American writer about his visit to England. It's interesting and also entertaining as he describes the people and things he sees. He tends to write about people in groups, for example telling how the residents of a city act, and rarely mentions any individuals he meets. He mentions frequently that England is overrun by American tourists who are always demanding and in a hurry to see everything. He obviously knows a lot about history and literature. He can be wonderfully cynical about the way people treat each other. The last quarter of the book is an essay comparing the English people with Americans- differences in speech, habits, society, etc. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Classics; Fiction / Family Life; ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Harper & Brothers in 1908 in 356 pages; Subjects: Fiction / Classics; Fiction / Literary; Fiction / Family Life; Literary Criticism / American / General; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fascinating Book
I am very happy to see this book available on the Kindle and to see that people are reading it!When I read it some years ago, I found it so fascinating that I did a lot of research on it, and ended up writing an entire book of cultural history.There's a whole tradition of novels written in this way, each author writing one chapter.Readers of the Kindle edition might want to know that the paper reprint also includes supporting materials that tell you a lot about the authors and about the process by which this quirky book was produced--it was originally serialized in Harper's Bazar (as the name was spelled then--same magazine though).And the contributors had a lot of disputes; the correspondence is quite funny.(Warning: self-promotion follows) Duke University Press has published both the novel (ed. Alfred Bendixen, with a short foreword by me) and my book, which is titled Publishing the Family--of course there's a short description on Amazon--pretty specialized, but I try to make it interesting!My sister advises that any readers who are not professional scholars should skip the introduction. :)

An enjoyable experiment in writing
This novel was enjoyable to read. Each of the twelve writers takes a family member and tells the story of a daughter's engagement through through their eyes. The story flows together pretty well, except for the piece written by Henry James. I thought it bogged down there, and the tone was much too somber compared with the rest of the book. However, you can easily skim over that chapter and still understand the plot. I'm glad I read this book. ... Read more

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Boy Life - Stories and Readings Selected From The Works of William Dean Howells is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by William Dean Howells is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of William Dean Howells then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book
This is an excellent description of Venice by an Englishman who visited it, most likely in the early 1860s. It's the second edition, dated 1867, though I couldn't find what year it was written or what year he visited. The first chapter is the most difficult and least enjoyable to read- it tells how Venice has been ruled by Austria for years, and the Venetians aren't happy about it, so the city has lost all of the gaiety for which it is famous. The rest of the book is descriptions of the city and its buildings, the people, the economy, the canals, traditions, etc. He rarely mentions any people he meets, so it's rather impersonal. ... Read more

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The haggard mountain ranges were of stone that seemed blanched with geologic superannuation, and at one place we ran by a wall of hoary rock that drew its line a mile long against the sky, and then broke and fell, and then staggered up again in a succession of titanic bulks. But stupendous as these mountain masses were, they were not so wonderful as those wheat-lands which in harvest-time must wash their shores like a sea of gold. Where these now rose and sank with the long ground-swell of the plains in our own West, a thin gray stubble covered them from the feeble culture which leaves Spain, for all their extent in both the Castiles, in Estremadura, in Andalusia, still without bread enough to feed herself, and obliges her to import alien wheat. ... Read more

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Set against a vividly depicted background of fin de siécle New York, this novel centers on the conflict between a self-made millionaire and a fervent social revolutionary-a conflict in which a man of goodwill futilely attempts to act as a mediator, only to be forced himself into a crisis of conscience. Here we see William Dean Howells's grasp of the realities of the American experience in an age of emerging social struggle. His absolute determination to fairly represent every point of view is evident throughout this multifaceted work. Both a memorable portrait of an era and a profoundly moving study of human relationships, A Hazard of New Fortunes fully justifies Alfred Kazin's ranking of Howells as "the first great domestic novelist of American life." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

DO NOT BUY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCEES
This edition of this novel is gibberish.It starts in the middle of the book, and is unreadable.Maybe this novel has long been out of conventional publishing, as this is an incompetent job of computer-generated scanning.Not a single page is readable--random words are inserted into sentences, which may or may not start at the beginning.This is a disaster.

A tough read, but worth it.
I am really interested in this time period of American history, because I see many similarities between it and today. Today has its Robber Barons (banks, insurance companies, big pharma), just as the 1880s and 1890s had its tycoons in railroads, banks, etc. The stark contrast between the elite and the teeming masses is evident in Howells' descriptions of 5th Ave and the Lower East Side tenement houses. I thought this book was a tough read, but it gave me some interesting insights surprisingly applicable to today's political and economic debates. I also enjoyed Howells' descriptions of life in NYC, especially the elevated rail that ran through NYC (news to me), and the mention of the Statue of Liberty.

Being Brilliant can Be Hazardous to Your Health!
William Dean Howells is best known as one of America's first man of letters regarding his contributions to literature in America. He writes a story about the March family who leave their beloved Boston to New York City. Mrs. March was hesitant and apprehensive about such a move. She hates New York City. Over the time, her husband has a tremendous business opportunity in creating a magazine entitled Every Other Week. Howells does an excellent job in description of life in that era. He also brings in characters like Alma Leighton, Dryfoos, and Fulkerson who owns the magazine. With the money, the March make the enormous move to another strange city. There Mrs. March learns to adapt and enjoy her life as New Yorker, their son and daughter also learn to enjoy life in the big apple. Unfortunately, the father, Mr. March has to deal with a difficult employer and a group of employees with a lot more character that we soon realize as the book gets into it. The book is an American masterpiece and I am happy to be re-reading it for pleasure rather than for a college class entitled American Novel but it should have been retitled American Masterpieces. This book is an American Masterpiece and William Dean Howells should be much more well-known to audiences.

BookReview
Unless you took a good American Literature survey course, you probably never heard of or remember the author, William Dean Howles.After reading A Hazard of New Fortunes, you will both remember him and recommend the book and may want to read his other work.

My Review of "A Hazard of New Fortunes"
A Hazard of New Fortunes
In the book, A Hazard of New Fortunes, written by William Dean Howells, you can see that he was aiming to reach realism. You will not find any ghosts, talking animals, or magical things anywhere in this story, but you will find everyday things like house hunting, marital spats and business. I think this book had both good and bad qualities to it. I did enjoy the book, however, in my opinion, there were many parts that could be left out without taking away from the general theme. The book is set, first in Boston, but the majority takes place in New York.
We are first introduced to the main characters, Mr. and Mrs. March, and then to Fulkerson. Fulkerson is a very ambitious character who is trying to start a bi-weekly magazine and wants his good friend Basil March to move to New York and become his editor. Fulkerson said the magazine had to be made in New York because, ?There?s only one city that belongs to the whole country, and that?s New York.? He wants his magazine to be unlike any other, one that would offer great literature with short stories, articles with the ?must haves? of society along with work from fresh new artists. March is interested, but does not want to move his whole life and family. As it turns out hehas no other choice when he is let go from his present job, so they all set off for New York.
Thisis where the story really starts to develop . Howells now introduces the readers to the rest of the characters in a way that I think is very smart. He introduces them all separately and then throughout the story he intertwines all the main characters lives to one another. For example we are told about the character Beaton as he is being talked about by ?the widow? and Alma.Then we come to find out Beaton is the new art editor for Fulkerson?s magazine ?Every Other Week.?I think that character development is one of Howells strong points. The way he describes all of the people in this book really gives the reader an idea of what they are like, so much so that we can picture them in our minds.
This novel is very realistic and it deals with many important ideas, not only for it?s time, but some that are still important today. It deals with death, grief, marriages, money, greed, social class and social acceptance. Many times throughout this book, the characters express how much they just want to fit in. One of the most obvious parts to see this is through the March?s. When they are talking to one another about moving the things she says really shows how much she cares how she is viewed in society. She says one reason she does not want to move is because she will not know where to shop at. This is really important because it really helps to show the need of acceptance in a specific class.When looking for a house or flat to live in New York she comes up with guidelines and even boundaries of where they can stay to make sure they were with others of their class. The narrator writes, ?She found that there was an east and west line beyond which they could not go if they wished to keep their self respect.? When talking to her husband about the requirements for their new flat, Mrs. March says, ?It must not be higher than the third floor; it must have an elevator, steam heat, hall boy and a pleasant janitor.?
The Dryfoos?s are another example of the struggle to be accepted. They are the ?new money? in the book, and Mr. Dryfoos is the financial backer for the magazine. He comes to New York with his wife, two daughters and his son to try and invest and add to his growing fortunes. The daughters, Christine and Mela, feel that because their father is so rich, that they are at the top of the social class. When really they are looked down upon by the rest of the society because in the upper class, the people are smart, well rounded and know how to present themselves accordingly. So the girls do not make many friends. Conrad Dryfoos is the son, and also publisher of the magazine. His character goes through a different kind of struggle, because he does not care about being rich or popular, he wanted to become a priest and dedicate his life to helping the poor. So he has to continually defend his beliefs and try to make his father happy by staying in the business.
Another important issue in this book is the ?role of the woman.? At the time, women were still viewed as second best to the males. They were still supposed to be married off, cook, clean, have children and take care of the family. Because of this, they were viewed as not having much power; however this is very wrong. Women might not have been very active in the stock market or other businesses yet, but their influence was felt everywhere. They influenced what was read, purchased and what was popular.Fulkerson is very aware of this and says, ?We want to make a magazine that will go for the women?s fancy every time. We?ve got to recognize that women form three fourths of the reading public in this country.? And by having the art and literature donations being anonymous in his magazine, it helped to get women some money and recognition for their work. Everyone in the society who knows Alma knows she is talented, but many feel that because she is a women, and will never get recognized for it, then she should just give it up. Her art teacher says, ?The girl has some notion of it, there?s no doubt about that. But-she?s a woman.? But with this magazine, she gets the opportunity for thousands to see her work.Mrs. March is another example of the power. She may not be the breadwinner of the family, but she is still very smart, and knows what to say and do to influence her husband. She tells him what she likes and dislikes, and helps him by providing support and confidence in his choices. The final decision to move was made by her, and a few other important decisions were also suggested by Mrs. March.
I think this is a good book, one with great character developments and details, and important issues such as greed, money and social status. Though it is in the realism genre, there are many things left out, such as the working and lower class people as well as diversity in the characters race or religion. But even with the things left out,it is still a well written book. ... Read more

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The first tenderness of spring was in the air though down in that calle there was yet enough of the wintry rawness to chill the tip of Don Ippolito¿s sensitive nosewhich he rubbed for comfort with a handkerchief of dark blue calicoand polished for ornament with a handkerchief of white linen. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An early novel from Howells
William Dean Howells (1837-1920) ranks as one of America's most important authors. Ever heard of him? I hadn't either until I stumbled over his name several years ago, back when I was reading Frank Norris and Theodore Dreiser. Howells was a proponent and practitioner of realism in literature, a concept that meshed pretty well with novels written by Norris and Dreiser. Since I enjoyed "The Octopus," "McTeague," "Sister Carrie," and "An American Tragedy" so much, I just knew I needed to visit a few of Howells's novels at some point. That time is now. I read two of them, this one and "A Modern Instance". I'm not overly impressed with them. I know, I know...I probably need to read "The Rise of Silas Lapham" to get the full William Dean Howells effect. I just don't want to right now. I can say, after reading these two books, that I understand why Howells is such an obscure figure in American literature. He might practice the sort of realism that fueled many of the novels from Norris and Dreiser, but his failure to focus on the sordid details of American life cost him a lasting reputation with a popular audience.

"A Foregone Conclusion" takes place in Italy during the 1860s. While the Civil War rages away across the pond, American consul Henry Ferris spends his days painting pictures and enjoying the quaint Italian atmosphere. One day he receives a visit from Don Ippolito, a Catholic priest with a flair for inventing devices that don't work. He tries to sell Ferris an idea about a new cannon that will revolutionize warfare, but leaves dejected when the consul points out a glaring design flaw. The visit has a larger significance, however, when Mrs. Vervain and her daughter Florida arrive on the scene. Two Americans taking a leisurely jaunt through Europe, the Vervains strike up an initially one-sided friendship with Henry Ferris. When Mrs. Vervain expresses the desire that her daughter should learn Italian, Ferris remembers Ippolito and recommends him to the two women. And the promise of a job comes just in the nick of time, too, as the good Don is nearly broke and desperately needs funds to retain his residence. He agrees to accept the task, and in no time at all the Vervains, Don Ippolito, and Henry Ferris embark on several lengthy tours of the beautiful Italian landscape.

Problems soon emerge that threaten the group's tranquility. Florida, a proud but beautiful young woman, soon draws the attentions of both Don Ippolito and Henry Ferris. Should be a no brainer, right? How can a Catholic priest act on feelings he has for a woman? The whole celibacy vow should kill off any ideas about romance in a hurry. Not so fast. As the story gradually reveals, Ippolito never really wanted to become a priest in the first place. He is currently undergoing a crisis of faith that makes him want to leave the priesthood in order to become an inventor. Ferris assumes this revelation means Ippolito will run off with Florida, so he leaves Italy in a huff to do his own thing in the United States, always plagued by the memory of Florida Vervain and what might have been had the two married. I won't spoil the conclusion of the story for all two of the people who might read this book in the next couple of decades except to say that a marriage does eventually take place, as do several deaths, and the surviving characters often reflect on lessons learned during those troubled yet halcyon days in Italy.

I'm being a bit harsh on "A Foregone Conclusion". I did enjoy several elements of the novel, primarily the fascinating and minute detail Howells uses to describe the Italian countryside. He spent some time in Venice as consul during the Civil War (write what you know, I guess), so he is familiar with the sights and sounds of the region. He's a good writer too, good enough to bring the places the characters visit to life. Dialogue isn't a problem for Howells either, but prepare yourself for reading a novel clogged with constant talking and chitchatting. These people spit out more words than a livestock auctioneer on uppers. It's a good thing Howells occasionally alleviates things somewhat through the humorous antics of Mrs. Vervain. Without that, I am not sure I would have made it through the novel. Anyway, there are good things to say about "A Foregone Conclusion," and they offset occasionally the plodding pace and an ending that seemed rushed. Speaking of problems with the novel, did anyone else notice how certain parts of the story seemed like they were stuck together without any attempt to make them flow? I did. It's the mark of a writer still feeling his way through a first or second novel.

I came into "A Foregone Conclusion" with the comparison between Howells, Norris, and Dreiser on my mind, so I noticed right away the lavish attention spent on creating detailed atmosphere (a hallmark of realism and central to stories by Norris and Dreiser) as well as the controversial idea of placing a priest with a crisis of faith front and center in the story. The idea of a man of the cloth doubting the existence of God must have shocked readers of the story back in the 1870s, but it's less sordid of a concept today. Another reviewer noticed how Howells used Ippolito and Ferris as representatives of the divide between America and Europe in the late 19th century. Good catch! I never saw that while I read the book, but the theory fits in well with Howells perceptions about the differences between the two geographical regions. So there you go. "A Foregone Conclusion" does offer up plenty of meat to the lover of classic literature. You just need to get past the problems I noted above to get there. Good luck.

Uneasy friendship between 2 men of the 19th Century
American artist-turned-consul Henry Ferris befriends Don Ippolito, a Venitian priest, in this short novel by William Dean Howells.One summer in Venice during the Civil War period two American tourists - a Mrs. Vervain and her beautiful daughter Florida - turn to these two men for help and change their lives forever.Don Ippolito, despite his vow of celibacy, believes he is falling in love with Florida, while Ferris, all diplomacy and artistic sensibilities, finds her haughty and ill-mannered.But more than the love story, Howells seems interested in exploring the uneasy relationship between these two very different men.And the way things end up, is of course, a foregone conclusion.

Howells, one of the primary proponents of American Realism, presents us with a story that can nevertheless be viewed on many levels: as psychology, as religion, as art - the book hints at the whole world of human feeling.So why does Howells choose to tell this story of a Venetian priest who tinkers with mechanical gadgets, and an American consul who fancies himself a painter?A geo-political reading would suggest that the competition for the beautiful Florida symbolizes the struggle between the old and the new - certainly a relevant issue for post-Civil War Americans.Perhaps even more to the point, Howells may be using these characters to represent contrasting literary styles, where the priest is the dreamy romantic and the artist is the practical realist.However one chooses to interpret it, this is an entrancing story about two men at the crossroads of their lives, with exquisite prose, and some subtle moral lessons that make it well worth reading.

Of course there are some of the problems common with 19th Century fiction: the point of view makes it difficult to see the women as more than caricatures, there's absolutely no humor, and virtually no action.So if reading about the feelings and conversations of a man from a bygone era doesn't interest you, you might want to look elsewhere. ... Read more

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Quotes and Images From The Works of William Dean Howells is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by William Dean Howells is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of William Dean Howells then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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Publisher: Harper and BrothersPublication date: 1892Subjects: Fiction History and criticismCriticismFictionLiterary Collections / American / GeneralLiterary Criticism / GeneralLiterary Criticism / American / GeneralLiterary Criticism / Semiotics ... Read more