A Belated Guest (from Literary Friends and Acquaintance) E-Book

William Dean Howells

• Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

In 'A Belated Guest,' included in Howells' collection 'Literary Friends and Acquaintance,' the author deftly navigates the intricate interplay between friendship and social expectation within the literary world. Through rich character development and sharp dialogue, Howells captures the essence of literary society in the late 19th century. The text reflects his realist style, characterized by keen observations and unvarnished depictions of human relationships, allowing readers to engage with the subtleties of ego, ambition, and camaraderie among an ensemble cast of writers and critics. This work not only serves as a chronicle of its time but also a poignant commentary on the fleeting nature of literary acclaim and personal connections. William Dean Howells, often referred to as the 'Dean of American Letters,' drew upon his extensive experiences in the literary milieu and social circles of his era to inform this narrative. His friendships and correspondences with eminent figures such as Mark Twain and Henry James shaped his worldview, which is evident in his nuanced portrayal of the complex dynamics within this literary gathering. Howells'Äô position as a critic and novelist endowed him with a unique perspective, allowing him to analyze his contemporaries with both admiration and skepticism. For readers captivated by the literary heritage of the 19th century, 'A Belated Guest' offers a compelling glimpse into the relational dynamics among writers at a pivotal time in American literature. Howells'Äô insightful exploration of friendship and ambition renders this work a must-read for anyone interested in the evolution of literary culture, as well as those who cherish the intricacies of human connection. Immerse yourself in Howells'Äô world, where the boundaries between personal and professional intertwine in thought-provoking ways.

Leseprobe

William Dean Howells

A Belated Guest (from Literary Friends and Acquaintance)

Published by Good Press, 2019

[email protected]

EAN 4064066173739

Table of Contents

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Table of Contents

My recollections of Bret Harte begin with the arrest, on the Atlantic shore, of that progress of his from the Pacific Slope, which, in the simple days of 1871, was like the progress of a prince, in the universal attention and interest which met and followed it. He was indeed a prince, a fairy prince in whom every lover of his novel and enchanting art felt a patriotic property, for his promise and performance in those earliest tales of 'The Luck of Roaring Camp', and 'Tennessee's Partner', and 'Maggles', and 'The Outcasts of Poker Flat', were the earnests of an American literature to come. If it is still to come, in great measure, that is not Harte's fault, for he kept on writing those stories, in one form or another, as long as he lived. He wrote them first and last in the spirit of Dickens, which no man of his time could quite help doing, but he wrote them from the life of Bret Harte, on the soil and in the air of the newest kind of new world, and their freshness took the soul of his fellow-countrymen not only with joy, but with pride such as the Europeans, who adored him much longer, could never know in him.

When the adventurous young editor who had proposed being his host for Cambridge and the Boston neighborhood, while Harte was still in San Francisco, and had not yet begun his princely progress eastward, read of the honors that attended his coming from point to point, his courage fell, as if he had perhaps, committed himself in too great an enterprise. Who was he, indeed, that he should think of making this

"Dear son of memory, great heir of fame,"