Description
Set against a vividly depicted background of fin de siecle 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."
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
About the Author
William Dean Howells (1837-1920) began writing poetry while on the staff of the Ohio State Journal. This was published in Atantic Monthly, which he later edited. He went on to write a biography of Lincoln, and established himself as a prominent literary critic and a successful novelist. Phillip Lopate holds the Adams Chair at Hofstra University, where he is Professor of English. He is the author of several essay collections and two volumes of poetry.
Reviews
"No one before Howells had thought to capture the teeming, heterogeneous, multifarious, high-tension city on a single great canvas. Against the variegated backdrop of New York City, Howells dramatizes the intellectual and spiritual conflicts of the democratic future." -Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
Book Information
ISBN 9780140439236
Author William Dean Howells
Format Paperback
Page Count 480
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 380g
Dimensions(mm) 195mm * 130mm * 26mm
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
About the Author
William Dean Howells (1837-1920) began writing poetry while on the staff of the Ohio State Journal. This was published in Atantic Monthly, which he later edited. He went on to write a biography of Lincoln, and established himself as a prominent literary critic and a successful novelist. Phillip Lopate holds the Adams Chair at Hofstra University, where he is Professor of English. He is the author of several essay collections and two volumes of poetry.
Reviews
"No one before Howells had thought to capture the teeming, heterogeneous, multifarious, high-tension city on a single great canvas. Against the variegated backdrop of New York City, Howells dramatizes the intellectual and spiritual conflicts of the democratic future." -Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
"The exactest and truest portrayal of New York and New York life ever written." -Mark Twain
"Simply prodigious."-Henry James
Book Information
ISBN 9780140439236
Author William Dean Howells
Format Paperback
Page Count 480
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 380g
Dimensions(mm) 195mm * 130mm * 26mm
