Impressions and experiences - Exploring Realism and Literary Criticism in 19th-Century American Literature

William Dean Howells

Summary

In "Impressions and Experiences," William Dean Howells presents a compelling collection of essays that reflect his nuanced observations of American society during the Gilded Age. Written in a naturalistic prose style, the book combines a rich tapestry of personal anecdotes, philosophical musings, and socio-political commentary that captures the complexities of modern life. Howells deftly navigates themes of morality, culture, and the rapidly changing landscape of American life, sharing his impressions of everything from literature to everyday experiences, establishing a dialogue with the reader that is both intimate and expansive. William Dean Howells, a pivotal figure in American literary realism, was deeply influenced by his experiences as a novelist, editor, and critic. His tenure as the Chief Reviewer for the Atlantic Monthly and his sociopolitical engagement undoubtedly informed his writing, as he strived to represent the evolving American identity and grappled with the aesthetic shifts of his era. Howells' commitment to realism and social critique reflects his belief in the importance of literature as a mirror to society. For readers interested in understanding the cultural milieu of late 19th-century America, "Impressions and Experiences" is an indispensable read. Howells'Äô insightful reflections offer a profound lens through which to examine societal transformations, making the text not only relevant to literary scholars but also accessible to anyone curious about the human condition in a rapidly modernizing world.

Available since: 01/17/2022.

Print length: 152 pages.

Other books that might interest you

Unbreakable Courage - Strong...

Max Lucado

Does a day without difficult news seem out of reach? Does this world seem topsy-turvy at best, toxic at worst? Max Lucado’s sound biblical insights and signature storytelling provide strength and encouragement amid the current chaos and exhaustion.
In Unbreakable Courage, today's headlines and the truth of Scripture intersect in compelling fashion. Max offers a fresh look at the story of Elijah the prophet, showing readers how they can stand strong day by day in the face of turbulent times, regardless of the challenging circumstances they may face.
In today’s world, we see echoes of those unsettled, contentious times Elijah endured. Radical departures from long-held truths are taking center stage. Change is evident everywhere we look—in homes, churches, schools, government, and the workplace. We often feel as if we’re swimming upstream in a downstream world. Yet the story of Elijah urges us to have hope in the one true living God. Elijah’s unswerving belief fueled his courage, and it will do the same for us.
Max provides a field manual on how to have strong faith during a time of spiritual drought, anxiety, and exhaustion. He invites us to lean in and let Elijah’s story remind us towait for God in solitude and silence,pray impossible prayers,live with an expectation of divine disruption,turn to God during emotional lows, andunderstand the spiritual battles we fight.
Elijah’s story will help calm readers’ fears and guide their steps. Faith in our unchanging God instills a capacity for living a renewed life of courage. With God’s help and following Elijah’s inspiring example, readers will discover strength to face the challenges of this life and the courage to make a difference.

Show book

Sea State - A Memoir

Tabitha Lasley

A Recommended Read from: Vogue * USA Today * The Los Angeles Times * Publishers Weekly * The Week * Alma * Lit Hub
A stunning and brutally honest memoir that shines a light on what happens when female desire conflicts with a culture of masculinity in crisis
In her midthirties and newly free from a terrible relationship, Tabitha Lasley quit her job at a London magazine, packed her bags, and poured her savings into a six-month lease on an apartment in Aberdeen, Scotland. She decided to make good on a long-deferred idea for a book about oil rigs and the men who work on them. Why oil rigs? She wanted to see what men were like with no women around.
In Aberdeen, Tabitha became deeply entrenched in the world of roughnecks, a teeming subculture rich with brawls, hard labor, and competition. The longer she stayed, the more she found her presence had a destabilizing effect on the men—and her.
Sea State is on the one hand a portrait of an overlooked industry: “offshore” is a way of life for generations of primarily working-class men and also a potent metaphor for those parts of life we keep at bay—class, masculinity, the transactions of desire, and the awful slipperiness of a ladder that could, if we tried hard enough, lead us to security.
Sea State is on the other hand the story of a journalist whose professional distance from her subject becomes perilously thin. In Aberdeen, Tabitha gets high and dances with abandon, reliving her youth, when the music was good and the boys were bad. Twenty years on, there is Caden: a married rig worker who spends three weeks on and three weeks off. Alone and in an increasingly precarious state, Tabitha dives into their growing attraction. The relationship, reckless and explosive, will lay them both bare.

Show book

Strong Female Character - What...

Hanna Flint

Hanna Flint speaks from the heart in this personal and incisive reflection on how cinema has been the key to understanding herself and the world we live in. A staunch feminist of mixed-race heritage, Hanna has succeeded in an industry not designed for people like her. Interweaving anecdotes from familial and personal experiences—episodes of messy sex, introspection, and that time actor Vincent D'Onofrio tweeted that Hanna Flint sounded like a secret agent—she offers a critical eye on the screen's representation of women and ethnic minorities and their impact on her life, body image, and ambitions, with the humor and eloquence that has made her a leading film critic of her generation. Divided into the sections Origin Story, Coming of Age, Adult Material, Workplace Drama, and Strong Female Character, the book ponders how the creative industries could better reflect our multicultural society. Warm, funny, engaging, and full of film-infused lessons, Strong Female Character will appeal to listeners of all backgrounds and seeks to help us better see ourselves in our own eyes rather than letting others decide who and what we can be.

Show book

God of His Word The: Audio Bible...

Kathie Lee Gifford, Rabbi Jason...

There are more than a hundred names for God used in the Bible. And each of them reveals something essential about his nature and character. 
In this six-session audio Bible study, the authors of The Rock, The Road, and the Rabbi Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel explore the meaning and importance of six different attributes of God—his creativity, his wisdom, his mercy, his power, his radiance, and his inclusivity of all people. 
The God of His Word (part 2 of The God of the Way Study Series) will help you understand these attributes and how they apply to your life in a way that will change your faith and the way you think. 
Sessions and run times:God of Creation (20:00)God of Mercy (19:30)God of Power (19:00)God of Wisdom (20:00)God of Light (21:00)God of All People (21:00) 
The Audio Bible Studies series provides a unique audio learning experience. Unlike a traditional audiobook's direct narration of a book's text, this audio Bible study includes high-quality, live audio sessions from the author that cover important Bible-based topics. These sessions will reflect the ambiance of the unique recording locations, immersing the listener into the teaching. While not required for the audio experience, these studies are designed to partner with the coordinating study guide, sold separately.

Show book

Where the Evidence Takes Us - A...

Kevin O’Leary

Told over a period of public service spanning thirty years, this compelling true story unravels the nuts and bolts of policing London, providing an insider's perspective on the challenges, triumphs, and transformations that shaped an era. 
 
 
 
Immerse yourself in the heart-pounding narratives of high-profile cases, including the intensity of the Broadwater Farm riots, the relentless pursuit of serial murderers, the cloak-and-dagger world of undercover operations, and the delicate art of negotiations during harrowing kidnappings. With a detective's keen eye for detail, O'Leary deftly weaves together the intricate threads of investigations, offering listeners a front-row seat to the pulse-quickening realities of policing. 
 
 
 
This raw and unfiltered account provides an unprecedented glimpse into the life of a seasoned detective, inviting listeners to traverse the highs and lows, the victories and defeats, and the evolution of policing in one of the world's most iconic cities.

Show book

Anthony Hope - Six of the Best –...

Anthony Hope

Six has always been a number we group things around – Six of the best, six of one half a dozen of another, six feet under, six pack, six degrees of separation and a sixth sense are but a few of the ways we use this number. 
 
Such is its popularity that we thought it is also a very good way of challenging and investigating an author’s work to give width, brevity, humour and depth across six of their very best. 
 
In this series we gather together authors whose short stories both rivet the attention and inspire the imagination to visit their gems in a series of six, to roam across an author’s legacy in a few short hours and gain a greater understanding of their writing and, of course, to be lavishly entertained by their ideas, their narrative and their way with words. 
 
These stories can be surprising and sometimes at a tangent to what we expected, but each is fully formed and a marvellous adventure into the world and words of a literary master. 
 
1 - Six of the Best - Anthony Hope -  An Introduction 
2 - Anthony Hope - An Introduction 
3 - My Astral Body by Anthony Hope 
4 - Foreordained by Anthony Hope 
5 - Middleton's Model by Anthony Hope 
6 - A Sucessful Rehearsal by Anthony Hope 
7 - A Little Joke by Anthony Hope 
8 - How They Stopped the 'Run' by Anthony Hope

Show book