Criticism and Fiction

Howells, William Dean, 1837-1920Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 162K words
Chapters: 17

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Criticism and Fiction by William Dean HowellsAuthor: Howells, William Dean, 1837-1920,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Oct 22, 2004

Editor's review

This book is a collection of Howells's essays on literary criticism and the art of fiction, centering on the realist position he advocated: fiction should be faithful to lived experience, and criticism should rely less on a priori doctrine and more on sympathetic attention to the work itself. As an important voice in late nineteenth-century American letters, these writings combine polemical edge with the ease of the familiar essay, conveying an editor-critic's trust in the ordinary reader. Its value lies in offering a firsthand perspective on the currents of American literary realism, and it is especially useful to readers studying the evolution of ideas about fiction and the ethics of criticism. Much of the discussion concerns the fiction and critical practice of its day, and some of the polemical context now feels remote, yet the core question of how literature should face reality remains timely. This is the English original, suited to readers willing to read slowly and take notes.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of English and American literature and researchers of literary realism
Readers interested in the history of critical ideas and theories of fiction
Literature enthusiasts seeking insight into late nineteenth-century American literary debates

Not a good fit for

Readers who want plot-driven fiction and lack patience for theoretical discussion
Learners with weak English who are unwilling to consult background materials

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents, read closely the chapters on realism or the craft of fiction, and skim the rest.
Take notes on the author's central claims as you read, and try restating his arguments in your own words.
Read alongside nineteenth-century American novels to understand the targets of his criticism.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What is the main subject of this book?

It centers on the duties of literary criticism and the principles of fiction writing. Howells argues that criticism should stay close to the work itself and that fiction should be faithful to observed life, opposing exaggeration and formulaic writing divorced from experience. The book also responds to contemporary dissent from realism, with a marked polemical tone.

Can I read it without a background in literary theory?

Yes, but it takes patience. Many discussions address specific authors, works, and contemporary debates, and without background they can feel disjointed. It helps to first learn something about American literature in Howells's time, or to read introductory material before the main text; understanding will then come much more smoothly.

How does this book differ from My Literary Passions?

My Literary Passions is more a personal memoir of reading, warm and easygoing in tone; this book states literary positions and critical stances more directly, with greater argumentative and theoretical force. The two can be read together: the former shows how taste is formed, the latter how ideas are articulated.

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About the author

Howells, William Dean, 1837-1920 Author

William Dean Howells (1837–1920) was an American author and literary editor, with 107 works held in the collection. His writing spans novels, travel books, memoirs, and literary essays, and his representative works include My Mark Twain, Indian Summer, A Boy's Town, A Modern Instance, and A Hazard of New Fortunes. Howells drew on close observation of everyday life, writing in a plain style with gentle irony and attending to moral questions and human situations amid social change; his travel book Venetian Life and his memoir Literary Friends and Acquaintance record his journeys and personal recollections of American literary figures. Public information is limited, so biographical details are not elaborated here; readers may turn to the works above to learn about his subjects and style.