William Dean Howells - Premium Collection: 27 Novels in One Volume (Illustrated) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. 27 Novels of American Realism, Boston Society, and 19th‑Century LifeBy William Dean Howells
Length249h 51m
About this audiobook
This illustrated premium collection gathers twenty-seven novels by William Dean Howells, offering a panoramic view of American literary realism from its post–Civil War emergence to its mature social critique. Across works such as The Rise of Silas Lapham, A Modern Instance, and Indian Summer, Howells privileges moral ambiguity, conversational subtlety, and the pressures of class, commerce, marriage, and conscience over melodramatic convention. The volume reveals his stylistic commitment to ordinary speech, psychological exactness, and the ethical drama embedded in everyday life. Howells, often called the "Dean of American Letters," was not only a novelist but also an influential editor, critic, and advocate for realism. His years at The Atlantic Monthly and Harper's placed him at the center of American literary culture, where he championed writers such as Mark Twain and Henry James. His own fiction reflects his Midwestern origins, cosmopolitan experience, and persistent concern with democracy's promises and contradictions. This collection is highly recommended for readers seeking a comprehensive encounter with nineteenth-century American realism. Scholars, students, and general readers alike will find in Howells a lucid, humane, and intellectually rigorous interpreter of modern American life.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- The Author Biography highlights personal milestones and literary influences that shape the entire body of writing.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction
Length249 hrs 51 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 19, 2015
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1William Dean Howells - Premium Collection: 27 Novels in One Volume (Illustrated) (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Author Biography
4Historical Context
5Synopsis (Selection)
Show all chaptersShow less
6Introduction:
7WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS
8Novels:
9A FOREGONE CONCLUSION (pt. 1)
10A FOREGONE CONCLUSION (pt. 2)
11A FOREGONE CONCLUSION (pt. 3)
12A CHANCE ACQUAINTANCE (pt. 1)
13A CHANCE ACQUAINTANCE (pt. 2)
14A CHANCE ACQUAINTANCE (pt. 3)
15A MODERN INSTANCE (pt. 1)
16A MODERN INSTANCE (pt. 2)
17A MODERN INSTANCE (pt. 3)
18A MODERN INSTANCE (pt. 4)
19A MODERN INSTANCE (pt. 5)
20A MODERN INSTANCE (pt. 6)
21A MODERN INSTANCE (pt. 7)
22A PAIR OF PATIENT LOVERS (pt. 1)
23A PAIR OF PATIENT LOVERS (pt. 2)
24A PAIR OF PATIENT LOVERS (pt. 3)
25A PAIR OF PATIENT LOVERS (pt. 4)
26A TRAVELER FROM ALTRURIA: A Romance (pt. 1)
27A TRAVELER FROM ALTRURIA: A Romance (pt. 2)
28A TRAVELER FROM ALTRURIA: A Romance (pt. 3)
29AN OPEN-EYED CONSPIRACY: An Idyl of Saratoga (pt. 1)
30AN OPEN-EYED CONSPIRACY: An Idyl of Saratoga (pt. 2)
31ANNIE KILBURN (pt. 1)
32ANNIE KILBURN (pt. 2)
33ANNIE KILBURN (pt. 3)
34ANNIE KILBURN (pt. 4)
35APRIL HOPES (pt. 1)
36APRIL HOPES (pt. 2)
37APRIL HOPES (pt. 3)
38APRIL HOPES (pt. 4)
39APRIL HOPES (pt. 5)
40APRIL HOPES (pt. 6)
41DR. BREEN'S PRACTICE (pt. 1)
42DR. BREEN'S PRACTICE (pt. 2)
43DR. BREEN'S PRACTICE (pt. 3)
44FENNEL AND RUE (pt. 1)
45FENNEL AND RUE (pt. 2)
46INDIAN SUMMER (pt. 1)
47INDIAN SUMMER (pt. 2)
48INDIAN SUMMER (pt. 3)
49INDIAN SUMMER (pt. 4)
50INDIAN SUMMER (pt. 5)
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