Americans and Others

by Agnes Repplier

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

322 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

American essayist. Educated at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Eden Hall at Torresdale, Philadelphia, and later at the Agnes Irwin School. Repplier was reportedly expelled from two schools for "independent behaviour" and illiterate until the age of ten. She received mentoring in writing by a nun who was herself a noted writer, Mary Paulina Finn, who published books, poetry and plays under the pseudonym M. S. Pine.

Reviews

[Ardyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

All hail Agnes Repplier, wise woman for all times.

This is a great collection of essays with no shortage of dry humor. Why has Ms Repplier been forgotten? Every entry here holds up, and allowed me to laugh at some very irritating aspects of daily life as the best essays always do.

Particularly enjoyed:

"Goodness and Gayety" -- on the necessity of fun and good humor, and the conflation of constant seriousness with superior morality

"The Girl Graduate" -- on the wonderful and terrible experience of educated young women with nowhere to spend their fledgling knowledge and absolute certainty about all things. Also the wonderful and terrible experience of everyone who deals with them.

"The Temptation of Eve" -- on the importance of beauty in life, and specifically beauty in adornment, and how the Y-chromosome holders have done themselves and the species a disservice in choosing boring, lazy dress as their standard. I spent days imagining her words for American men's fashion now... hee!

"The Chill of Enthusiasm" -- on enthusiastic souls turning us off. Solidarity, Ms Repplier.

"The Customary Correspondent" -- on how truly banal, even burdensome, the oft-mourned written correspondence was. I especially enjoyed her survey of the types of letters which authors and experts of all kinds used to receive. Surprise, 21st century! Your tech didn't create the obnoxious and lazy 'fan.'

"The Benefactor" -- on useless gifts, why they exist, and whether it is reasonable to expect the average human to feel grateful for a gift they absolutely don't want. This whole piece spoke to me, but the section about charity bazaars is particularly *chef's kiss*.

"The Condescension of Borrowers" -- on borrowers doing us the favor of 'borrowing' our stuff, failing to care for or return it, and the futility of fighting the universe on these matters. This was an absolute delight!! A litany of cases on the bizarre borrowing habits of famous people, on how an unwillingness to lend is somehow a character flaw, and on the pointless use of bookplates. I not only chuckled throughout, I was left pondering for hours why Mr Micawber seems like a good fellow but Mr Skimpole is the worst kind of monster. 5 stars.

"The Grocer's Cat" -- on the pathetic humanity that wants creatures to bow and pretend adulation at our magnificence when we are at our most ridiculous, and the true dignity of the feline.



The Librivox narrator summed it all up in her final closing:

"Read, with great pleasure, by Mary Schneider." Me, too, Mary. Me, too.

[Lisa of Troy]

Part of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s personal library according to Scott Fitzgerald: Romantic and Realist by John Richard Kuehl 1958
*These were books NOT given to Princeton. They were returned to Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald’s daughter, France Scott Fitzgerald Lanahan

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The language is beautiful, the ideas provoking, and the barbed comments delightful.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read excerpts from Agnes Repplier's writings in high school and remember really enjoying them, hence why I chose to read this collection of essays. Though mildly enjoyable, I found the essays rather staid and unexciting - no response to Repplier's ideas was sparked in my brain, nothing was made clearer or more interesting by reading her work, except the fact that I really wish I could have a cat. And that's not necessarily a good thing, because I can't right now. So while there was nothing wrong with the book, there was nothing about it that stood out, either.