The Prophet Of The Great Smoky Mountains

by Mary Noailles Murfree

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

308 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1896

About the author

Used the pseudonym Charles Egbert Craddock.

Reviews

[Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another piece of Mary Murfree's excellent work (see my review of In the Stranger Peoples' Country). The Prophet of the Great Smokey Mountains is about law - customary, governmental, and divine - and the issue of translating between them. In less straightforward ways, it is also about the conflict between thought and feeling and between perspicacity and inevitable illusion or opacity. The characters are compelling, and Murfree's impressionistic style, of course, is incredible: just look at those first sentences! The resulting contrast between rough characters and rich style draws attention to both the limited ability of individuals to understand their environment and artist's inevitably limited ability to understand individuals (one facet of the perspicacity/opacity tension). But Murfree also disrupts plot conventions and undercuts readerly expectations (by denying their fulfillment, delaying them, or bringing them about in unfulfilling ways that draw critical attention to the conventions and expectations themselves) in subtle yet significant ways, reminiscent of Howells at his best. Don't mistake it: Murfree is a master in her very own right, and here she brings together the greatest qualities of those two supposedly-separate fin de siecle American genres, high realism and regionalism.