The American Novel

by Carl van Doren

THE AMERICAN NOVEL By Carl Van Doren CONTENTS Preface I. Beginnings of Fiction 1. Arguments and Experiments 2, Three Matters of American Romance II. James Kenimore Cooper III. Romances of Adventure IV. Nathaniel Hawthorne V Herman Melville VI. Blood and Tears VII. Howells and Realism 1. New Frontiers and Old Settlements 2. William Dean Howells. VIII. Mark Twain IX. Henry James X. Types of Fiction XI. Local and Historical 1. Local Color 2. Romantic History XII. Emergence of Naturalism XIII. Theodore Dreiser XIV. Tradition and Transition 1. Stream of Fiction 2. Edith Wharton XV, Willa Gather XVI, Revolt from the Village XVII. Sinclair Lewis........... 303 XVIII. Romance, Comedy, Satire 1. James Branch Caboll 2, Lively Decade XIX, New Realisms 1. Post War 2. Thomas Wolfe XX. Revisions Bibliography Index

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1921

About the author

Carl Clinton van Doren, a United States critic and biographer, won Pulitzer Prize. He was the brother of Mark van Doren and the uncle of Charles van Doren.

Reviews

[Elizabeth]

read the american novel mainly for the chapter on melville. published two years before d.h. lawrence’s studies in classic american literature, van doren is credited with helping re-establish melville’s reputation. the american novel also covers james fenimore cooper, nathaniel hawthorne, mark twain, and henry james.

you can read the melville chapter here

or the entire book here