The Complete Works (eBook)

William Dean Howells (1837–1920) was an eminent American realist author and literary critic, often called 'The Dean of American Letters'. He served as editor for the Atlantic Monthly and was an influential figure in American literature during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Howells' work captured the complexities of American life and its social context, using realism as a tool to explore these themes. His landmark work, 'The Rise of Silas Lapham' (1885), is a quintessential example of American realist literature, chronicling the eponymous character's moral and social rise and fall in the business world. Howell's literary style often engaged with ethical dilemmas faced by individuals in the midst of societal changes. Throughout his prolific career, Howells authored numerous novels, plays, and essays, collected in editions such as 'The Complete Works of William Dean Howells.' His influence extended beyond his role as an author, as he supported and befriended fellow writers like Mark Twain and Henry James. Howells' insistence on realism in literature was instrumental in shaping American writing, prompting readers and writers alike to confront the realities of life as they are, rather than through the romantic or sensationalized lens common to earlier eras.