In this powerful literary history, Daniel Borus traces the social and economic conditions that helped to produce American realism. Analyzing publishing records, personal correspondence, and essays by William Dean Howells, Henry James, and Frank Norris, Borus explores the connection between the changing process of authorship and the formal properties of realism. Rather than treat literature as an autonomous formal discourse, Borus concentrates on the concrete practice of writing a novel for sale to anonymous consumers whose ...
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In this powerful literary history, Daniel Borus traces the social and economic conditions that helped to produce American realism. Analyzing publishing records, personal correspondence, and essays by William Dean Howells, Henry James, and Frank Norris, Borus explores the connection between the changing process of authorship and the formal properties of realism. Rather than treat literature as an autonomous formal discourse, Borus concentrates on the concrete practice of writing a novel for sale to anonymous consumers whose tastes and character are not personally or directly known by the author. The dramatic changes in the book market of the late nineteenth century -- in such matters as royalties, literary syndicates, agents, publicity, and authors' organizations -- required a redefinition of what a novel was, how it was written, on what basis the author engaged the audience, and what social role the author could play. Borus identifies the characteristic elements of realism as nonintervening narration, concrete language designed to match word with thing, "typical" subject matter, and political reformism. He maintains that these elements were solutions to problems that the realists faced under the new conditions created by the mass market. For example, realists rejected the concept of inspiration from a foreign muse, describing their process as "work," the diligent application of observation. But this emphasis presented them with a contradiction: how were they to signify that work had been done, yet offer a text that appeared natural and given? The solution was omniscient narration, the characteristic form of realism in which the narrator is nowhere present yet still controls the flow of events and observation. The writers' solutions often compounded the problems they were attempting to overcome in their new fiction. In the end, Borus says, the realists' inability to free themselves fully from market conceptions of writing and social function limited the success of their search for uncommodified communication and resulted in texts informed by contradictory impulses. Borus's analysis offers new insights into both the achievements and failures of American realism. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.
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Add this copy of Writing Realism: Howells, James, and Norris in the Mass to cart. $36.47, good condition, Sold by Phatpocket Limited rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham Abbey, ESSEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1989 by University of North Carolina Press.
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Good. Ships from UK in 48 hours or less (usually same day). Your purchase helps support Sri Lankan Children's Charity 'The Rainbow Centre'. Ex-library, so some stamps and wear, but in good overall condition. May contain underlining and/or highlighting. 100% money back guarantee. We are a world class secondhand bookstore based in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom and specialize in high quality textbooks across an enormous variety of subjects. We aim to provide a vast range of textbooks, rare and collectible books at a great price. Our donations to The Rainbow Centre have helped provide an education and a safe haven to hundreds of children who live in appalling conditions. We provide a 100% money back guarantee and are dedicated to providing our customers with the highest standards of service in the bookselling industry.
Add this copy of Writing Realism: Howells, James, and Norris in the Mass to cart. $128.37, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1989 by The University of North Caroli.
