William Dean Howells, The Rise of Silas Lapham

Michael Anesko (Penn State University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.2: American (US) Writing and Culture: The Nineteenth Century, 1783-1900.
Vol. editors: Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1885

Places

United States (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

From a career spanning half a century and a tally of works including thirty-five full length novels, The Rise of Silas Lapham remains conspicuous in the oeuvre of William Dean Howells (1837-1920) for its readerly longevity. Since its appearance in 1885, the novel has never been out of print, even while the author’s reputation has suffered the vicissitudes of changing tastes and shifting canonical preferences. Like one of its title character’s favorite fleet-footed horses, the novel came out of the gate at full gallop. London’s Saturday Review immediately declared that “The Rise of Silas Lapham is a novel which no one can neglect who cares to understand American character. Any one who wishes to gain an …

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1019 words

Citation: Anesko, Michael. "The Rise of Silas Lapham". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 February 2005 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7593, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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