A widely held vision of nineteenth-century American women is of lives lived in naive, domestic peace--the girls of Little Women making do until father comes home from the war. Nothing could be less true of Harriet Prescott Spofford's stories. In fact, her editor at the Atlantic Monthly at first refused to believe that an unworldly woman from New England had written them. Her style, though ornate by our 20th century standards, adds to its atmosphere, like heavy, Baroque furniture in a large and creepy house.

The title story presents a self-centered and captivating woman who...

A stimulating overview of American journeys from the eighteenth century to the present.

A Companion to the American Short Story traces the development of this versatile literary genre over the past 200 years.

• Sets the short story in context, paying attention to the interaction of cultural forces and aesthetic principles
• Contributes to the ongoing redefinition of the American canon, with close attention to the achievements of women writers as well as such important genres as the ghost story and detective fiction
• Embraces diverse traditions including African-American, Jewish-American, Latino, Native-American, and regional short story writing
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Featuring 37 essays by distinguished literary scholars, A Companion to the American Novel provides a comprehensive single-volume treatment of the development of the novel in the United States from the late 18th century to the present day.

• Represents the most comprehensive single-volume introduction to this popular literary form currently available
• Features 37 contributions from a wide range of distinguished literary scholars
• Includes essays on topics and genres, historical overviews, and key individual works, including The Scarlet Letter, Moby Dick, The...