A Hazard of New Fortunes - Softcover

Howells, William Dean

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0451511964 ISBN 13: 9780451511966

Publisher: Signet Classics, 1965

Synopsis

Set against a vividly depicted background of fin de siécle New York, this novel centers on the conflict between a self-made millionaire and a fervent social revolutionary-a conflict in which a man of goodwill futilely attempts to act as a mediator, only to be forced himself into a crisis of conscience. Here we see William Dean Howells's grasp of the realities of the American experience in an age of emerging social struggle. His absolute determination to fairly represent every point of view is evident throughout this multifaceted work. Both a memorable portrait of an era and a profoundly moving study of human relationships, A Hazard of New Fortunes fully justifies Alfred Kazin's ranking of Howells as "the first great domestic novelist of American life."

About this title

From the Inside Flap

Centering on a conflict between a self-made millionaire and an idealistic reformer in turn-of-the-twentieth-century New York, A Hazard of New Fortunes insightfully renders the complexities of the American experience at a time of great social and economic upheaval and transformation. In its depiction of wealth, poverty, and New York City life, it remains a strikingly contemporary work.
Reproduced here is the authoritative Indiana University Press Edition edited and annotated by David J. Nordloh, with full scholarly commentary and extensive textual apparatus.

From the Back Cover

“The first great domestic novelist of American life.”
-Alfred Kazin

Edition details

• Publisher: Signet Classics
• Publication date: 1965
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0451511964
• ISBN 13: 9780451511966
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback