First published in , A Traveler from Altruria tells the story of a foreign visitor who presents the concept of a Utopian society. Howells hoped his novel would. Editorial Reviews. About the Author. William Dean Howells (March 1, – May 11, ) A Traveler from Altruria: Romance Kindle Edition. by. “I could not give you a clear account of the present state of things in my country,” the Altrurian began, “without first telling you something of our conditions before.
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A Traveler from Altruria
Grom published inA Traveler from Altruria tells the story of a foreign visitor who presents the concept of a Utopian society. Howells hoped his novel would allow readers to confront the inconsistencies, imperfections, and injustices of Gilded Age America. Reprinted here as a historical document, the text is supported with a conprehensive introduction, chonology, an First published inA Traveler from Altruria tells the story of a foreign visitor who presents the concept of a Utopian society.
Reprinted here as a historical document, the text is supported with a conprehensive introduction, chonology, and questions for consideration.
Paperbackpages. Martin’s first published United States of America. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers rraveler about A Traveler from Altruriaplease sign up. Be the first to ask a question about A Traveler from Altruria.
Lists with This Book. Apr 04, Wreade rated it it was ok Shelves: Utopian fiction, without the utopian part of it: So this entire thing is done as a series of conversations, its like one big lecture, so not great. Its a fairly easy read though and since its about the gap between rich and poor its still relevant today.
In fact i would say too relevant, or at least too familiar. There are things of interest here. The writing is easy and witty at times. There’s some some very blinkered sexism which you can laugh or wince at. Plus a brief mention altrurua a view spoil Utopian fiction, without the utopian part of it: Plus a brief mention of a view spoiler [mega-corporation controlling all aspects of a country hide spoiler ]perhaps one of the first appearances of such an idea.
However i’m getting more discerning with every book i read and in a world of infinite books i felt like deducting a star. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
It’s a book about class and gender frm, civil rights, and economic injustice. While we have made strides in all of those areas, there is still a large portion of the population that believes that “human nature” prevents us all from being equal.
Interestingly, the book does not address the topic of racial inequality; I guess that was t The more things change, the more they stay the same. Interestingly, the book does not address the topic of racial inequality; I guess that was too radical an idea, even for a left-leaning writer like Howells. The opinions of the American elites in this book read like a modern Republican presidential platform.
For example, regarding government assistance to the poor and unemployed: We cannot let people suffer, for that would be cruel; and we cannot relieve their need without pauperizing them.
A Traveler from Altruria, by William Dean Howells
America is one thing for you, and it’s quite another thing for us. It means liberty for you; but zltruria liberty has a man got who doesn’t know where his next meal is coming from?
Once I was in a strike, when I was working on the railroad, and I’ve seen men come and altrruria up their liberty for a chance to earn their family’s living. They knew they were right, and that they ought to have stood up for their rights; but they had to lie down and lick the hand that fed them. Yes, we are all Americans, but I guess we haven’t all got the same country, Traveleg. What sort of a country has a blacklisted man got? There is a famous passage in the inaugural message of our first Altrurian president which compares the new civic consciousness with that of a disembodied spirit released to the life beyond this and freed from all the selfish cares and greeds of the flesh.
Mar 04, Bryan rated it it was ok. Or, more specifically, like a religious tract where the characters are simply used as types void of real characterization in order to create a setting for a altruris regarding society. It is a combination of a utopia and travel narrative novel.
Despite the lack of aesthetic appeal, it does offer several important probing questions regarding politics, crom work. Sep 15, Omnipotent Dystopian Now rated it it was amazing Shelves: This is a great lates utopian story. The writing is crisp, and the ending is profound. What I enjoyed most about this story is the way it portrays class warfare in America that is still relevant today. Feb 07, Lisa rated it really liked it Shelves: I really liked this book.
Makes you think about the American system in a way that you don’t normally think about. Put into a novel form but still really good info on the system, politics, and the American dream. Mar 20, Hyrax rated it liked it. I’d definitely recommend this book as more of a social commentary than anything else.
A Traveler from Altruria, by William Dean Howells : XI
Nov 02, Theo! My classmates alttruria this book and I have no idea why. Dec 29, joseph rated it really liked it Shelves: I am dangerously close to rating this book five stars. It may be impossible to read, but should be an essential read for American culture. Carrie Schindler rated it really liked it Feb 03, Dina rated it really liked it Feb 09, Zachary rated it it was ok Jul 22, Booklover rated it liked it Jan 02, CarlMitchell rated it really liked it Oct 02, Laura Randle rated it really liked it Jul 20, Adam rated it it was ok Nov 29, Cici Huss rated it it was ok Jan 03, James rated it it was ok Oct 22, Chelsea rated it it was ok May 29, Katharina rated it liked it Aug 06, Alpha rated it it was amazing Dec 23, Tiffany rated it liked it Mar 17, Keijo rated it liked it Mar 29, Lance Terro rated it liked it Nov 13, Connor Eichenauer rated it alturria liked it Aug 11, Steve Fisher rated it it was ok Dec 28, Franklin Ridgway rated it it was amazing Oct 17, Ian rated it liked it Nov 16, There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
About William Dean Howells. Willam Dean Howells was a novelist, short story writer, magazine editor, and mentor who wrote for various magazines, aa the Atlantic Altriria and Harper’s Magazine. Howells accepted after successfully negotiating for a higher salary, but aktruria frustrated by Fields’s close supervision.
Howells was made e Willam Dean Howells was a novelist, short story writer, magazine editor, and mentor who wrote for various magazines, including the Atlantic Traveled and X Magazine. Howells was made editor inremaining in the position travelsr In he first met Mark Twain, which began a longtime friendship. Even more important for the development of his literary style — his advocacy of Realism — was his relationship with the journalist Jonathan Baxter Harrison, who during the s wrote frlm series of articles for the Atlantic Monthly on the lives of ordinary Americans.
He wrote his first novel, Their Wedding Journey, inbut his literary reputation took off with the realist novel A Modern Instancepublished inwhich described the decay of a marriage. His novel The Rise of Silas Lapham is perhaps his best known, describing the rise and fall travsler an American entrepreneur of the paint business. He was particularly outraged by the trials resulting from the Haymarket Riot. His poems were collected during andand a volume under the title Stops of Various Quills was published during He was the initiator of the school of American realists who derived, through the Russians, from Balzac and had little sympathy with any other type of fiction, although he frequently encouraged new writers in whom he discovered new ideas.
It is perhaps in this role that he had his greatest influence.
In his “Editor’s Study” column at the Atlantic Monthly and, later, at Harper’s, he formulated and disseminated his theories of “realism” in literature. In he was one of the first seven people chosen for membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters, of which he became president. Howells died frim Manhattan on May 11,
