March Family Trilogy

Basil and Isabel March first appeared in Howells’s Their Wedding Journey, which followed the newly married couple as they traveled to Niagara Falls on their honeymoon. Here, Howells returns to the March marriage as they revisit Hamburg, Carlsbad, Weimar, Leipzig, and Berlin—the cities of their youthful courtship.

The book, which takes place in late 19th Century New York, tells the story of the dispute between a self-made millionaire and a social revolutionary, with a third man attempting to act as mediator.

William Dean Howells (1837-1920) wrote novels, plays, essays, poems, reviews and travel pieces that touched on every day people and their experiences. A prime example of Howell's realism is this 1890 novel; it is a psychologically probing reflection on social and personal upheaval in the nineteenth century, which the author considered to be his "most vital" book. The story interweaves themes, plots and characters in New York City and projects Howells personal attitudes on employers, feminism and marriage, among others.

A splendid work of criticism that introduces us to Howell, the well-versed literary critic. He discusses the writings of various authors through the ages - for instance Cervantes, Shakespeare, Pope, Tolstoy - in great detail. His criticism is based on his in-depth study which makes the book highly informative. Truly enlightening.