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040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aPS
100 1 _aCanby, Henry Seidel,
_d1878-1961
245 1 0 _aDefinitions: Essays in Contemporary Criticism [First Series]
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2004
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
500 _aRelease date is 2004-07-01
508 _aProduced by Ralph Zimmerman, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
520 _a"Definitions: Essays in Contemporary Criticism [First Series]" by Henry Seidel Canby is a collection of critical essays written in the early 20th century. In this work, Canby explores the multifaceted nature of contemporary literature, especially how it intertwines with American culture and social dynamics. His essays aim to dissect various genres and themes, providing insights into how sentimentality, idealism, and the societal backdrop influence both writers and readers in the realm of fiction. At the start of the collection, Canby elaborates on the nature of American literature, particularly its inclination toward sentimentality. He contrasts the pragmatic and often hard nature of American life with the preference for emotionally charged, soft literature that tends to idealize its characters and plots. Canby critiques this tendency, suggesting that while sentiment and idealism are inherent to the American psyche, they often lead to a detachment from reality in storytelling. He sets the stage for an examination of the influences shaping fiction, including cultural conditioning, societal expectations, and the aspirations served by popular narratives, marking a critical pathway through which readers can deepen their understanding of the literary landscape of their time. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _nOriginal publication data not identified
653 _aCriticism
653 _aAmerican literature -- 20th century -- History and criticism
653 _aEnglish fiction -- History and criticism
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6106
999 _c48128
_d48128