In the mid-1880s, Henry Adams committed himself to a posture that has since been associated with his name: neglected patrician, doomsayer, literary man whose bereavement at his wife's suicide confirmed his abandonment of an active public life. Adams (1838-1918) defined himself as other than contemporary Americans. Yet he also cast himself as the Republic's last true patriot, and beneath his reticence lay the firm belief that he was the one man who could save America -- if only his voice were heard. This insightful book ...
Read More
In the mid-1880s, Henry Adams committed himself to a posture that has since been associated with his name: neglected patrician, doomsayer, literary man whose bereavement at his wife's suicide confirmed his abandonment of an active public life. Adams (1838-1918) defined himself as other than contemporary Americans. Yet he also cast himself as the Republic's last true patriot, and beneath his reticence lay the firm belief that he was the one man who could save America -- if only his voice were heard. This insightful book focuses on the relationship between Adams and his audience, emphasizing Adams's rhetorical strategies in his effort to shape a dialogue with his readers. Throughout his literary career, Adams struggled to redefine America's role as a nation of millennial promise. All the while, he was faced with mounting evidence that his country was rapidly squandering its opportunity to act as a redemptive force. William Decker explores Adams's ambition to impress this view of the Republic on the national mind and his persistent desire to create a text that would direct, both by its rational persuasiveness and by its symbological appeal, the course of an America destined to become a great world power. After his wife's suicide in 1885, Adams increasingly felt the burden of what he perceived as a historical and cosmic opposition to the millennial America in whose advocacy he had originally taken up his vocation. He revised his authorial ends and means, assuming ever more clearly the part of the voice crying in the wilderness. Although he would routinely despair of his country's public destiny, his pen would remain active as long as he lived, narrowly affirming the redemptive historical possibility. The Literary Vocation of Henry Adams is a comprehensive reading of Adams's works, giving careful attention to texts that have generally been considered minor as well as to better-known works like U.S. histories and Mont Saint Michel and Chartres . Discussions of Adams's most widely read and appreciated work, The Education of Henry Adams , frame Decker's arguments. He examines the Education as the valedictory statement and enactment of Adams's ambitions as an author--and as the ultimate measure of his success. Originally published in 1990. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.
Read Less
Add this copy of The Literary Vocation of Henry Adams to cart. $2.97, good condition, Sold by Midtown Scholar Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Harrisburg, PA, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by The University of North Carolina.
Add this copy of The Literary Vocation of Henry Adams to cart. $5.94, very good condition, Sold by Midtown Scholar Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Harrisburg, PA, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by The University of North Carolina.
Add this copy of The Literary Vocation of Henry Adams to cart. $10.00, very good condition, Sold by Kubik Fine Books Ltd rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dayton, OH, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by The University of North Carolina Press.
Add this copy of The Literary Vocation of Henry Adams to cart. $10.00, very good condition, Sold by Novel Ideas Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Decatur, IL, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by University of North Carolina Press.
Add this copy of Literary Vocation of Henry Adams to cart. $13.00, new condition, Sold by Sunlight Books, ships from LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by University of North Carolina Press.
Add this copy of The Literary Vocation of Henry Adams to cart. $13.50, new condition, Sold by Powell's Books Chicago rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Chicago, IL, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by University of North Carolina Press.
Add this copy of The Literary Vocation of Henry Adams to cart. $15.95, very good condition, Sold by Dorley House Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hagerstown, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by University Of North Carolina Press.
Add this copy of The Literary Vocation of Henry Adams to cart. $18.75, very good condition, Sold by Priceless Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Urbana, IL, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by Chapel Hill: U. Of North Carolina, 1990.
Add this copy of Literary Vocation of Henry Adams to cart. $20.00, like new condition, Sold by Murphy-Brookfield Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Iowa City, IA, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by Univ of North Carolina Pr.
Add this copy of The Literary Vocation of Henry Adams to cart. $27.00, very good condition, Sold by ZENO'S rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from San Francisco, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by University of North Carolina Press.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Chapel Hill. 1990. University Of North Carolina Press. 1st Printing. Very Good in Dustjacket. 0807818747. 336 pages. hardcover. keywords: Literature America Literary Criticism. FROM THE PUBLISHER-In the mid-1880s, Henry Adams committed himself to a posture that has since been associated with his name: neglected patrician, doomsayer, literary man whose bereavement at his wife's suicide confirmed his abandonment of an active public life. Adams (1838-1918) defined himself as other than contemporary Americans. Yet he also cast himself as the Republic's last true patriot, and beneath his reticence lay the firm belief that he was the one man who could save America-if only his voice were heard. This insightful book focuses on the relationship between Adams and his audience, emphasizing Adams's rhetorical strategies in his effort to shape a dialogue with his readers. Throughout his literary career, Adams struggled to redefine America's role as a nation of millennial promise. All the while, he was faced with mounting evidence that his country was rapidly squandering its opportunity to act as a redemptive force. William Decker explores Adams's ambition to impress this view of the Republic on the national mind and his persistent desire to create a text that would direct, both by its rational persuasiveness and by its symbological appeal, the course of an America destined to become a great world power. After his wife's suicide in 1885, Adams increasingly felt the burden of what he perceived as a historical and cosmic opposition to the millennial America in whose advocacy he had originally taken up his vocation. He revised his authorial ends and means, assuming ever more clearly the part of the voice crying in the wilderness. Although he would routinely despair of his country's public destiny, his pen would remain active as long as he lived, narrowly affirming the redemptive historical possibility. The Literary Vocation of Henry Adams is a comprehensive reading of Adams's works, giving careful attention to texts that have generally been considered minor as well as to better-known works like U.S. histories and Mont Saint Michel and Chartres. Discussions of Adams's most widely read and appreciated work, The Education of Henry Adams, frame Decker's arguments. He examines the Education as the valedictory statement and enactment of Adams's ambitions as an author-and as the ultimate measure of his success. inventory #23973.
