Project Gutenberg 2006-09-22 Public domain in the USA. 318 Mencken, H. L. (Henry Louis) 1880 1956 Mencken, Henry Louis Hatteras, Owen Mencken, Henry L. A Book of Prefaces Joseph Conrad -- Theodore Dreiser -- James Huneker -- Puritanism as a literary force. Produced by Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "A Book of Prefaces" by H. L. Mencken is a critical essay collection written in the early 20th century. The book primarily delves into the works and philosophies of notable authors such as Joseph Conrad, Theodore Dreiser, and James Huneker, assessing their literary contributions and the broader implications of their ideas. Mencken's sharp analysis and distinctive voice provide a critical lens on the state of American literature in relation to these pivotal figures. The opening of the work sets a reflective tone as Mencken discusses the enduring relevance of the authors he critiques, particularly Joseph Conrad. He notes that underneath Conrad's works lies a pervasive melancholy and an exploration of human failure against the indifferent forces of existence. This section emphasizes the themes of pessimism and existential questioning that define Conrad's storytelling, portraying his protagonists as tragically defeated by life's uncertainties. Mencken argues that these themes serve to navigate the deeper complexities of human motivation and societal norms, setting up a profound critique of both Conrad's fiction and the larger literary landscape of Mencken's time. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en American literature -- History and criticism Conrad, Joseph, 1857-1924 -- Criticism and interpretation Dreiser, Theodore, 1871-1945 -- Criticism and interpretation Huneker, James, 1857-1921 -- Criticism and interpretation PS Text Browsing: History - American Browsing: Literature 469172 469181 2024-09-08T11:51:56.021987 2023-09-09T04:10:54.117903 text/html text/html 468826 2006-09-22T17:44:50 text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 169385 2006-09-22T17:44:50 text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 application/zip 223879 2024-09-08T11:52:04.717938 application/epub+zip 227287 2024-09-08T11:51:57.930000 application/epub+zip 227287 2024-09-08T11:51:56.799973 application/epub+zip 420055 2024-09-08T11:52:09.522950 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 365280 2024-09-08T11:52:03.817972 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 365304 2022-09-09T09:02:09.088374 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 382552 382467 2024-09-08T11:51:54.639023 2023-09-09T04:10:52.940889 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 382391 2006-09-22T17:44:50 text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 155368 2006-09-22T17:44:50 text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 application/zip 382485 2006-09-22T17:44:50 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 155231 2006-09-22T17:44:50 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 21063 2024-09-08T11:52:09.680905 application/rdf+xml 12403 2024-09-08T11:51:57.205986 image/jpeg 3414 2024-09-08T11:51:56.999983 image/jpeg 211180 2024-09-08T11:51:56.058003 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia