Project Gutenberg 2004-10-22 Public domain in the USA. 123 Howells, William Dean 1837 1920 Howells, W. D. (William Dean) Howells, William D. (William Dean) Criticism and Fiction Produced by David Widger "Criticism and Fiction" by William Dean Howells is a critical examination of literary theory and aesthetics, written during the late 19th century. This text delves into the relationship between art and the appreciation of literature, posing essential questions regarding the criteria for evaluating artistic merit in a world where tastes and fashions are ever-changing. The author discusses how true beauty and goodness lie in the unpretentious and sincere, and he advocates for literature that faithfully reflects life over that which conforms to established ideals. The beginning of "Criticism and Fiction" explores the themes of changing tastes in art and literature, using the works of historical figures such as John Addington Symonds and Edmund Burke to illustrate its arguments. Howells reflects on the superficial nature of popular fashions, emphasizing the importance of truth and simplicity in artistic expression. He critiques prevailing literary standards that often favor romanticized or idealized portrayals of life while advocating for a realism that mirrors true human experience. Throughout this opening section, Howells establishes his standpoint that the most meaningful art stems from an honest representation of life rather than the pursuit of artificial perfection or adherence to outdated conventions. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en Criticism Fiction -- History and criticism PS Text Browsing: Literature Browsing: Philosophy & Ethics 196834 196776 2024-10-02T08:16:53.710713 2023-10-02T07:33:22.286722 text/html text/html 196827 196769 2024-10-02T08:16:53.938699 2023-10-02T07:33:22.436712 text/html text/html 147112 2024-10-02T08:16:59.892677 application/epub+zip 149329 2024-10-02T08:16:56.857683 application/epub+zip 133695 2024-10-02T08:16:55.702683 application/epub+zip 290949 2024-10-02T08:17:02.369673 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 269378 2024-10-02T08:16:59.178677 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 246139 2022-09-02T09:48:52.025799 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 185021 185014 2024-10-02T08:16:53.434721 2023-10-02T07:33:22.110716 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 184860 2021-01-08T19:37:18 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 70634 2021-01-08T19:37:18 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 19109 2024-10-02T08:17:02.492640 application/rdf+xml 14427 2024-10-02T08:16:56.249699 image/jpeg 3525 2024-10-02T08:16:55.979679 image/jpeg 147566 2024-10-02T08:16:53.956709 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