About this book
A Belated Guest by William Dean Howells opens with a sharp, reflective voice that turns personal memory into a vivid map of 19th-century American letters. In this essay from Literary Friends and Acquaintances, Howells examines the strange pleasure and obligation of recording conversations with celebrated contemporaries, centering on his recollections of Bret Harte and the dazzling moment when Harte crossed from the Pacific Slope to the Atlantic in 1871. Blending memoir, criticism, and cultural history, Howells probes fame, friendship, and the changing literary scene that nurtured American regionalism and realism.
Rooted in literary history and rich with anecdote, the piece balances affectionate portraiture with clear-eyed commentary on the passage of time and the duties of remembering. Howells’s prose guides listeners through salons, shorelines, and editorial rooms, offering both intimate impressions and broader reflections on authorship and reputation.
Ideal for fans of literary history, biography, and American literature, this audiobook will appeal to listeners who enjoy essays that illuminate the personalities behind great works and the historical currents that shaped them.
