Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Menckens prefaces which are, in fact, major essays on literature are collected herein, including works on joseph conrad. Essential readings for the nonbeliever, and a mencken chrestomathy, and more on. A book of prefaces mencken is cited so often by writers and thinkers of stature that it should be no great surprise to have his own standing as a great original confirmed. I gather this was one of menckens more successful efforts when published, and its still readable and mainly relevant today for at least three of the four subjects. Joseph conrad theodore dreiser james huneker puritanism as a literary force. Mencken september 12, 1880 january 29, 1956, was an american journalist, essayist, magazine editor, satirist, acerbic critic of american life and culture, and a student of american english.
After a resident interrupts a man removing plaques honoring the sage of baltimore, a thief or thieves returns to remove 14 of them. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading a book of prefaces. The bathtub, mencken, and war foundation for economic. The project gutenberg ebook of a book of prefaces, by h. Mencken described the work as my most important book in its effects upon my professional career. Thus, menckena political animal to the coreturned to nonpolitical writing in order to publish. This fourth printing of a book of prefaces offers me temptation, as the.
A book of prefaces and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Mencken, known as the sage of baltimore, is regarded as one of the most influential american writers and prose stylists. Mencken 9 editions first published in 1916 read listen. Mencken 1880 1956 was an american journalist, essayist, magazine editor, satirist, acerbic critic of american life and culture, and a student of american english. Collection of literary essays including joseph conrard, theodore dreiser, james huneker, and puritanism as a literary force. Mencken described the work as most important book in its effects upon my professional career. Mencken 12 editions first published in 1917 read listen. Menckens 1917 collection of essays criticizing american culture, authors, and movements. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Free audio book that you can download in mp3, ipod and itunes format for your portable audio player. This fourth printing of a book of prefaces offers me temptation, as the third did, to revise the whole book, and particularly the chapters on conrad, dreiser and huneker, all of whom have printed important new books since the text was completed. This was preeminently the era of the moral tale, the sundayschool book. A book of prefaces more editions of a book of prefaces. Henry louis mencken september 12, 1880 january 29, 1956, was an american journalist, essayist, magazine editor, satirist, acerbic critic of american life and culture, and a scholar of american english. Skilled in satire, he was famous for the pungent criticism he aimed at all complacent attitudes and for his vigorous attacks on the shams and stuffiness of his day. I may have to see if i can find anything to read by. In defense of women, a controversial book which, according to one biographer, earned mencken a place as either a great defender of womens rights or the countrys highpriest of womanhaters. Theodore dreiser is a fascinating analysis excerpted from menckens book, a book of prefaces, originally published in 1917, fourth edition 1922. Many books dont require one, especially works of fiction, but if youre wondering how to write a preface, heres an overview.
A book of prefaces has 32 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Good press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. Please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. Collection of literary essays including joseph conrard, theodore. Shortly after world war ii, mencken expressed his intention of bequeathing his books and papers to the pratt library. Henry louis, 18801956 online books about this author are available, as is a wikipedia article mencken, h. Puritanism as a literary force addeddate 20080411 21.
Familiar with the risks flowing out of itand having just had to change the plates of my book of prefaces, a book of purely literary criticism, wholly without political purpose or significance, in order to get it through the mails, i determined to make this brochure upon the woman question extremely pianissimo in tone, and to avoid burdening. In fact, the book was considered vitriolic enough that menckens close friend alfred knopf was concerned about publishing it because of the massive increase in patriotism during world war i in america. Mencken presents master styling in a book of prefaces 1917, damn. Menckens a book of prefaces for your kindle, tablet, ipad, pc or mobile. Out of the desert of american fictioneering, so populous and yet so dreary, dreiser stands upa phenomenon unescapably visible, but disconcertingly hard to explain. Thief steals brass mencken book plaques from union. His book on the position of women in society, in defense of women, was issued in 1918. But the breadth of his private reading, the astuteness of his public observations and the extent of his own published output are astounding.
The philosophy of friedrich nietzsche 1907 mark twains americanism 1917 a book of prefaces 1917 in. A preface, which is included in the front matter of a book, is your chance to speak directly to your readers about why you wrote the book, what its about, and why its important. Literature was conceived, not as a thing in itself, but merely as a handmaiden to politics or religion. A book of prefaces paperback september 15, 2018 by h. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. This book is available for free download in a number of formats including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and more. Mencken, who insisted that the duty of writers was to present the unvarnished truth about life. Attached to the front endpaper is a onepage typed letter that folds out which is signed by mencken. In fact, the book was considered vitriolic enough that menckens close friend alfred knopf was concerned about publishing it because of the massive increase in patriotism during. Mencken, known as the sage of baltimore, is regarded as one of the most influential american writers and prose stylists of the first half of the 20th century. Thief steals brass mencken book plaques from union square fountain.
You can also read the full text online using our ereader. Mencken room and collection is located at the central branch of the enoch pratt free library on cathederal street in baltimore. And the first edition of menckens magnum opus, the american language, emerged in. Plaques like this on the union square fountain, honoring the works of baltimore writer h. Mencken a book of prefaces and a vol ume of prejudices by playing upon the prejudices of the white librarian a dumb black kid like that couldnt possibly be in terested in mencken and he went home and read like a man possessed. This edition includes a modern introduction and a list of suggested further reading. Book from the collections of unknown library language english. I gather this was one of mencken s more successful efforts when published, and its still readable and mainly relevant today for at least three of the four subjects. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Mencken 11 editions first published in 1912 read listen. A book of prefaces book by professor h l mencken 32. Knopf, 1920, also by george jean nathan gutenberg text and page images. Mencken 18801956 was an american journalist and author.
Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Read books for free with our new mobile friendly online book reader. A book of prefaces, a collection of literary criticism, appeared in 1917. A book of prefaces by henry louis mencken bookfusion. Mencken et explorez sa bibliographie sur sa page dauteur h. A contribution toward the interpretation of the national mind new york. Prefaces is a book of literary criticism containing the essays joseph conrad, theodore dreiser, james huneker, and puritanism as a literary force. Get the best deal by comparing prices from over 100,000 booksellers. Collection of literary essays including joseph conrard, theodore dreiser, james huneker, and puritanism as a literary fo.