LEADER 03269nam 2200613 a 450 001 9910777772003321 005 20230617003001.0 010 $a1-281-72277-4 010 $a9786611722777 010 $a0-300-13378-2 024 7 $a10.12987/9780300133783 035 $a(CKB)1000000000472084 035 $a(StDuBDS)BDZ0022171494 035 $a(SSID)ssj0000101971 035 $a(PQKBManifestationID)11124972 035 $a(PQKBTitleCode)TC0000101971 035 $a(PQKBWorkID)10043732 035 $a(PQKB)10067589 035 $a(StDuBDS)EDZ0000165562 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC3419828 035 $a(DE-B1597)485436 035 $a(OCoLC)1024004654 035 $a(DE-B1597)9780300133783 035 $a(Au-PeEL)EBL3419828 035 $a(CaPaEBR)ebr10167876 035 $a(OCoLC)923587250 035 $a(EXLCZ)991000000000472084 100 $a20041004d2005 uy 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aur||||||||||| 181 $ctxt 182 $cc 183 $acr 200 14$aThe American classics$b[electronic resource] $ea personal essay /$fDenis Donoghue 210 $aNew Haven $cYale University Press$dc2005 215 $a1 online resource (1 online resource (viii, 295 p.)) 300 $aBibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph 311 $a0-300-10781-1 320 $aIncludes bibliographical references (p. 263-280) and index. 327 $aIntroduction : after Emerson -- Emerson and "The American Scholar" -- Moby-Dick -- The Scarlet letter -- Walden -- Leaves of grass -- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 330 $aHow is a classic book to be defined? How much time must elapse before a work may be judged a "classic"? And among all the works of American literature, which deserve the designation? In this provocative new book Denis Donoghue essays to answer these questions. He presents his own short list of "relative" classics--works whose appeal may not be universal but which nonetheless have occupied an important place in our culture for more than a century. These books have survived the abuses of time-neglect, contempt, indifference, willful readings, excesses of praise, and hyperbole.Donoghue bestows the term classic on just five American works: Melville's Moby-Dick, Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Thoreau's Walden, Whitman's Leaves of Grass, and Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.Examining each in a separate chapter, he discusses how the writings have been received and interpreted, and he offers his own contemporary readings, suggesting, for example, that in the post-9/11 era, Moby-Dick may be rewardingly read as a revenge tragedy. Donoghue extends an irresistible invitation to open the pages of these American classics again, demonstrating with wit and acuity how very much they have to say to us now. 606 $aAmerican literature$y19th century$xHistory and criticism$xTheory, etc 606 $aCanon (Literature) 615 0$aAmerican literature$xHistory and criticism$xTheory, etc. 615 0$aCanon (Literature) 676 $a810.9/003 700 $aDonoghue$b Denis$0193571 801 0$bMiAaPQ 801 1$bMiAaPQ 801 2$bMiAaPQ 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910777772003321 996 $aThe American classics$93803294 997 $aUNINA