An indispensable tool for teachers and students of American literature, Reading the American Novel 1865-1914 provides a comprehensive introduction to the American novel in the post-civil war period.

Locates American novels and stories within a specific historical and literary context
Offers fresh analyses of key selected literary works
Addresses a wide audience of academics and non-academics in clear, accessible prose
Demonstrates the changing mentality of 19th-century America entering the 20th century
Explores the relationship between the intellectual and artistic output of the time and the turbulent socio-political context