内容简介
TheRiseofSilasLaphamwasthefirstimportantnoveltocenterontheAmericanbusinessmanandthefirsttotreatitsthemewitharealismthatforeshadowedtheworkofmodernwriters.Inhisstoryofoneofthemillionaireindustrialistswhoflourishedinthepost-CivilWaryears，WilliamDeanHowellsprobesthemoralandsocialconflictsthatconfrontaself-mademantryingtocrashBoston’sold-guardaristocracy.SilasLaphamisamanofconsciencewhofullyrealizeshisfolly;butheisalsoanambitiousmanwholetshisaspirationsleadhimtoriskbothhisfortuneandhisfamily’shappinessforstatusinasocietythatwillnevertrulyaccepthim.“Hisperceptionsweresure，hisintegritywasabsolute，”wroteHenrySeidelCanbyofWilliamDeanHowells，whomhecreditedasbeing“responsibleforgivingtheAmericannovelform.”
作者简介
WilliamDeanHowellswasborninMartinsFerry,Ohio,onMarch1,1837.Between1856and1861heworkedasareporterfortheOhioStateJournal.AboutthistimehispoemsbegantoappearinTheAtlanticMonthly.HiscampaignbiographyofAbrahamLincoln,compiledin1860,promptedtheadministrationtoofferhimtheconsulshipatVenice,apostheheldfrom1861to1865.HemarriedElinorGertrudeMeade,ayoungwomanfromVermont,inParisin1862.OnhisreturntotheUnitedStatesin1865,HowellsworkedinNewYorkbeforegoingtoBostonasassistanttoJamesT.FieldsofTheAtlanticMonthly.In1871hebecameeditor-in-chiefofthemagazine.Inthispositionheworkedwithmanyyoungwriters,amongthemMarkTwainandHenryJames,bothofwhombecamehisclosefriends.Hisfirstnovel,TheirWeddingJourney,appearedin1872.TheRiseofSilasLaphamwasserializedinCenturyMagazinebeforeitwaspublishedinbookformin1885.AHazardofNewFortuneswaspublishedfiveyearslater.Hispositionascritic,writer,andenthusiasticexponentofthenewrealismearnedWilliamDeanHowellsthetitleofDeanofAmericanLetters.Hediedin1920.LouisAuchinclosswasahighlyacclaimednovelist,literarycritic,andhistorian.HismorethanfiftybooksincludeTheRectorofJustin,TheHouseofFiveTalents,andTheAtonement.Heisalsotheauthorofseveralnonfictionworks,includingTheManBehindtheBook:LiteraryProfiles,andamemberandPresidentEmeritusoftheAmericanAcademyofArtsandLetters.,,,,
