Tag Archives: American Literature

White Fang

Posted on June 29, 2016 by smellincoffee

White Fang© 1906 Jack Londonpp. 1- 101, Tales of the North. “An’ right here I want to remark,’ Bill went on, ‘that that animal’s familiarity with camp-fires is suspicious an’ immoral.’‘It knows for certain more’n a self-respectin’ wolf ought to … Continue reading →

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The Copperhead

Posted on May 5, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Copperhead© 1893 Harold Frederic108 pages War can destroy a city without the first shell falling on it. Such was nearly the fate of Four Corners, New York, a small farming community in its upper reaches. Far removed from the … Continue reading →

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Little Women

Posted on April 1, 2015 by smellincoffee

Little Women© 1868 Louisa May Alcott528 pages “But you see, Jo wasn’t a heroine, she was only a struggling human girl like hundreds of others, and she just acted out her nature, being sad, cross, listless, or energetic, as the mood … Continue reading →

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Where the Red Fern Grows

Posted on December 5, 2014 by smellincoffee

Where the Red Fern Grows© 1961 Wilson Rawls245 pages “I suppose there’s a time in practically every young boy’s life when he’s affected by that wonderful disease of puppy love. I don’t mean the kind a boy has for the … Continue reading →

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Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Posted on July 8, 2014 by smellincoffee

Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly© 1852 Harriet Beecher Stowe          500 pages Written as an indignant response to the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law, Uncle Tom’s Cabin shook the American landscape in the mid-19th century as few other novels … Continue reading →

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Common Sense

Posted on July 4, 2014 by smellincoffee

Common Sense© 1776 Tom Paine After the battles of Lexington and Concord that scotched any idea of peaceful reconciliation between Britain and its former colonies, but before the Declaration of Independence that stared the colonies on their march toward united … Continue reading →

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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Posted on July 2, 2014 by smellincoffee

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer© 1876 Mark Twain202 pages             There is truly no better time to revisit The Adventures of Tom Sawyerthan the summer, with its long, languid days bringing back memories of childhood liberty from school, and the … Continue reading →

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The American Classics

Posted on July 1, 2014 by smellincoffee

Readers may have noticed in recent weeks American literature appearing with more frequency than usual on a blog that is dominated by nonfiction. This is not an accident; a few weeks ago I arranged a course of reading for myself … Continue reading →

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This week at the library: the Spirit of ’76

Posted on June 30, 2014 by smellincoffee

Greetings, dear readers! It’s been a busy week for me, reading-wise, because work at the library has been slow. Oprah and Brad Pitt have been wandering around town filming for a movie,  and a lot of our usual patrons and traffic … Continue reading →

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A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Posted on June 29, 2014 by smellincoffee

A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass© 1845 Frederick Douglass144 pages Although modern readers take for granted the idea that slavery is “bad”, its horrors can only be fully appreciated  by the shared experience of those who were subjected … Continue reading →

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