Henry James (1843–1916) wrote novels, criticism, plays, an autobiography, and travel books. James’s first major novel, Roderick Hudson, appeared in 1875, but it was Daisy Miller that brought him international fame as the chronicler of American expatriates and their European adventures. His other novels include The American, The Wings of the Dove, and The Golden Bowl.
Herman Melville (1819–1891) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. At the age of 18, Melville was shipped out to sea, first on a short cargo trip, then, at 21, on a three-year South Sea whaling venture. From the experiences accumulated on this voyage would come the material for his books, including Typee and Moby-Dick.
Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 in Boston, the son of traveling actors. He published his first book of poems, Tamerlane and Other Poems, in 1827, but he did not achieve appreciable recognition until the publication of “The Raven” in 1845. He died in 1849.
Mark Twain, considered one of the greatest writers in American literature, was born Samuel Clemens in Florida, Missouri, in 1835, and died in Redding, Connecticut, in 1910. His career encompassed such varied occupations as printer, Mississippi riverboat pilot, journalist, travel writer, and publisher. He is the author of some of the most iconic works in the American canon, including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was born into a distinguished New York family and was privately educated in America and abroad. In 1905 she published The House of Mirth and two years later moved to France. Author of Ethan Frome and many other novels, she won the Pulitzer Prize in 1920 for The Age of Innocence.
