London Films

by William Dean Howells

Overview

Whoever carries a mental kodak with him (as I suspect I was in the habit of doing long before I knew it) must be aware of the uncertain value of the different exposures. This can be determined only by the process of developing, which requires a dark room and other apparatus not always at hand; and so much depends upon the process that it might be well if it could always be left to some one who makes a specialty of it, as in the case of the real amateur photographer. Then one's faulty impressions might be so treated as to yield a pictorial result of interest, or frankly thrown away if they showed hopeless to the instructed eye. Otherwise, one must do one's own developing, and trust the result, whatever it is, to the imaginative kindness of the reader, who will surely, if he is the right sort of reader, be able to sharpen the blurred details, to soften the harsh lights, and blend the shadows in a subordination giving due relief to the best meaning of the print. This is what I fancy myself to be doing now, and if any one shall say that my little pictures are superficial, I shall not be able to gainsay him. I can only answer that most pictures represent the surfaces of things.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633555341
Publisher:	Start Classics
Publication date:	01/08/2015
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	190
File size:	403 KB

About the Author

William Dean Howells (1837-1920) was an American novelist, literary critic, and editor who played a significant role in the development of American literature in the late 19th century. He was born in Ohio and worked as a printer's apprentice before becoming a journalist and eventually a fiction writer. Howells' most famous novels include "The Rise of Silas Lapham," "A Hazard of New Fortunes," and "The Minister's Charge." He was also an influential literary critic and editor, serving as the editor of The Atlantic Monthly from 1871 to 1881 and advocating for realism in literature. Howells was a friend and mentor to many writers of his time, including Mark Twain and Henry James. He also played an important role in promoting the works of African American writers, such as Paul Laurence Dunbar. Throughout his career, Howells was known for his social commentary and his concern for social justice. He was a strong advocate for women's rights and was active in the abolitionist movement before the Civil War. Overall, William Dean Howells was a key figure in the development of American literature in the late 19th century, and his contributions as a novelist, critic, and editor continue to be studied and appreciated today.