A hazard of new fortunes Book

"A great American novel . . . it remains uncannily contemporary." (Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker)

Set against a vividly depicted background of fin de siŽcle New York, this novel centers on the conflict between a self-made millionaire and a fervent social revolutionary-a conflict in which a man of goodwill futilely attempts to act as a mediator, only to be forced himself into a crisis of conscience. Here we see William Dean Howells's grasp of the realities of the American experience in an age of emerging social struggle. His absolute determination to fairly represent every point of view is evident throughout this multifaceted work. Both a memorable portrait of an era and a profoundly moving study of human relationships, A Hazard of New Fortunes fully justifies Alfred Kazin's ranking of Howells as "the first great domestic novelist of American life."

Author Biography: William Dean Howells (1837-1920) began publishing poetry in 1856. In 1865, Howells began working at the Atlantic Monthly. He became editor-in-chief of the magazine, and in this position worked closely with many writers, among them Mark Twain and Henry James, who became his close friends.