From a career spanning half a century and a tally of works including thirty-five full length novels,

remains conspicuous in the oeuvre of William Dean Howells (1837-1920) for its readerly longevity. Since its appearance in 1885, the novel has never been out of print, even while the author’s reputation has suffered the vicissitudes of changing tastes and shifting canonical preferences. Like one of its title character’s favorite fleet-footed horses, the novel came out of the gate at full gallop. London’s

immediately declared that “

is a novel which no one can neglect who cares to understand American character. Any one who wishes to gain an insight into the conditions of life in America, and to peer into its social…

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Citation: Anesko, Michael. "The Rise of Silas Lapham". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 February 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7593, accessed 04 December 2024.]