The Choir Invisible
The Choir Invisible is a novel by James Lane Allen published in 1897. A bestseller,[1][2] it was the second-best selling book in the United States for 1897.
 1897 book cover | |
| Author | James Lane Allen |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
Publication date | April 1897 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 361 pp |
A poignant love story, it is set in Kentucky[3] in 1795 and begins with a portion of the poem "Choir Invisible" by George Eliot.[4] Though criticized for lacking depth, being full of digressions, and "artistically disappointing", it was his most popular novel.[5] An 1897 review in The Atlantic Monthly faulted the book for its "meagre" structure, yet praised its tone and style.[6] The book is often regarded as Allen's best work.[7]
The novel was developed from a novelette Allen published in 1893 titled "John Gray: A Kentucky Tale of the Olden Time".[8]
References
- (6 October 1946). Fifty Years of Best Sellers, compiled in Popular Culture
- (19 February 1925). James Lane Allen, Author, Dies at 76: Creator of "The Choir Invisible" Collapses In Roosevelt Hospital From Chronic Insommnia, The New York Times
- "James Lane Allen (1849-1925). The Choir Invisible. Keller, ed. 1917. The Reader's Digest of Books". www.bartleby.com.
- "The Choir Invisible by James Lane Allen" – via www.gutenberg.org.
- Bottorff, William K. (1964). James Lane Allen: A Sketch of His Life & Work. Twayne's United States authors series. 56. New York: Twayne. pp. 69–72. OCLC 252052738.
- "Mr. Allen's The Choir Invisible". The Atlantic Monthly. Vol. 80. 1897. pp. 143–44.
- Inge, M. Thomas, ed. (2014). "Allen, James Lane". The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. 9: Literature. UNC Press. p. 166. ISBN 9781469616643.
- Bottorff, p. 161, note 2.
External links
- The Choir Invisible (full scan, via Google books)
- Review from 1897 finding beauty in the book but faulting it for lack of balance
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