One Man A Novel Robert Steele 9781117687957 Books
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This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.
One Man A Novel Robert Steele 9781117687957 Books
Loved it. This is the type of book you will never forget unlike the best sellers of today i.e. PattersonProduct details
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Tags : One Man : A Novel [Robert Steele] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.,Robert Steele,One Man : A Novel,BiblioBazaar,1117687953,HISTORY General,History
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One Man A Novel Robert Steele 9781117687957 Books Reviews
I discovered this novel after reading H.L. Mencken's back story of its genesis in The Library of America's Story of the Week (#192, "Portrait of an Immortal Soul"). [Incidentally, the LOA's Story of the Week is an email I highly recommend subscribing to, as I look forward to receiving it each Sunday.]
Mencken had received an unsolicited request by an unknown novice writer asking him to read his manuscript and to subsequently offer insights. After initially rejecting this all too common request, the unknown writer badgered away, eventually offering to pay for this service. Mencken relented, read the unwieldy tome, and discovered that although it was in ridiculously poor shape, beneath the flaws was a good deal of potential. He wrote a lengthy response to the unknown writer offering suggestions. Several weeks later the edited version of the book was returned to Mencken, who writes
"This time I had a genuine surprise. Not only had the unknown followed my suggestions with much intelligence; in addition, once set up on the right track, he had devised a great many excellent improvements of his own. In its new form, in fact, the thing was a very competent and even dexterous piece of writing, and after rereading it from the first word to the last with even keener interest than before, I sent it to Mitchell Kennerley, then an active publisher, and asked him to look through it. Kennerley made an offer for it at once, and eight or nine months later it was published with his imprint. The author chose to conceal himself behind the nom de plume of Robert Steele; I myself gave the book the title of 'One Man.' It came from the press - and straightway died the death. The only favorable review it received was mine in the 'Smart Set.' No other reviewer paid any heed to it. No one gabbled about it. No one, so far as I could make out, even read it. The sale was small from the start, and quickly stopped altogether....To this day the fact fills me with wonder. To this day I marvel that so dramatic, so penetrating and so curiously moving a story should have failed so overwhelmingly....
"For I have never been able to convince myself that I was wrong about it. On the contrary, I am more certain than ever, re-reading it after half a dozen years, that I was right - that it was and is one of the most honest and absorbing human documents ever printed in America. I have called it, following the author, a novel. It is, in fact, nothing of the sort; it is autobiography. More, it is autobiography unadorned and shameless, autobiography almost unbelievably cruel and betraying, autobiography that is as devoid of artistic sophistication as an operation for gall-stones. This so-called Steele is simply too stupid, to ingenious, too moral to lie. He is the very reverse of an artist; he is a born and incurable Puritan - and in his alleged novel he draws the most faithful and merciless picture of an American Puritan that has ever got upon paper."
Mencken's full story of this novel can be found in the volume "H.L. Mencken Prejudices First, Second, and Third Series," available here H L Mencken Prejudices Library America
Mencken's writing about "One Man" intrigued me very much, so I ordered it and just last night finished the book. It held my interest very much, particularly the parts about his father's poor treatment of him as a child and young man, which in many ways is a cautionary tale to parents everywhere. I was most surprised by the number of women the author had rendezvous with, and imagined him an exceedingly handsome fellow, and somewhat shocked at how easily and often he had intimacies with so many ladies. The language of his era gives the work a late 19th century, early 20th century feel. The printing of the book is a bit unusual in that the font size is slightly larger than usual, so although it appears thick it's truly a quick read. There is not hyphenation when words at the ends of sentences break, which is also a bit unusual, but easily overcome.
I'm glad I found this book, an enjoyable diversion with memorable insights.
Many years later Mencken added a note updating the story
"After the book herein discussed came out I heard nothing more from the author until 1935, when he wrote to me from Wisconsin and then from Chicago. It appeared that he had married, had nine children, and was out of work, and that the whole family was trying to live on a dole of $17.28 a week. He said that he had written another book . . . , but I never heard any more about it.*
* Source A Second Mencken Chrestomathy (1995)."
Loved it. This is the type of book you will never forget unlike the best sellers of today i.e. Patterson
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