+ Springf’d Republican p8a Ap 4 ’20 2050w
HOWELLS, WILLIAM DEAN, ed. Great modern American stories. *$1.75 Boni & Liveright
20–11148
“Twenty-four short stories, ranging from Edward Everett Hale’s ‘My double’ and Harriet Prescott Spofford’s ‘Circumstance’ of other days, to George Ade’s ‘Effie Whittlesy’ and Theodore Dreiser’s ‘The lost Phoebe’ of the present, make up the contents of an anthology of ‘The great modern American stories.’ The selection is made by none other than William Dean Howells, and to it he contributes an introduction which is by no means the least interesting feature of the volume. It is compressed within eight pages, and it forms a compact summary of the course of American short story writing during the past half-century and more.”—Boston Transcript
“A fascinating collection. One finds old favorites almost forgotten such as ‘The little room,’ while the stories one looks for are here too.”
+ Booklist 17:33 O ’20 + Boston Transcript p7 Jl 14 ’20 700w
“Some of the stories which are given a place cause one to wonder on what possible basis Mr Howells made his choice. Their inclusion might be comprehensible were it not for the brilliant tales which they displace. Mr Howells’ omissions are indeed decidedly more striking than his selections.”
− + Cath World 112:270 N ’20 240w
“A nice adjustment of personal preferences to inevitable inclusions is here revealed.”