{"product_id":"9780300133783","title":"The American Classics: A Personal Essay","description":"\u003cp\u003eHow is a classic book to be defined? How much time must elapse before a work may be judged a “classic”? And among all the works of American literature, which deserve the designation? In this provocative new book Denis Donoghue essays to answer these questions. He presents his own short list of “relative” classics--works whose appeal may not be universal but which nonetheless have occupied an important place in our culture for more than a century. These books have survived the abuses of time—neglect, contempt, indifference, willful readings, excesses of praise, and hyperbole.\u003cbr\u003eDonoghue bestows the term classic on just five American works: Melville’s \u003ci\u003eMoby-Dick\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eHawthorne’s \u003ci\u003eThe Scarlet Letter\u003c\/i\u003e, Thoreau’s \u003ci\u003eWalden\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eWhitman’s \u003ci\u003eLeaves of Grass\u003c\/i\u003e, and Twain’s \u003ci\u003eAdventures of Huckleberry Finn\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003eExamining each in a separate chapter, he discusses how the writings have been received and interpreted, and he offers his own contemporary readings, suggesting, for example, that in the post–9\/11 era, \u003ci\u003eMoby-Dick\u003c\/i\u003e may be rewardingly read as a revenge tragedy. Donoghue extends an irresistible invitation to open the pages of these American classics again, demonstrating with wit and acuity how very much they have to say to us now.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yale University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47125138571504,"sku":"9780300133783","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780300133783_p0.jpg?v=1763669898","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780300133783","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}