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What does it mean to be popular? Is it a mark of good character, or merely a sign that you're well-regarded among an influential group of elites? The hero in Booth Tarkington's tale The Conquest of Canaan has achieved a strange kind of popularity—he's seen as a prince among those who are down on their luck, but to the upper classes and the powerful, he might as well be invisible. Will Joe Loudon be able to channel his limited influence
...2) The Flirt
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Booth Tarkington has an amazingly deft touch with characterization, and the tense relationship between town flirt Cora Madison and her quieter sister Laura is so compelling that the story has been the basis for a number of filmed versions. As with Tarkington's later novel The Magnificent Ambersons, The Flirt is a thoroughly entertaining portrait of a dysfunctional but ultimately loving family.
In American author Booth Tarkington's best-known novels and stories, he describes the changing of the cultural guard in the United States as the moneyed aristocracy gave way to the up-and-coming robber barons and titans of industry. In The Guest of Quesnay, Tarkington casts his social scrutiny on a different continent, using the figure of an American painter in Paris as a lens through which to explore relationships between European and American
...Booth Tarkington's first novel, The Gentleman From Indiana, lays out a number of the recurring themes that would reappear in many of the author's later works, including a Midwestern setting and a highly moral protagonist who battles against forces of evil which are often symptomatic of deeper problems in the United States. In this story, the upright John Harkness returns to his hometown after law school, only to find himself locked in conflict
...Stoke the fire, grab a cup of hot cocoa, and curl up with this heartwarming Christmas tale from beloved American author Booth Tarkington. Set in an unnamed state in the Midwest, Beasley's Christmas Party follows the adventures of a journalist who has just moved to town to join the staff of the local newspaper. Soon after arriving, he becomes aware of an interesting and eccentric local character named David Beasley whose political prospects
...Many people who are traveling abroad take the opportunity to forge a new, albeit temporary, identity for themselves. In his quest to be welcomed among the upper crust in Europe, American Robert Russ Mellin creates a moneyed, cultured alter ego. However, before long, Mellin happens to encounter a man who is the embodiment of everything that he himself aspires to be. Will he survive this collision of the real and the imaginary?
Is there something about aesthetic beauty that can soothe the soul of even the most troubled individual? That's the question at the center of Booth Tarkington's eminently entertaining short novel The Beautiful Lady. In the story, a down-on-his-luck Italian who is barely scraping by in Paris has his whole life turned upside down by a chance encounter with the enchanting temptress referred to in the book's title.
8) Alice Adams
The winner of the 1922 Pulitzer Prize in literature and the subject of several well-received film adaptations, Alice Adams is regarded as one of Booth Tarkington's most accomplished novels. The tale follows the exploits of the plucky young protagonist, who disregards her family's low social standing and pursues love with the well-heeled young man of her dreams.
Throughout history, bit players on the sidelines have somehow become embroiled in the most notorious scandals, finding themselves wrapped up in intrigue with far-reaching consequences they could never have imagined. That's exactly what happens to the eponymous protagonist of Booth Tarkington's novel, Monsieur Beaucaire. This humble barber to the French ambassador to England finds himself at the center of a scandalous love triangle. Will
...One of the most popular novels of the early twentieth century, Booth Tarkington's The Two Vanrevels is a gripping and entertaining romp that effortlessly weaves together many of the elements that define the author's oeuvre, including a passionate love triangle, a case of mistaken identity, and a look at how political and social events can often intrude on the personal sphere.
This epic tale recounts the triumphs and tribulations of an upper-class American clan as they navigate the challenges of life in the aftermath of the Civil War and the birth of the Industrial Revolution. The basis for Orson Welles' renowned 1942 film of the same name, this richly detailed novel is a must-read for lovers of historical fiction.
12) Penrod
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Booth Tarkington, creator of the beloved novels The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice Adams, also created the lovable character of Penrod Schofield, who is at the center of several collections of tales, short stories, and humorous anecdotes. Penrod, the first title in the series, will appeal to fans of Tom Sawyer and other classic children's literature.
13) Penrod and Sam
The follow-up to the beloved Penrod, this novel from acclaimed author Booth Tarkington focuses on the relationship between best pals Penrod Schofield and Sam Williams as they navigate the pitfalls of adolescence and fumble toward adulthood. Though originally written for a young adult audience, Penrod is an eminently memorable character who will entertain readers of every age.
American novelist Booth Tarkington's life spanned the period 1869-1946, giving him a unique insight into the United States as its culture underwent a number of rapid changes. In the humorous novel Harlequin and Columbine, Tarkington explores the cult of celebrity that began to flower in earnest in the early decades of the twentieth century, using the character of an egotistical actor, Talbot Potter, as the focus of his gentle but hilariously
...15) The Turmoil
Booth Tarkington is one of an elite group of only three writers who have been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for literature more than once. The novel The Turmoil is the first entry in the 'Growth' trilogy of books that focus on the social and economic upheaval brought about by the Industrial Revolution.
16) Gentle Julia
Although the title character, Julia, is a sweet and pretty girl with dozens of admirers, it is her young cousin Florence who really steals the show with her tart observations and complicated schemes. Author Booth Tarkington was known as an uncannily apt creator of child characters, and he hits the ball out of the park with Gentle Julia. This delightful story is a must-read for classic literature lovers of all ages.
American novelist Booth Tarkington was a keen observer of the divisions between social classes in the United States, and his stories often focused on those who reigned supreme in the country's halls of power. The collection In the Arena brings together a number of Tarkington's best-known short works that deal with various aspects of the U.S. political process.
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