Spoon River Anthology
Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters, published by Signet Classics in 2007, is a reprint edition comprising 308 pages in English. This collection features dramatic monologues written in free verse, centered around a fictional town called Spoon River, which draws inspiration from the Midwestern towns of Masters’ youth. The work explores the hidden scandals and tragedies of its inhabitants, revealing the complexities of small-town life and challenging the notion of moral superiority often associated with such communities.
Readers will encounter a diverse array of voices from the deceased residents of Spoon River, as they share their truths from beyond the grave. The anthology presents a vivid tapestry of characters, including murderers, drunkards, and dreamers, each contributing to a narrative that reflects the darker aspects of human experience. With an introduction by John Hollander and an afterword by Ronald Primeau, this edition offers insights into the enduring significance of Masters’ work within American poetry and literature.
Official synopsis Publisher
In 1915, Edgar Lee Masters published a book of dramatic monologues written in free verse about a fictional town called Spoon River, based on the Midwestern towns where he grew up. The shocking scandals and secret tragedies of Spoon River were immediately recognized by readers as authentic. Masters raises the dead “sleeping on the hill” in their village cemetery to tell the truth about their lives, and their testimony topples the American myth of the moral superiority of small-town life. Spoon River, as undeniably corrupt and cruel as the big city, is home to murderers, drunkards, crooked bankers, lechers, bitter wives, abusive husbands, failed dreamers, and a few good souls. The freshness of this masterpiece undiminished, Spoon River Anthologyremains a landmark of American literature.
With an Introduction by John Hollander and an Afterword by Ronald Primeau
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