Two Men

by Elizabeth Stoddard, Jennifer Putzi (Editor)

We first meet Jason Auster when he climbs out of a stagecoach in a New England maritime town and, as it were, salutes destiny. A twenty-year-old house carpenter who has come adventuring, Jason hopes to “put in practice certain theories concerning the rights of men and property which had already made him a pest at home.” And, indeed, theory and practice, destiny and self-determination are all following quite different paths as this antebellum story of love and power, incest and family honor, and sexual bonds and intractable conflicts between races and classes plays out against the backdrop of a nation—and a world—divided.

 

First published in 1865, this novel tracks the fortunes of Jason and his unlikely bride, the aristocratic Sarah Parke, along with the children and wards, the lost loves and secret passions that define and forever alter an entire family and everyone who touches it. Uniquely located within the romantic, realist, and regional traditions, this oddly unsentimental tale illuminates the racial, sexual, and political conventions and conflicts of its time even as it offers an unusual and compelling perspective on the historical moment it reflects.

338 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

Elizabeth Drew Barstow studied at Wheaton Seminary, Norton, Massachusetts. After her marriage in 1852 to poet Richard Henry Stoddard, the couple settled permanently in New York City, where they belonged to New York's vibrant, close-knit literary and artistic circles. She assisted her husband in his literary work, and contributed stories, poems and essays to the periodicals. Many of her own works were originally published between 1859 and 1890 in such magazines as The Aldine, Harper's Monthly, Harper's Bazaar, and The Atlantic Monthly.

Source:Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Ulyera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every single prediction I made regarding this book came true. I don’t know if that says more about me or the book.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

like. this was fine.

[izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for class, very interesting book about passions and gender norms!

[Wisteria Leigh]

2008-Summer,19th century author,19th century,Elizabeth Stoddard,domestic fiction,women roles,southern society,race and class difference,

[Ralph Poole]

gave up