The BURIED Book Club discussion

Writer suggested by friend Sketchbook:

Henry Blake Fuller



From Encyclopedia Britannica:
Henry Blake Fuller, (born January 9, 1857, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.—died July 28, 1929, Chicago), American novelist who wrote about his native city of Chicago.
Fuller came from a prosperous Chicago family and attended the city’s schools. After a foray into business he lived for a year abroad, mostly in Italy, to which he returned several times. His first two novels—The Chevalier of Pensieri-Vani (1890; written under the pseudonym Stanton Page) and The Chatelaine of La Trinité (1892)—were gracefully told, brief but unhurried tales about Europe.

Fuller took a decidedly different direction with The Cliff-Dwellers (1893), a realistic novel, called the first important American city novel, about people in a Chicago skyscraper. With the Procession (1895) was another realistic novel about a wealthy Chicago merchant family and the efforts of some of its members to keep up with the city’s wealthy ruling class. His other fiction set in Chicago includes Under the Skylights (1901), short stories about the city’s artistic life; On the Stairs (1918), a novel about two men, one going up in life, the other down; and Bertram Cope’s Year (1919), which is about an instructor at the University of Chicago. He continued his European-based fiction with Waldo Trench and Others (1908), stories about Americans in Italy; and Gardens of This World (1929), which extends the tale begun in his first book.

Fuller helped establish the book review section of the Chicago Evening Post (1901–02) and wrote editorials from 1911 to 1913 for the Chicago Record-Herald.

Here's the Wikipedia page on him:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Bl...

Almost all of his books are available on Kobo as free ebooks,just create an account and download them:

http://www.kobobooks.com/search/searc...

A few on Gutenberg:

Bertram Cope's Year by Henry Blake Fuller - Free Ebook
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8101

Under the Skylights by Henry Blake Fuller - Free Ebook

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8196

With the Procession by Henry Blake Fuller - Free Ebook

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8891

Bertram Cope's Year is an engaging social comedy abt a young chap resolving his sexual identity. Author Fuller couldnt find a publisher in 1919, so he published himself. Fuller had never before touched on sexual issues. Although he's v discreet here, critics were fussed-up and the novel sold poorly. Reissued in the mid-1990s, it won acclaim -- deservedly. Fuller did not write another book.

Written almost 100 years ago, this insightful book has a very contemporary feel.

Self-publishing...poor reception...things haven't really changed much now,have they?
Thanks for this perceptive comment,Sb- hope it'll make readers here,give his books a try.

Sketchbook reviewed it:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

And so did Mike Puma:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Carl Van Vechten tried to promote Fuller in the early 20s ("one of our very best writers") and they began a correspondence. ~~ To novelist Edna Kenton (1924) CVV wrote that Fuller, then 67, "is taking a youth fr the University of Illinois abroad in June. He describes him as an Indiana Methodist." The older aesthete in Bertram Cope's Year is based on Fuller, who died in 1929.

Thanks. Will keep these details in mind when I finally pick up this book. (God,when will that happen!).

Soon, I hope. I just re-read it...speaking of Restoration tone....

Chicago Review of Books Press is launching. BURIED Chicago-ean books is what they're up to. First one out of the launch pad is Henry Blake Fuller’s The Cliff-Dwellers. [their edition, lmt'd to 300 copies ; is shipping this Tuesday for you who can't wait ;; I don't see it at amazon so order direct please ; should be pretty]

Order
https://chireviewofbooks.com/press/

"Printing will be in the capable hands of Minneapolis’s Bookmobile — the same people who print for Coffee House Press, Milkweed Editions, and more — so we can guarantee they’ll be beautiful."
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2018/04/...

"A New Press. For Old Books. In the Digital Age. Seriously. --
The publication kicks off its newly minted press with Henry Blake Fuller’s The Cliff-Dwellers."
http://www.chicagomag.com/arts-cultur...

"Is This a Classic Chicago Novel?"
By Kathleen Rooney
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2...

Thanks for this info !

@NR: “Is This a Classic Chicago Novel?"
By Kathleen Rooney
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2... “

Interesting article & reminded me of the “What is a Classic?” status post of yours from years ago!
This new print is great news indeed!!

Mala wrote: "This new print is great news indeed!! "

Yep. I'm looking forward to what else they find to pub.