William Dean Howells : Novels 1886-1888 : The Minister's Charge / April Hopes / Annie Kilburn (Library of America)

Our foremost champion of literary realism, merges social commentary and social comedy in his examination of contrasts in New England life in the 19th century: Christian ideals and commercial success; the rituals of courtship and the realities of love; a community's democratic aspirations and its class divisions. Surprisingly modern in their psychological motivations, frequently uncertain in their actions, Howells' characters reflect their creator's sense of the complexity and vigor of what he called "poor Real Life."