He knew that any novel full of such vulgarity and moral laxity would not sell. It was not only Doubleday's dislike of the novel, but also his business acumen which prompted him to halt publication. Then, Frank Doubleday, the senior partner, upon returning from Europe, read the proof sheets and stopped publication. Walter Page, a partner in the firm, joined Norris in his praise of Sister Carrie and signed an agreement with Dreiser to publish it. The manuscript had already been refused by two publishers when Frank Norris, author of the powerful naturalistic novel McTeague, and also an editor for Doubleday, Page and Company, read the manuscript and proclaimed it to be one of the best novels he had ever read. Sister Carrie, Dreiser's first novel, was presented to a reading public not yet ready for its stark realism and pessimistic view of life.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |