 1897 book cover | |
| Author | James Lane Allen |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
| Publication date | April 1897 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 361 pp |
The Choir Invisible is a novel by James Lane Allen published in 1897. A bestseller, it was the second-best selling book in the United States for 1897.
A poignant love story, it is set in Kentucky in 1795 and begins with a portion of the poem "The Choir Invisible" by George Eliot. Although criticized for lacking depth, being full of digressions, and "artistically disappointing", it was his most popular novel. An 1897 review in The Atlantic Monthly faulted the book for its "meagre" structure, yet praised its tone and style. The book is often regarded as Allen's best work.
The novel was developed from a novelette Allen published in 1893 titled "John Gray: A Kentucky Tale of the Olden Time".
References
- (6 October 1946). Fifty Years of Best Sellers, compiled in Popular Culture
- (19 February 1925). James Lane Allen, Author, Dies at 76: Creator of "The Choir Invisible" Collapses In Roosevelt Hospital From Chronic Insommnia, The New York Times
- "James Lane Allen (1849-1925). The Choir Invisible. Keller, ed. 1917. The Reader's Digest of Books". www.bartleby.com.
- "The Choir Invisible by James Lane Allen" – via www.gutenberg.org.
- Bottorff, William K. (1964). James Lane Allen: A Sketch of His Life & Work. Twayne's United States authors series. Vol. 56. New York: Twayne. pp. 69–72. OCLC 252052738.
- "Mr. Allen's The Choir Invisible". The Atlantic Monthly. Vol. 80. 1897. pp. 143–44.
- Inge, M. Thomas, ed. (2014). "Allen, James Lane". The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. Vol. 9: Literature. UNC Press. p. 166. ISBN 9781469616643.
- Bottorff, p. 161, note 2.
External links
- The Choir Invisible (full scan, via Google books)
- Review from 1897 finding beauty in the book but faulting it for lack of balance