Bret Harte

Broschiertes Buch

Tales of Trail and Town

Beschreibung

It must be admitted that the civilizing processes of Rough and Ready were not marked by any of the ameliorating conditions of other improved camps. After the discovery of the famous "Eureka" lead, there was the usual influx of gamblers and saloon-keepers; but that was accepted as a matter of course. But it was thought hard that, after a church was built and a new school erected, it should suddenly be found necessary to have doors that locked, instead of standing shamelessly open to the criticism and temptation of wayfarers, or that portable property could no longer be left out at night in the old fond reliance on universal brotherhood. The habit of borrowing was stopped with the introduction of more money into the camp, and the establishment of rates of interest; the poorer people either took what they wanted, or as indiscreetly bought on credit. There were better clothes to be seen in its one long straggling street, but those who wore them generally lacked the grim virtue of the old pioneers, and the fairer faces that were to be seen were generally rouged. There was a year or two of this kind of mutation, in which the youthful barbarism of Rough and Ready might have been said to struggle with adult civilized wickedness, and then the name itself disappeared.

Autor

Bret Harte (1836-1902) was an American author and poet known for his vivid portrayals of life in the American West during the 19th century. Born in Albany, New York, Harte moved to California during the Gold Rush era, where he worked as a miner, teacher, and journalist. His experiences in the Wild West provided inspiration for his literary career. Harte's early stories and poems captured the frontier atmosphere with realism and humor, often depicting the lives of miners, gamblers, and other colorful characters. He gained widespread acclaim for his short story "The Luck of Roaring Camp" (1868), which introduced his distinctive style and themes of rugged individualism and moral ambiguity. As an editor for "The Overland Monthly," Harte published his stories and poems, including "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" (1869) and "Miggles" (1869), which further solidified his reputation as a master of Western fiction. His works often explored the clash between frontier idealism and the harsh realities of life on the edge of civilization. Later in his career, Harte's literary output diversified to include essays, plays, and novels. He served as a U.S. Consul in Germany and Scotland, where he continued to write and publish prolifically. Despite controversy and critical shifts in reception later in life, Bret Harte's contributions to American literature left a lasting impact, influencing subsequent writers and contributing to the enduring mythology of the American West.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: 1st World Publishing
• Seitenzahl: 236
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. Oktober 2008
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 216mm x 140mm x 14mm
• Gewicht: 339g
• ISBN-13: 9781421893167
• ISBN-10: 1421893169
• Artikelnr.: 25581650