Marya reviewed The rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells (Penguin classics)
Review of 'The rise of Silas Lapham' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
If you like Henry James you're probably going to find this book, which covers some of the same old money-new money tensions James does, very interesting; but to my surprise it was also extremely readable and sad and funny, and the characters very sympathetic. Howells seems to have as much sympathy for Lapham's struggles with society customs as he does for the old-money defensiveness that works against him.