History Faculty Publications

Document Type

Book Review

Publication Date

Summer 2014

Publication Source

Studies in American Naturalism

Abstract

Harold Frederic’s The Damnation of Theron Ware (1896) is a terrific novel. The title character is a young, naïve, poorly educated Methodist minister who — when the narrative begins — has been appointed to take the pastorate of a small-town church in upstate New York. It is within only a matter of weeks after moving to Octavius with his wife, Alice, that Theron makes the acquaintance of exotic and compelling individuals who challenge his heretofore unexamined evangelical faith. Abandoning his Methodism with impunity, Ware is soon hurtling toward his “damnation.”

Damned but not dead: At the end of the novel, Theron and Alice are heading out to Seattle, where the feckless ex-minister will superintend a real estate company while considering the possibility of embarking on a career in politics.

Inclusive pages

105-107

ISBN/ISSN

1931-2555

Document Version

Preprint

Comments

Book's citation information: Richmond B. Adams. Harold Frederic’s Social Drama and the Crisis of 1890s Evangelical Protestant Culture. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 2013. ISBN: 9780773445307.

The document available for download is the author's submitted manuscript, provided with the permission of the publisher.

Some differences may exist between the manuscript and the published version; as such, researchers wishing to quote directly from this resource are advised to consult the version of record.

Publisher

University of Nebraska Press

Volume

9

Issue

1

Link to published version

COinS