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Leonard Merrick

A Forgotten Novelist's Novelist

William Baker and Jeanette Roberts Schumaker

This study is the first comprehensive, full-length account of the works of the Anglo-Jewish author Leonard William Merrick formerly Miller, (1864-1939). Drawing on unpublished materials, it covers Merricks twelve novels, his several volumes of short stories, eight plays, and contributions to motion pictures. A former actor, Merrick often wrote about actors; George Orwell regards Merricks fiction about the theater as the best of its time, especially The Passion of Peggy Harper (1911). H. G. Wells applauded Merricks depiction of racism in The Quaint Companions (1903). Anti-Semitism is shown in Violet Moses (1891). Mr. Bazalgettes Agent (1888) is the first novel in English to star a lady detective whose story is told through her diary. Many of Merricks works also focus upon a NewWoman. The pioneering meta-fictional aspects of Merricks works deserve attention.

University Press Copublishing Division / Fairleigh Dickinson University Press

Pages: 226 • Trim: 6¾ x 9¾

978-1-61147-427-5 • Hardback • June 2009 • $113.00 • (£87.00)

Subjects: Literary Criticism / Reference, Literary Criticism / American / General, Literary Criticism / Jewish, Literary Criticism / Books & Reading

Leonard Merrick

A Forgotten Novelist's Novelist

Hardback

Summary

This study is the first comprehensive, full-length account of the works of the Anglo-Jewish author Leonard William Merrick formerly Miller, (1864-1939). Drawing on unpublished materials, it covers Merricks twelve novels, his several volumes of short stories, eight plays, and contributions to motion pictures. A former actor, Merrick often wrote about actors; George Orwell regards Merricks fiction about the theater as the best of its time, especially The Passion of Peggy Harper (1911). H. G. Wells applauded Merricks depiction of racism in The Quaint Companions (1903). Anti-Semitism is shown in Violet Moses (1891). Mr. Bazalgettes Agent (1888) is the first novel in English to star a lady detective whose story is told through her diary. Many of Merricks works also focus upon a NewWoman. The pioneering meta-fictional aspects of Merricks works deserve attention.

Details

University Press Copublishing Division / Fairleigh Dickinson University Press

Pages: 226 • Trim: 6¾ x 9¾

978-1-61147-427-5 • Hardback • June 2009 • $113.00 • (£87.00)

Subjects: Literary Criticism / Reference, Literary Criticism / American / General, Literary Criticism / Jewish, Literary Criticism / Books & Reading

Author

William Baker is distinguished research professor and professor of English at Northern Illinois University.
Jeanette Roberts Shumaker is a professor of English at San Diego State University.

Reviews

The real contribution of this book is to remind us of Leonard Merrick's existence, to give a comprehensive overview of his work, to situate him in his literary historical context, and to offer a road map to anyone wishing to do further work.
— English Literature In Translation

The pioneering meta-fictional aspects of Merrick's works deserve attention.
— Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal Of Jewish Studies

Leonard Merrick

A Forgotten Novelist's Novelist

William Baker and Jeanette Roberts Schumaker

Leonard Merrick

A Forgotten Novelist's Novelist

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