Prue and I George William Curtis 9781117481487 Books
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This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.
Prue and I George William Curtis 9781117481487 Books
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Tags : Prue and I [George William Curtis] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.,George William Curtis,Prue and I,BiblioBazaar,1117481484,HISTORY General,History
Prue and I George William Curtis 9781117481487 Books Reviews
Biography of our author, George William Curtis. Curtis was born in Providence on February 24, 1824,
and his mother died when he was two. At six he was sent with his elder brother to school in
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, where he remained for five years. Then, his father having again married happily,
the boys were brought home to Providence, where they stayed till, in around 1839, their father moved to New York.
Three years later, Curtis, fell in sympathy with the spirit of the so-called Transcendental movement.
He joined the communal experiment known as Brook Farm from 1842 to 1843. He was accompanied by his brother,
James Burrill Curtis, whose influence on him was strong and helpful. He remained there for two years,
and met many interesting men and women. Then came two years, passed partly in New York, partly in Concord
in order mainly to be in the friendly neighborhood of Emerson, and then followed four years spent in Europe,
Egypt and Syria.
Curtis returned from Europe in 1850, attractive, accomplished, and ambitious for literary distinction.
He settled on Staten Island and instantly plunged into the whirl of life in New York, obtained a post on
the Tribune, became a popular lecturer, started work on Nile Notes of a Howadji (1851), and became a
favorite in society. He wrote for Putnam's Magazine, of which he was George Palmer Putnam's.
He became an associate editor along with Parke Godwin and managing editor Charles Frederick Briggs;
the three also collaborated on a gift book called The Homes of American Authors (1853).
Curtis produced a number of volumes, composed of essays written for Putnam's and for Harper's Monthly,
which came in rapid succession from his pen. The chief of these were the Potiphar Papers (1853),
a satire on the fashionable society of the day; and Prue and I (1856), a pleasantly sentimental,
fancifully tender and humorous study of life. In 1855 he married Anna Shaw, daughter of abolitionist
Francis Shaw and brother of Robert Gould Shaw of the famed 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.
Not long afterwards he became, through no fault of his own, deeply involved in debt owing to the
failure of Putnam's Magazine; and his sense of honour compelled him to spend the greater part of
his earnings for many years on discharging the obligations for which he had become responsible,
and from which he might have freed himself by legal process. In the period just preceding the Civil War,
other interests became subordinate to those of national concern. He was involved in the founding of
the Republican Party, and made his first important speech on the questions of the day at
Wesleyan University in 1856; he engaged actively in John C. Fremont's presidential campaign of that year
(the Republican campaign headquarters were located not far from his Staten Island home),
and was soon recognized not only as an effective public speaker, but also as one of the ablest,
most high-minded, and most trustworthy leaders of public opinion.
In 1863 he became the political editor of Harper's Weekly, which was highly influential in shaping public opinion.
Curtis's writing was always clear and direct, displaying fairness of mind and good temper. He had high moral standards.
From month to month he contributed to Harper's Monthly, under the title of "The Easy Chair," brief essays on topics
of social and literary interest, charming in style, touched with delicate humour and instinct with generous spirit.
His service to the Republican party was such, that he was offered several nominations to office, and might have
been sent as minister to England; but he refused all such offers, preferring to serve the country as editor and
public speaker.
In 1871 he was appointed, by President Ulysses S. Grant, to chair the commission on the reform of the civil service.
Its report was the foundation of every effort since made for the purification and regulation of the service and for
the destruction of political patronage. From that time Curtis was the leader in this reform, and its progress is
mainly due to him. He was president of the National Civil Service Reform League and of the New York Civil Service Reform
Association. In 1884 he refused to support James G Blaine as candidate for the presidency, and thus broke with the
Republican party, of which he had been a founder and leader. From that time he stood as the typical independent in politics.
In April 1892 he delivered at Baltimore his eleventh annual address as president of the National Civil Service
Reform League, and in May he appeared for the last time in public, to repeat in New York an address on
James Russell Lowell, which he had first delivered in Brooklyn on the 22nd of the preceding February,
the anniversary of Lowell's birth.
Curtis was one of the original members of the Board of Education for what would become New York City,
and advocated educational reforms. He was a member of and frequent speaker at the Unitarian Church on Staten Island
(the congregation still meets in the same building). A high school not far from his home is named for him.
His Works
Nile Notes of a Howadji (1851)
The Howadji in Syria (1852)
Lotus-Eating (1852)
Potiphar Papers (1853) (Project Gutenberg text)
Prue and I (1856) (Project Gutenberg text)
Trumps (1862)
Washington Irving A Sketch (1891)
Essays from the Easy Chair (1893) (Project Gutenberg text)
Orations And Addresses (1894)
Literary and Social Essays (1895) (Project Gutenberg text)
Early Letters of George Wm. Curtis to John S. Dwight Brook Farm and Concord (1898) (Project Gutenberg text)
Am struggling to finish it as it is not keeping my interest. To much fantasy. Seems like poor Prue is stuck with someone who is just a day dreamer.
Oh, George William Curtis. How I wish...How I wish you were here. You and I are kinda like two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year...
Oh, well, please forgive the Pink Floyd references, but I have to say, few have ever spent as much time in their own head than the members of the aforementioned band and Mr. Curtis, respectfully. And you will get a chance to spend time in the head of Mr. Curtis' characters if you are so inclined to read this book, as well.
**Minor Spoilers**
Mr. Curtis, a transcendentalist and former occupant of Brook Farm does his wily best to show us a radically different point of view. He suceeds with flying colors. 'Prue and I' tells us the near psychadelic experiences of an old accountant, with his steadfast companion, the loyal, dutiful housewife Prue, and his close companion, his older fellow underling accountant and friend, Mr. Titbottom. While our accountant evidently has far too much time on his hands, he whiles the hours aways drifting and devloping elaborate fantasies about beautiful single women, castles, boats, etc. At first, I was not quite sure where his thoughts ended and reality began, or if the author really chose to distinguish between the two. As to the question, in the end, I decided that he did not.
Oh, and don't forget Mr. Titbottom's Spectacles. A chapter which really is a stand alone short story in the middle of a novel. Really, a 'spectacle' allegory in which his magical 'spectacles' can let you see how people 'really are,' which in his case is always true, but only in a metaphorical way. Quite weird, really, but offers up a few insights along the way. A nice free interlude (smack in the middle of the book) for the price of admission.
Oh, and then there is the abundance of literary and historical references, which represent the 'pop culture' references of the day. Baron Munchausen makes his way into a cameo role in this book, with a retelling of a little adventure of his own. Bookies might find these references enlightening, comical, and adding to the overall appeal of the story.
The book wraps up with some bittersweet musings on love, which leaves us with all the warm touchy feely stuff we could handle after such a long cerebral voyage. Overall, I have become comfortably numb (PF Again!). I really have exited this book as a born again introvert, one who can feel quite comfortable musing about inside my own brain, content to be quiet. Hope I can shake it off soon. Note to self detract one star for this.
Recommended.
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