Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
Penguin Press (2014), Edition: 1st Edition, 336 pages
Description
Traces the birth of modern America as reflected by the writings of Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Charles Warrant Stoddard, and Ina Coolbrith, placing their achievements and personal lives against a backdrop of the post-Gold Rush era in California.
Media reviews
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A comprehensive account of prose writers Mark Twain and Bret Harte, and poets Ina Coolbrith and Charles Warren Stoddard. Ben Tarnoff tells us how this group interacted to create progression in literary history. Over time, the
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four bonded and were referred to as "The Bohemians" of San Francisco.
There was a lot of material compiled into this book, mostly focusing on Mark Twain. I was unaware of the connections between these four writers and how exactly their relationships impacted literature that we know today. Honestly, I wish he focused more on the other three writers and included a more unbiased view about Ina Coolbrith's life and intentions. It is often we find poets who were trouble, struggling, or soul-searching, but this has become a bit of a norm. I'm sure there's much more to this story.
If you know next to nothing about The Bohemians of San Francisco, this could bode as an interesting and enlightening read for you. The formatting was done fairly well, aside from some of the fonts around the photos. I liked how it mirrored a script-like handwriting, but it was at times difficult to interpret. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member mattries37315
In The Bohemians, Ben Tarnoff describes how Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Charles Warren Stoddard, and Ina Coolbrith interacted with and were influenced both personally and professionally by one another in San Francisco during and immediately after the Civil War before transforming American literature.
The main focus of the book as stated clearly in the subtitle is Twain with Harte as the clear secondary focus. Tarnoff describes the lives of both men before their meeting in San Francisco, their working relationship with one another, their mutual influences on one another, and their at first subtle then overt rivalry. The book’s narrative essentially ends when Harte leaves for Europe in 1878, never to return to the United States. If Tarnoff had written about the two men who brought the western literary tradition into acceptance in the New England-dominated American literary establishment only to veer off into different directions, he would have succeeded.
However the inclusion of and subsequence failure to properly include Stoddard and Coolbrith into the account undermines Tarnoff’s work. Both Stoddard and Coolbrith come off by the end of the book as very minor in their work and accomplishments, which in the case of Coolbrith is literally a slap in the face. While Stoddard had a working relationship in some capacity to both Twain and Harte as well as his own poetry and prose, Coolbrith’s later elevation to California poet laureate as well as her interesting friendships and experiences both inside and outside her domestic cage are ignored. In the end their inclusion comes off as being due to sexual orientation and gender than their actual achievements.
The Bohemians gives an insight into how the western branch of American literature sprung up and was intertwined with that of the Eastern establishment to create the cultural landscape we experience today. Twain, Harte, and the early history of California and the Far West are highlights of the book, however the use of Stoddard and Coolbrith as glorified window-dressing is the major downside.
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It is not only the story of four writers of cultural significance, but of the shining, optimistic early history of California and Far West in relation to the established East.The main focus of the book as stated clearly in the subtitle is Twain with Harte as the clear secondary focus. Tarnoff describes the lives of both men before their meeting in San Francisco, their working relationship with one another, their mutual influences on one another, and their at first subtle then overt rivalry. The book’s narrative essentially ends when Harte leaves for Europe in 1878, never to return to the United States. If Tarnoff had written about the two men who brought the western literary tradition into acceptance in the New England-dominated American literary establishment only to veer off into different directions, he would have succeeded.
However the inclusion of and subsequence failure to properly include Stoddard and Coolbrith into the account undermines Tarnoff’s work. Both Stoddard and Coolbrith come off by the end of the book as very minor in their work and accomplishments, which in the case of Coolbrith is literally a slap in the face. While Stoddard had a working relationship in some capacity to both Twain and Harte as well as his own poetry and prose, Coolbrith’s later elevation to California poet laureate as well as her interesting friendships and experiences both inside and outside her domestic cage are ignored. In the end their inclusion comes off as being due to sexual orientation and gender than their actual achievements.
The Bohemians gives an insight into how the western branch of American literature sprung up and was intertwined with that of the Eastern establishment to create the cultural landscape we experience today. Twain, Harte, and the early history of California and the Far West are highlights of the book, however the use of Stoddard and Coolbrith as glorified window-dressing is the major downside.
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LibraryThing member muddyboy
A well written and researched book for a limited audience. The book focuses on a group of young authors who become friends in San Francisco during the mid 1800's. Some of them become American literary icons - Mark Twain and Bret Harte, and others in the group do not. The book focuses on the rivalry
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that develops between Harte and Twain for the public's adulation later in life. Another central theme is the struggle that the Western authors had to go through to gain respect in New England and the East. This book will be very interesting to English majors, teachers and Harte and Twain enthusiasts but not stimulation for a crossover casual reader. Show Less
LibraryThing member Beamis12
The Bohemians includes a young Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Stoddard and Ina Coolbirth, though this book really only gives one an in depth view of Harte and Twain. What I liked most about this book was the wonderful history presented within.
San Francisco, mid eighteen hundreds, many arrive fleeing the
Follows the lives of Twain, and Harter from their arrival through to their eventual departure. This stay in San Francisco at this time would forever mark the way they wrote and the things they wrote about. Interesting facts. Entertaining reading.
San Francisco, mid eighteen hundreds, many arrive fleeing the
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Civil War and the need to fight. The changes wrought by the power of the written word as newspapers and literary journals abound, providing unlimited access to the news as well as current literature. The advent of the railroad, making everything so much more accessible and the flock of people who know make their living and lives in the west. So many characters make the west the place to be. The drinking, the parties, gambling and of course prostitution make it easy to fulfill every desire.Follows the lives of Twain, and Harter from their arrival through to their eventual departure. This stay in San Francisco at this time would forever mark the way they wrote and the things they wrote about. Interesting facts. Entertaining reading.
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LibraryThing member bibliophile_pgh
Mark Twain is one of my favorite authors. I was unaware of the connections he had had with the other authors and their relationships. It was an interesting read to see how his career and the careers of these other authors were created and how he was able to maintain as well as excel and they did
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not. I wish he had gone into a little more depth of Ina Coolbirth's life and career. Show Less
LibraryThing member JBreedlove
One of the best non-fiction books I've read in a while. A lot of context and insight on a period and place in American history. Now I finally understand why Twain was the beginning of modern American literature.
LibraryThing member zzshupinga
ARC provided by NetGalley
Mark Twain has long been regarded as one of the voices of not only early America, but of modern America as well. Far ahead of his time Twain had an enormous impact upon American thought, life, and art after the Civil War and in the making of modern America. But he wasn’t
Mark Twain has long been regarded as one of the voices of not only early America, but of modern America as well. Far ahead of his time Twain had an enormous impact upon American thought, life, and art after the Civil War and in the making of modern America. But he wasn’t
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alone in his efforts. In this book Ben Tarnoff describes how Twain, Bret Harte, Charles Warren Stoddard, and Ina Coolbrith interacted and were influenced by each other and how they helped shape american literature. Tarnoff does an excellent job of showing how they all met, influenced each other, and then became rivals. 3 out of 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rascalstar
Superb! I learned so much from reading this highly researched book. It's written in a fetching and literary style, easy to read, and the content makes it fascinating. How much do you know about the early days of San Francisco? What about Mark Twain and his formative writing years? Heard of Bret
For anyone interested in writers, this is a must read. For those interested in history, the book is an equally fascinating look at a period of the 1800s, both in the early days of the west and in the east. This is not only a lovely book but a real achievement. I can't imagine how long the research must have taken, so the author has made it easy for the rest of us to learn about this time period and this group of Bohemians.
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Harte, Ina Coolbrith, Charles Warren Stoddard? And if you know their works, what do you know about their personal lives? For anyone interested in writers, this is a must read. For those interested in history, the book is an equally fascinating look at a period of the 1800s, both in the early days of the west and in the east. This is not only a lovely book but a real achievement. I can't imagine how long the research must have taken, so the author has made it easy for the rest of us to learn about this time period and this group of Bohemians.
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Awards
San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year (Nonfiction — 2014)
Language
Original language
English
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