Hamlin Garland (1860–1940)
Author of Main-Travelled Roads
About the Author
Hamlin Garland was born and raised on pioneer farms in the upper Midwest, and his earliest and best fiction (most of it collected in Main Travelled Roads, 1891) deals with the unremitting hardship of frontier life---angry, realistic stories about the toil and abuses to which farmers of the time show more were subjected. As his fiction became more popular and romantic, its quality seriously declined, and Garland is remembered today chiefly for a handful of stories, such as "Under the Lion's Paw" and "Rose of Dutcher's Coolly." His only contribution to literary theory is Crumbling Idols (1894), in which he argued for an art that was truthful, humanitarian, and rooted in a specific locale. The first volume of his autobiography, A Son of the Middle Border (1917), was followed by the much-admired second volume, A Daughter of the Middle Border (1921), which was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. He published several other volumes of reminiscence, all of which are once more available with the reprinting of the 45-volume collection of his works. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Courtesy of the NYPL Digital Gallery (image use requires permission from the New York Public Library)
Series
Works by Hamlin Garland
Prairie Songs: Being Chants Rhymed And Unrhymed Of The Level Lands Of The Great West (2006) 6 copies
The long trail 5 copies
Among the Moki Indians 2 copies
Christmas in Iowa 2 copies
Diaries 2 copies
Abandoned On The Trail 1 copy
The tranny of the dark 1 copy
Prairie Songs 1 copy
Delmar of Pima 1 copy
A member of the third house; a story of political warfare, By: Hamlin Garland: Novel, Hannibal Hamlin Garland… (2016) 1 copy
The spirit of Sweetwater 1 copy
A Day's Pleasure 1 copy
Associated Works
The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Concise Edition (2003) — Contributor — 68 copies, 1 review
The Signet Classic Book of Contemporary American Short Stories (1985) — Contributor — 43 copies, 1 review
Our lives : American labor stories — Contributor — 6 copies
Pulitzer Prize Winning Works Collection: One of Ours, His Family, Miss Lulu Bett, Cornhuskers, Anna Christie, Alice… (2013) 4 copies
The Bookman [U.S.], June 1930 — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Garland, Hannibal Hamlin
- Birthdate
- 1860-09-14
- Date of death
- 1940-03-04
- Burial location
- Neshonoc Cemetery, West Salem, Wisconsin, USA
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- West Salem, Wisconsin, USA
- Place of death
- Hollywood, California, USA
- Places of residence
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
St. Ansgar, Iowa, USA - Occupations
- novelist
poet
short-story writer
essayist
psychical researcher - Relationships
- Taft, Lorado (brother-in-law)
- Organizations
- Cliff Dwellers
- Awards and honors
- American Academy of Arts and Letters (1898)
Members
Reviews
While there are many beautiful descriptions and deep sympathy for the fate of "The Red Men",
Hamilin Garland continues -
despite his expressed beliefs in the equality of women in marriage -
to make All the decisions for his family.
His selfish choices result in deserting his Mother just before her impending death
and with subjecting his sick children to the bad health conditions of a city for many years.
(And, the longest marriage Non-proposal ever...)
He goes on and on and on about his alleged poverty - then hops on a train to travel Everywhere -
and on and on and on about The Past, The Past, The Past. Way enough.
Other choices remain a mystery - why he subjected himself, his beloved horse and his old friend
to impossible and predictable weather and terrain challenges for SIX long months defies comprehension.… (more)
Hamilin Garland continues -
despite his expressed beliefs in the equality of women in marriage -
to make All the decisions for his family.
His selfish choices result in deserting his Mother just before her impending death
and with subjecting his sick children to the bad health conditions of a city for many years.
(And, the longest marriage Non-proposal ever...)
He goes on and on and on about his alleged poverty - then hops on a train to travel Everywhere -
and on and on and on about The Past, The Past, The Past. Way enough.
Other choices remain a mystery - why he subjected himself, his beloved horse and his old friend
to impossible and predictable weather and terrain challenges for SIX long months defies comprehension.… (more)
Good stories about the midwest area and farming people. Had to read it for English in 10th grade, I think, but worthwhile anyway!
Was an alright read. Mostly about missed opportunities with some adventure, river raft chapter being the best.
Lists
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 71
- Also by
- 34
- Members
- 968
- Popularity
- #26,597
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 19
- ISBNs
- 331
- Languages
- 2
- Favorited
- 2
Father's military discipline soon changed the house rules, fomenting Hamlin's quiet and long lasting rebellion.
Inspiring descriptions of West Salem nature and birdsong everywhere in his travels alternate with repetitive and depressing death orations.
Hamlin's father did not consult his wife in any major decisions, like where to live.
This oppressive attitude unfortunately carried on in Hamlin's marriage.
He moved from ultimately loathed farming and ranching into carpentry and,
once adopted into Boston's literary circles, into becoming a prolific author
who could finally help his Mother to enjoy the decent and relaxed life back in Wisconsin
that she had earned,
despite his father's ongoing objections to leaving The Dakotas..… (more)