(print) xiii, 500 p. ; 25 cm

Preface ix -- I. The Moral and Critical Discussion 3 -- 1. American Literature? 4 -- 2. A Novelist's Practices : Mrs. Rowson 22 -- 3. The Pernicious Novels Exposed : "Female Quixotism" 46 -- II. Usable Fiction 63 -- 4 . Didactic Fiction 65 -- 5. Satirical And Polemical Fiction 87 -- III. The Love Story 168 -- 6. Self-Denial 169 -- 7. Cruel Parents 188 -- 8. Perfidious Rivalry 210 -- 9. A Rival Passion 223 -- 10. Overwhelming Odds 231 -- 11. Illegitimate Love 242 -- 12. Seduction 257 -- IV. The Novel Of Adventure 281 -- 13. "Fortune's Foot-Ball" 283 -- 14. Mystery And Terror 307 -- 15. Lofty Crime 331 -- 16. Strands Of History 371 -- Conclusion 397 -- Appendix : Synopses 403 -- Bibliography 465 -- Index 493