The Making of Americans: Being a History of a Family's Progress (American Literature Series) (Paperback)

by Gertrude Stein (Author)
Key Phrases: independent dependent kind, dependent independent kind, one being living, David Hersland, Alfred Hersland, Julia Dehning (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
From the "I can't believe this is out of print" file comes Stein's monster of a novel, which was initially serialized by Hemingway and Ford Madox Ford in the Transatlantic Review. Although Stein does not follow convention, the plot portrays three generations of an American family. An abridged edition was released in 1934, but this is a facsimile of the original text published in Paris in 1925 by Robert McAlmon's Contact Editions. Essential for all literature collections.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Her major work deserves to be in print, and so it is shocking to realize that this is the first commonly available paperback of her magnum opus, one of those mammoth, monstrous books that's worth carrying around for weeks . . . One dips into these repetitive pages in the hope, usually justified, of learning something about the musical and syntactic possibilities of English prose. Many people find Bach tediousall those variations and fuguesbut in her way Stein is putting her sentences through the same kind of ingenious paces." -- Washington Post Book World 1-21-96

"It is a shame that Stein's works are not better known for there are many levels to her literary and descriptive projects that continue to reach right to the heart of expressive language. The introduction and foreword to this massive novel offer some guidance to its general themes and project. More than anything Stein's work needs to be read aloud to savor the spoken tangle of work sense. Highly recommended." -- Reader's Review 1-17-96

"It must be said that The Making of Americans is oddly moving, and can yield a new pleasure to anyone who is willing to learn Miss Stein's idiom." -- Francis Fergusson, Saturday Review of Literature

"This sober, tender-hearted, very searching history of a family's progress, comprehends in its picture of life which is distinctively American, a psychology which is universal." -- Marianne Moore, Dial

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Product Details

• Paperback: 925 pages
• Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564780880
• ISBN-13: 978-1564780881
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,921 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written!, January 30, 2002

By	Elizabeth Howard "literary crone" (Apple Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It is a shame that so much of Gertrude Stein's work is dismissed because of its unconventionality. Though sometimes difficult to read, Stein's writing has a lyrical quality about it unparalleled by the work of other writers. The Making of Americans is probably one of her best, and well worth the effort it might take to read it. I found that after only a few pages, I was moved along by the rhythm and cadence that carries the story. A wonderful read!

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The great unsung classic of the twentieth century., November 5, 1998

By A Customer

What starts of as an anecdotal recounting of what I imagine is Stein's forefathers and foremothers immigrant experience launches off into a brilliant, highly intellectual examination and rhapsody of individuality and conformity among other things (like death and consciousness and the battle between the sexes). This book will literally change the way you think you think. I think it should.