William Dean Howells

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Howells was appointed United States consul in Venice, Italy. In Venetian Life, an utterly engaging travelogue, Howells revises a series of travel letters he had written about his experiences in Venice for the Boston Advertiser. Honest in its love for (yet discomfort in) Venice, it would be followed by Italian Journeys.

Howells spent several years in Italy as a diplomat. He wrote a number of timeless books based on his travels there, including Italian Journeys and Venetian Life. A captivating portrait of one of Italy's fabled regions, Tuscan Cities is indispensable reading for travelers and armchair dreamers alike.

A fantasy in which Mr. Howells enjoys the society of the great dramatist while they leisurely go to various pageants and festivities together. Shakespeare becomes his guest for a week-end and the immortal playwright confides that he "Never felt quite happy about the way people talked of Anne." The dialogue between them is rich in humor and quite as delicious as anything that the distinguished American author has ever done, putting many of his pungent...

Selections from the pages of the magazine first published in 1827.