
The Rise of Silas Lapham
'The Rise of Silas Lapham ' Summary
The novel begins with Silas Lapham, a middle-aged native of rural New England, being interviewed for a newspaper story about his rise to wealth in the mineral paint business. Despite his limited education, Lapham is a shrewd and hardworking man, an American success story. But he, his wife and two daughters feel socially awkward compared to other wealthy Bostonians. They decide to build a new home in the fashionable Back Bay neighborhood, and Lapham spares no expense in making it impressive.
Tom Corey, a young man from an "old money" Boston family, shows an interest in the Lapham girls, and Mr. and Mrs. Lapham assume he is attracted to Irene, their beautiful younger daughter. Corey joins the Lapham paint business in an attempt to find his place in the world, rather than rely on his wealthy father. Tom introduces Lapham to the cream of Boston society at a dinner party, and they remain on good terms even though the occasion turns out to be embarrassingly awkward.
As Tom continues calling on the Laphams regularly, it's assumed that he wants to marry Irene, and she hopes for just such a result. Tom, however, later shocks both families by revealing that he loves Penelope, the older, less glamorous but more intelligent and thoughtful Lapham sister. Though Penelope has feelings for Tom, she is held back by the romantic conventions of the era, not wanting to act on her love for fear of betraying her sister.
Meanwhile, Lapham and his wife, Persis, sometimes clash over people from their past. For instance, he is very generous to the family of his fallen Civil War comrade Jim Millon, feeling that he owes the man his life. He quietly sends money to Millon's widow and gives the couple's daughter a job. Persis Lapham considers the two women irresponsible characters who are taking advantage of her husband and potentially damaging his reputation, but he insists he is paying a debt of honor. Also, Mrs. Lapham often complains to her husband that he dealt shabbily with his former business partner Milton K. Rogers, who has come down in the world since their association ended. Silas Lapham insists he was fair to Rogers.
Amid the uproar over the Corey courtship, Rogers quietly reappears in the Laphams' life, asking for money for a series of schemes. Persis Lapham convinces her husband to provide the help. Unfortunately, Rogers proves to be a very poor businessman, and the Laphams' new dealings with him cause them to lose a considerable amount of money. On top of that, Lapham's major asset, the new home on Beacon Street, burns down before its completion due to his own carelessness.
Mr. and Mrs. Lapham are forced to move to their humble rural home, where the mineral paint was first developed, and while they are not destitute, they are no longer wealthy. Tom and Penelope are finally able to marry after Irene accepts their romance. The elder Laphams, living in the countryside by themselves, are left to reflect on their extraordinary rise and decline.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1885Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Authors

William Dean Howells
United States
William Dean Howells was an American realist novelist, literary critic, and playwright, nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters". He was particularly known for his tenure as editor...
Books by William Dean HowellsDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas
Two young men, a matchmaking aunt, and a fortune hunter in a farcical comedy of mistaken identity! Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas is a classic farc...

History of Emily Montague Vol I by Frances Moore Brooke
Set against the backdrop of the newly British Quebec, Frances Moore Brooke's 'History of Emily Montague' is an epistolary novel that explores the comp...

Langs een omweg by A. L. G. Bosboom-Toussaint
Regina van Berchem, a wealthy young woman, moves to the city after the death of her father. She becomes disillusioned with the shallowness and greed o...

Tale of Peter Mink by Arthur Scott Bailey
Arthur Scott Bailey (1877 – 1949) was author of more than forty children's books. Bailey's writing has been described thusly by the Newark Evening New...

Concerning Isabel Carnaby by Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler
Isabel Carnaby, an orphan returning from India, finds herself navigating the complex and often superficial world of upper-class British society. Despi...

Greatheart by Ethel M. Dell
When Dinah is invited on a skiing trip with her wealthy neighbors, she experiences a taste of freedom that she has never had before. She meets three s...

Long Run by Edith Wharton
In 'Long Run' by Edith Wharton, a wealthy bachelor businessman, now in his later years, reflects on a passionate but ultimately thwarted romance from...

Sisters by Ada Cambridge
Sisters is the story of four young women coming of age on a rural property in northern Victoria. But it is also the story of Guthrie Carey, a young sa...

Will Warburton by George Gissing
Will Warburton is a story about a young man who loses his money in a failed business venture and must come to terms with his new job as a grocer. It i...

Cross Currents by Eleanor H. Porter
Eleanor H. Porter's "Cross Currents" tells the poignant tale of Margaret, a young girl thrust into a world of hardship and uncertainty after a tragic...
Reviews for The Rise of Silas Lapham
No reviews posted or approved, yet...