영어로 읽는 고전 _ 메러디스 니콜슨의 행복의 희망
Meredith Nicholson의 "The Hope of Happiness"는 20세기 초에 쓰인 소설입니다. 이 이야기는 어머니의 과거에 대한 폭로와 그의 진정한 친자 관계에 대한 그녀의 고백에서 비롯된 복잡한 감정에 씨름하는 청년 Bruce Storrs를 중심으로 전개됩니다. 그는 새로운 도시에 정착하고 가족의 유산에 맞서는 과제를 헤쳐 나가면서 정체성, 열망, 소속감에 대한 탐구라는 주제가 등장합니다. 소설의 서두에서 Bruce는 고요한 강에서 수영을 하며 여름의 편안함을 되돌아보고, 죽은 어머니의 편지를 읽는 데 몰두하여 부모의 숨겨진 진실을 밝힙니다. 이 편지들은 오랫동안 묻혀 있던 비밀을 밝혀낼 뿐만 아니라, 그가 온 도시에 사는 친부 Franklin Mills에 대해 알아보려는 Bruce의 결심을 형성합니다. 브루스는 어머니의 말을 흡수하면서 자신의 혼혈 유산이 미치는 영향을 숙고하고, 자신의 성격을 시험할 뿐만 아니라 도시의 활기찬 사회 생활에 들어가면서 그를 새로운 우정과 기회로 이끄는 여정을 시작합니다.
Classics Read in English _ The hope of happiness by Meredith Nicholson
"The Hope of Happiness" by Meredith Nicholson is a novel written in the early 20th century. The narrative centers around Bruce Storrs, a young man grappling with the revelation of his mother’s past and the complex emotions stemming from her confession regarding his true paternity. As he navigates the challenges of establishing himself in a new city and confronting his familial legacy, themes of identity, aspiration, and the search for belonging emerge. The opening of the novel introduces Bruce as he swims in a tranquil river, reflecting on the summer's ease, before he immerses himself in reading letters from his deceased mother that reveal the hidden truths of his parentage. These letters not only uncover a long-buried secret but shape Bruce's resolve to learn about his biological father, Franklin Mills, who lives in the same city to which he has come. As Bruce absorbs his mother's words, he contemplates the implications of his mixed heritage and sets off on a journey that promises to not only test his character but also lead him to new friendships and opportunities as he enters the vibrant social life of the city.
Among the contents
Bruce Storrs stood up tall and straight on a prostrate sycamore, the sunlight gleaming upon his lithe, vigorous body, and with a quick, assured lifting of the arms plunged into the cool depths of the river. He rose and swam with long, confident strokes the length of a pool formed by the curving banks and returned to the log, climbing up with the same ease and grace that marked his swimming. He dashed the water from his eyes and pressed his deeply-tanned hands over his shapely head. It was evident that he was the fortunate inheritor of clean blood in a perfectly fashioned body; that he had used himself well in his twenty-eight years and that he found satisfaction and pride in his health and strength. He surveyed the narrow valley through which the river idled and eddied before rushing into the broader channel beyond—surveyed it with something of the air of a discoverer who has found and appropriated to his own uses a new corner of the world.
Meredith Nicholson (1866-1947)은 미국의 작가이자 정치인으로, 인디애나 주 크롤포드빌에서 태어났습니다. 그는 주로 소설과 수필을 집필했으며, 특히 중서부 지역의 삶과 문화를 작품의 주요 소재로 다뤘습니다.
그의 가장 유명한 작품은 1905년에 출간된 "The House of a Thousand Candles"로, 미스터리 소설의 특징을 잘 보여주는 작품입니다. 이 소설은 상업적으로도 큰 성공을 거두어 당시 베스트셀러가 되었습니다.
Nicholson은 작가 활동 외에도 정치 분야에서도 활발히 활동했는데, 1928년에는 민주당 소속으로 인디애나 주 의회 의원으로 선출되었습니다. 또한 1933년부터 1934년까지는 우드로 윌슨 대통령 임기 중 파라과이 주재 미국 대사로 재직했습니다.
그의 작품들은 주로 인디애나 주를 배경으로 하며, 지역의 역사와 문화를 상세히 묘사하는 것이 특징입니다. "The Hoosiers"(1915)와 같은 작품을 통해 인디애나 주의 문학적 전통을 확립하는 데 기여했습니다.
Meredith Nicholson (1866-1947) was an American author and politician born in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He primarily wrote novels and essays, often using the life and culture of the Midwest as the main subject matter in his works.
His most famous work, "The House of a Thousand Candles," published in 1905, exemplifies the characteristics of a mystery novel. This book achieved great commercial success and became a bestseller at the time.
Besides his writing career, Nicholson was also active in politics. In 1928, he was elected as a Democratic member of the Indiana State Legislature. He also served as the U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay from 1933 to 1934 during President Woodrow Wilson's administration.
His works are primarily set in Indiana, and are characterized by detailed descriptions of the region's history and culture. Through works such as "The Hoosiers" (1915), he contributed to establishing Indiana's literary tradition.