Spirit of American Literature by John Albert Macy provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse literary landscape in the United States, spanning from the early colonial period to the early 20th century. Macy skillfully analyzes the works of prominent American writers such as Washington Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, and Walt Whitman, offering insightful interpretations of their works and shedding light on their significance in the development of American literature.

One of the strengths of this book is Macy's incorporation of historical context, which helps readers understand the connections between literature and the social, political, and cultural developments of the time. Macy's prose is engaging and accessible, making the book suitable for both casual readers and scholars alike. Additionally, his passion for American literature shines through in his thoughtful analysis and commentary, which adds depth and nuance to his discussions of the various works.

While Macy's focus on predominantly white, male writers may be seen as a limitation, his exploration of lesser-known figures and movements, such as regionalism and naturalism, helps to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the American literary tradition. Overall, Spirit of American Literature is a valuable resource for anyone interested in delving into the rich tapestry of American literary history, offering a thoughtful and engaging exploration of the spirit that has shaped and continues to shape the nation's literature.

Book Description:
THE SPIRIT OF AMERICAN LITERATURE is a collection of essays reviewing contemporary authors on the literary scene at the turn of the century and assessing the uniquely American characteristics of their growing body of work. Excerpted from the author’s preface: “In this book something is said about most, if not quite all, of the emergent figures in American literature; an attempt is made to survey the four corners of the national library and to give an impression of its shape and size. If its purpose is approximately realized, this volume will be found to be a little nearer to a collection of appreciative essays than to a formal history or bibliographic manual. …To be sure, the historian avowedly and properly puts emphasis on writers who are dead in the flesh, and finishes off his contemporaries briefly because they are not yet established and are too numerous to mention. But it seems well, in books about literature, not to discuss writers admittedly dead in the spirit, whose names persist by the inertia of reputation...All that I wish to plead is that a living lion is better than a dead mouse...If, as I believe, accepted handbooks and histories of American literature pay too much attention to doubly dead worthies, whose books are not interesting, and miss or but timidly acknowledge contemporary excellence, there is a way of accounting for it.”