Emory Holloway

Not many people know that Walt Whitman--arguably the preeminent American poet of the nineteenth century--began his literary career as a novelist. "Franklin Evans, or The Inebriate: A Tale of the Times" was his first and only novel. Published in 1842, during a period of widespread temperance activity, it became Whitman's most popular work during his lifetime, selling some twenty thousand copies. The novel tells the rags-to-riches story of Franklin Evans, an innocent young man from the Long Island countryside who seeks his fortune in New York City. Corrupted by music halls, theaters, and above all taverns, he gradually becomes a drunkard. Until the very end of the tale, Evans's efforts to abstain fail, and each time he resumes drinking, another series of misadventures ensues. Along the way, Evans encounters a world of mores and conventions rapidly changing in response to the vicissitudes of slavery, investment capital, urban mass culture, and fervent reform. Although Evans finally signs a temperance pledge, his sobriety remains haunted by the often contradictory and unsettling changes in antebellum American culture. The editors' substantial introduction situates "Franklin Evans" in relation to Whitman's life and career, mid-nineteenth-century American print culture, and many of the developments and institutions the novel depicts, including urbanization, immigration, slavery, the temperance movement, and new understandings of class, race, gender, and sexuality. This edition includes a short temperance story Whitman published at about the same time as he did "Franklin Evans," the surviving fragment of what appears to be another unfinished temperance novel by Whitman, and a temperance speech Abraham Lincoln gave the same year that "Franklin Evans" was published.

""Franklin Evans Or The Inebriate: A Tale Of The Times"" is a novel written by the renowned American poet, Walt Whitman. The book follows the story of Franklin Evans, a young man who falls into a life of alcoholism and debauchery after moving from the countryside to the city. The novel explores the social and moral issues of the time, including the dangers of alcoholism and the impact it has on individuals and society as a whole. Through the character of Franklin Evans, Whitman highlights the struggles of those who are caught in the vicious cycle of addiction and the challenges they face in overcoming it. The novel is a powerful commentary on the societal issues of the mid-19th century and remains relevant even today. With its vivid descriptions and powerful storytelling, ""Franklin Evans Or The Inebriate: A Tale Of The Times"" is a must-read for anyone interested in American literature and social history. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.