The Choir Invisible

1897 novel by James Lane Allen

For the California band, see Choir Invisible.

The Choir Invisible

1897 book cover

Author| James Lane Allen
Language| English
Genre| Novel
Publisher| Macmillan

Publication date

| April 1897
Publication place| United States
Media type| Print (Hardcover)
Pages| 361 pp

The Choir Invisible is a novel by James Lane Allen published in 1897. A bestseller,[1][2] it was the second-best selling book in the United States for 1897.

A poignant love story, it is set in Kentucky[3] in 1795 and begins with a portion of the poem "The Choir Invisible" by George Eliot.[4] Although criticized for lacking depth, being full of digressions, and "artistically disappointing", it was his most popular novel.[5] An 1897 review in The Atlantic Monthly faulted the book for its "meagre" structure, yet praised its tone and style.[6] The book is often regarded as Allen's best work.[7]

The novel was developed from a novelette Allen published in 1893 titled "John Gray: A Kentucky Tale of the Olden Time".[8]

## References

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1. ^ (6 October 1946). Fifty Years of Best Sellers, compiled in Popular Culture
2. ^ (19 February 1925). James Lane Allen, Author, Dies at 76: Creator of "The Choir Invisible" Collapses In Roosevelt Hospital From Chronic Insommnia, The New York Times
3. ^ "James Lane Allen (1849-1925). The Choir Invisible. Keller, ed. 1917. The Reader's Digest of Books". www.bartleby.com.
4. ^ "The Choir Invisible by James Lane Allen" - via www.gutenberg.org.
5. ^ Bottorff, William K. (1964). James Lane Allen: A Sketch of His Life & Work. Twayne's United States authors series. Vol. 56\. New York: Twayne. pp. 69–72. OCLC 252052738.
6. ^ "Mr. Allen's The Choir Invisible". The Atlantic Monthly. Vol. 80\. 1897. pp. 143–44.
7. ^ Inge, M. Thomas, ed. (2014). "Allen, James Lane". The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. Vol. 9: Literature. UNC Press. p. 166\. ISBN 9781469616643.
8. ^ Bottorff, p. 161, note 2.

## External links

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* The Choir Invisible (full scan, via Google books)
* Review from 1897 finding beauty in the book but faulting it for lack of balance