A Psychological Counter-Current in Recent Fiction

"A Psychological Counter-Current in Recent Fiction" by William Dean Howells is a piece of literary analysis that looks at the books of its time. It's like a report card for stories, checking out what makes them tick and how they show people's minds and feelings. The author looks at different writers, like Gilbert Parker and William Allen White, and talks about how their characters make choices and face problems. He points out that even though some stories are just fluffy and romantic, there's a stronger trend of thoughtful stories that show real-life issues and morals. The book values stories where characters aren't just puppets of fate but have the power to change their path, setting a higher bar for future books.