Hours in a Library, Volume 1 New Edition, with Additions

"Hours in a Library, Volume 1" by Leslie Stephen is a collection of literary analyses from the late 1800s, offering perspectives on different authors and their writings, with figures like Daniel Defoe and Nathaniel Hawthorne among them. Stephen looks at the importance of the author's literary impact by measuring good and bad qualities, discussing the components that contribute to success and failure within storytelling. The work starts with a consideration of Defoe, noting his capabilities of portraying realism and truthfulness in his novels, such as "Robinson Crusoe," but further extends to other works like "Roxana" and "Moll Flanders," asking why some novels get more recognition compared to others, which also establishes a guide to understanding the usefulness of literature.