The American Critical Archives is a series of reference books that provide representative selections of contemporary reviews of the main works of major American authors. Specifically, each
volume contains both full reviews and excerpts from reviews that appeared in newspapers and weekly and monthly periodicals, generally within a few months of the publication of the work
concerned. There is an introductory historical overview by the volume editor, as well as checklists of additional reviews located but not quoted.
This book represents the first comprehensive collection of contemporary reviews of the writing of Edith Wharton from the 1890s until her death in 1937. Many of the reviews are reprinted from
hard-to-locate contemporary newspapers and periodicals. In addition, lists of other reviews, not presented here, are provided. These materials document the response of the reviewers to specific
works and indicate the development of Wharton's reputation as a novelist, short-story writer, travel writer, and autobiographer.
