The Cambridge introduction to American literary realism Between the Civil War and the First World War realism was the most prominent form of American fiction. Realist writers of the period include some of Americas greatest such as Henry James Edith Wharton and Mark Twain but also many lesser known writers whose work still speaks to us today for instance Charles Chesnutt Zitkala Ša and Sarah Orne Jewett. Emphasizing realisms historical context this introduction traces the genres relationship with powerful often violent social conflicts involving race gender class and national origin. It also examines how the realist style was created; the necessarily ambiguous relationship between realism produced on the page and reality outside the book; and the different often contradictory forms realism took in literary works by different authors. The most accessible yet sophisticated account of American literary realism currently available this volume will be of great value to students teachers and readers of the American novel