The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. X (of X) - America - II, Index

In Short

This tenth and final volume of a landmark prose collection gathers major nineteenth-century American voices alongside a comprehensive index to the entire series. Moving fluidly between dark gothic fiction, philosophical musings on nature and society, historical recreations of European conflicts, and humorous observations of daily life, it showcases the breadth of early American literary craft. Its enduring value lies in this juxtaposition of grand historical narratives, quiet personal reflections, and sharp social commentary, offering readers an authentic, unvarnished portrait of an era's intellectual landscape as it established its own distinct identity.

The Story

The volume opens with reflective journeys and dark psychological depths, beginning with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s European observations and Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling tale of revenge, The Cask of Amontillado. Poe's narrator Montresor traps his rival Fortunato inside damp catacombs, meticulously walling him up behind brick and mortar while ignoring his captive's desperate pleas and fading laughter. Alongside this gothic horror, Poe offers critical evaluations of his literary peers, establishing early standards for American short fiction and literary criticism.

The focus shifts to urban social observation and the humor of American intellectual life through Oliver Wendell Holmes’s breakfast-table sketches. Holmes anatomizes the professions, observing how doctors gain easy entry into homes by offering high-sounding Latin names for everyday ailments, while also reflecting on the Asiatic breadth of Ralph Waldo Emerson's intellect. This spirit of personal travel and intellectual encounter continues in Margaret Fuller’s intimate letters, which capture her nervous meetings with European icons like George Sand in Paris, where she struggles to express her natural eloquence in broken French.

From personal encounters, the text expands into sweeping historical narratives through John Lothrop Motley’s detailed chronicles of European struggles. Motley paints vivid scenes of power and destruction: the physical decay of Emperor Charles V as he abdicates in Brussels, the chaotic dispersion of the Spanish Armada off the coast of Calais under relentless English pursuit, and the horrifying devastation of "The Spanish Fury" in Antwerp, where mercenary violence turns a majestic city hall and wealthy guild houses into a inferno.

A sharp turn brings the reader back to American soil and deliberate simplicity with Henry David Thoreau’s account of building his cabin at Walden Pond. Thoreau details the physical labor of digging a cellar into a sumac-covered hillside, hauling stones for a chimney, and crafting a self-reliant life while contemplating the timeless value of ancient classical literature over fleeting modern distractions.

In its final movements, the volume moves through James Russell Lowell’s literary analysis of Shakespearean passion, historical portraits of political figures like Thomas Jefferson adjusting to quiet retirement at Monticello, and Bret Harte’s observations of a Chinese washerman navigating local prejudices. The book concludes with a massive index spanning the world's great writers from Aristotle to Émile Zola, tying this American collection back into the broader tapestry of global prose literature.

How It Unfolds

Dark revenge in the catacombs Montresor lures Fortunato deep into the catacombs under the pretext of evaluating a fine wine. As Fortunato's intoxication fades, Montresor relentlessly lays tier after tier of masonry, sealing his victim behind a solid wall despite desperate screams and pleas.

Observations on society and genius Oliver Wendell Holmes delivers witty commentary on the social standing of medical men compared to ministers and lawyers. He further reflects on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s expansive, oriental mind, which blends New England thrift with ancient philosophical depth.

Literary encounters across the sea Margaret Fuller travels to Paris and recounts her awkward, eager visit to the author George Sand. Struggling with a butchered name announcement and halting French, she finally meets the famous writer face to face.

Crucial turns in European history John Lothrop Motley chronicles major historical turning points, depicting the premature old age of Emperor Charles V, the retreat of the Spanish Armada into the North Sea, and the bloody destruction of Antwerp during the Spanish Fury.

Constructing a life at Walden Pond Henry David Thoreau records the practical details of building his small house near the water. He digs a cellar into a hill, havers stones for a chimney, and reflects on how reading the ancient classics connects a lonely reader to all human history.

Retirement and cultural observations Historical and social sketches detail Thomas Jefferson's return to Monticello after his presidency and Bret Harte's quiet observations of a local Chinese laundrist facing subtle bigotry, leading into the master general index.

The People

• Montresor: A cold, calculating narrator driven by an undisclosed insult. He plans and executes a meticulous, horrific revenge, walling up his companion alive while remaining completely unrepentant.
• Fortunato: An arrogant wine connoisseur whose vanity makes him vulnerable. He unsuspectingly follows Montresor into the catacombs, realization dawning only as the brick wall rises around him.
• Oliver Wendell Holmes's Autocrat: An observant, witty commentator on American social manners. He dissects the human desire for status, analyzing why patients prefer grand Latin names for simple headaches.
• Margaret Fuller: An articulate, highly educated American writer traveling in Europe. She hungers for direct connection with foreign literary figures, battling her limited French to convey her true thoughts.
• Charles V: The Holy Roman Emperor, depicted in his physical decline. Once an athletic champion, he appears broad-shouldered but prematurely decrepit, relying on a crutch and an attendant's shoulder.
• Henry David Thoreau: A fiercely independent thinker seeking simplicity. He rejects societal clutter to build his own shelter, finding immense satisfaction in manual labor, solitude, and ancient texts.
• John the Chinaman: A patient, soft-spoken immigrant laundry worker described by Bret Harte. He navigates everyday cruelty and misunderstanding with quiet dignity and simple, polite gestures.

In Its Own Voice

"I laid the second tier, and the third, and the fourth; and then I heard the furious vibrations of the chain."

Montresor pauses his relentless bricklaying inside the catacombs to take satisfaction in the desperate struggles of his trapped victim.

"If you will only call a headache a Cephalalgia, it acquires dignity at once, and a patient becomes rather proud of it."

Oliver Wendell Holmes dryly notes how human vanity leads people to prefer complex medical jargon over simple everyday terms.

"I took particular pleasure in this breaking of ground, for in almost all latitudes men dig into the earth for an equable temperature."

Henry David Thoreau reflects on the timeless, basic human instinct to create shelter while excavating his cellar at Walden Pond.

What It's Really About

At its core, this collection examines how human beings construct meaning, whether through literary art, historical legacy, or deliberate living. The text sets up a tension between the quiet, self-contained realm of individual reflection—seen in Thoreau’s solitary woods and Fuller’s private letters—and the noisy, violent theater of public history, as rendered in Motley’s scenes of imperial war and fallen cities. It questions what makes a culture's voice distinct, contrasting traditional European structures with an emerging American intellectual identity that values clear-eyed observation, individualism, and practical self-reliance. Beneath the varied genres lies an ongoing investigation into human motivation, exploring revenge, vanity, historical ambition, and the quiet pursuit of truth.

Why Read It Today

This volume serves as an exceptional window into the nineteenth-century literary mind for readers who enjoy historical anthologies, classic American prose, and rich archival collections. Rather than offering a single long narrative, it presents a dynamic mosaic of voices, allowing you to jump from Poe’s tightly coiled horror to Thoreau’s calm, methodical reflections on nature, or Motley’s grand historical canvasses.

The experience of reading it feels like browsing through a well-curated private library of a century ago. It requires some patience, as the prose styles reflect the era’s fondness for elaborate syntax, formal vocabulary, and period-specific perspectives on race and culture. Furthermore, as the final entry in a ten-volume set, a substantial portion of the text is dedicated to an extensive master index, which may feel dense for someone seeking a pure narrative. Yet for those who appreciate authentic period literature, the rewards are immense: sharp humor, striking historical imagery, and a direct encounter with the foundational texts of American prose.