Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Round the Block: An American Novel

Round the Block: An American Novel

Bouton, John Bell

Paperback

Classic FictionGeneral FictionLiterary Fiction

ISBN13: 9798182729932
Publisher: Crystalbooks
Published: Sep 2 2026
Pages: 38
Weight: 0.14
Height: 0.08 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English

R ound the Block: AnAmerican Novel by John Bell Bouton is a fictional work likely written in the mid-19th century. The narrative begins by vividly depicting a neighborhood characterized by contrasting settings-posh, seemingly empty brownstone houses on one side and lively, bustling shops and homes for working-class families on the opposite. The story primarily revolves around three bachelors, Marcus Wilkeson, Fayette Overtop, and Matthew Maltboy, who embark on a series of social interactions within their block, exploring themes of neighborliness and community amidst their varied daily lives. The opening of the novel introduces readers to the ornate yet lifeless dwellings on the east side of the block and the contrasting vibrancy on the west side. As the three bachelors settle into their shared home, Overtop proposes an experiment in socializing, advocating for engaging with their neighbors to better understand their community. This leads to humorous exchanges and the deepening relationships between the protagonists as they navigate social calls, interactions with their eccentric neighbors, and the pursuit of companionship, all while their personal quirks and backgrounds unfold. The narrative sets a lively tone that promises both comedic moments and reflections on human interaction in a densely populated urban setting.T heworld and all its inhabitants had rolled round to another fragrant spring. The buds were bursting in city parks and gardens, and birds twittered in the dusty air. Every happy heart said to itself, This green, and these opening roses, this music of the birds, this shining day, this temperate breeze, are all mine, and made for me. There were two young persons, one sweet morning in May, who experienced a delightful sense of that universal proprietorship of the Beautiful. They were a couple who appeared to be expressly made for each other; for the young man was tall and broad chested, the young woman short, and delicately formed; his eyes were black, hers blue; he was calm, resolute, deliberate in every movement, she quick and impulsive. There never was a clearer case of mutual fitness by virtue of entire dissimilarity. Any one could see that they loved each other, and that, if they were not married, they were engaged-for her little hand was entwined most trustingly about his muscular arm, and she leaned toward him with that gentle inclination which seems to be a magnetism of the heart.

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