''Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country'' is a 1900 novel by

Irving Bacheller Addison Irving Bacheller (September 26, 1859 – February 24, 1950) was an American journalist and writer. He founded the first modern newspaper syndicate in the United States. Birth and education Born in Pierrepont, New York, Irving Bacheller ...

. It was a popular book at the time of its release, among the top 10 bestselling books in the United States in both 1900 and 1901. The book is set in the North Country region of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Publication

Bacheller's first draft of the novel was meant for children, which he submitted to '' St. Nicholas Magazine'' and other publications, which all rejected it.Harkins, E.F. (July 1903)
Little Pilgrimage Among the Men Who Have Written Famous Books
''The Literary World'' When ''

David Harum ''David Harum; A Story of American Life'' is a best-selling novel of 1898 by Edward Noyes Westcott, whose principal legacy is the colloquial use of the term ''horse trading''. Literary significance and criticism Written by retired Syracuse, N ...

'' (1898) became a big success, he revised it in a similar mold. It was released by Lothrop Publishing Company on July 2, 1900. It found immediate popularity, reportedly selling 125,000 copies in the first four months of release. Harding, Walter
Eben Holden (retrospective review)
in ''

The Georgia Review ''The Georgia Review'' is a literary journal based in Athens, Georgia. Founded at University of Georgia in 1947, the journal features poetry, fiction, essays, book reviews, and visual art. The journal has won National Magazine Awards for Fiction ...

'' (Vol. 10, No.2, Summer 1956, pp. 240-43) For the February and March 1901 issues of '' The Bookman'', it tied with ''

Alice of Old Vincennes ''Alice of Old Vincennes'', written by Maurice Thompson in 1900, is a novel set in Vincennes during the American Revolutionary War. Reception The book was a popular best-seller. It was the tenth-highest best selling book in the United States in 1 ...

'' as the best-selling book in the United States.(January 1902)
Popular Fiction of 1901
'' The Bookman'', pp. 454-55 Maurice, Arthur Bartlett (November 1900)
Irving Bacheller's "Eben Holden" (review)
'' The Bookman'', Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 235-37 ("At the beginning of this review the writer wishes to say that Mr. Bacheller's book seems to have been very strongly suggested by ''David Harum''. Once this is pointed out there is nothing else that demands serious adverse criticism ...") As a result, some modern references refer to the novel as the "first best-selling novel of the 20th century." A "dramatic edition" of the novel was released in 1901 with seven photographs of the play based on the novel, and an author portrait.(January 1902)
The Lothrop Publishing Company
''The Bookseller'' In 1903, twelve photographs by

Clarence Hudson White Clarence Hudson White (April 8, 1871 – July 8, 1925) was an American photographer, teacher and a founding member of the Photo-Secession movement. He grew up in small towns in Ohio, where his primary influences were his family and the social li ...

were included in a "de luxe" edition of the novel. A 1956 article by literary scholar

Walter Harding Walter Harding (1917–1996) was a distinguished professor of English at the State University of New York at Geneseo and internationally recognized scholar of the life and work of Henry David Thoreau. Harding was born in Bridgewater, Massachusetts ...

noted that while the book had fallen far out of popularity by then (the copy he reviewed had last been checked out of the library in 1931), "one was not well-read in 1900 unless he had read ''Eben Holden.''" While he opined that "its sentimentality borders on the laughable ... its melodrama is impossible ndits language is deplorable," he concluded that "despite all this, it is still surprisingly readable." Bacheller's slim volume, ''Eben Holden's Last Day A-Fishing'', was published in 1907.(10 October 1907)
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''Life''

Adaptations

Edward Everett Rose Edward Everett Rose (February 11, 1862 - April 2, 1939) was an American playwright. He adapted a number of popular novels into plays, including ''Janice Meredith'', ''Richard Carvel'', ''David Harum'', ''Eben Holden'', ''The Battle of the Strong' ...

was commissioned to adapt the novel into a play, which had its Broadway debut on October 28, 1901 at the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy Pala ...

, managed by

Charles Frohman Charles Frohman (July 15, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American theater manager and producer, who discovered and promoted many stars of the American stage. Notably, he produced ''Peter Pan'', both in London and the US, the latter production ...

, and with Edmund Milton Holland playing the title role. It played through December 14 before going on tour.(29 October 1901)
"Eben Holden" at the Savoy
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''(11 March 1902)
Return of Eben Holden
''

''(28 October 1901)
Advertisement (for opening night of play)
''The World''(14 December 1901)
Advertisement (for closing night of play)
''The World''

Legacy

Bacheller graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1882, and later served on its board of trustees. The University's English honor society is called The Irving Bacheller Society, and all inductees receive a copy of ''Eben Holden''. Eben Holden is also the name of a campus building.(7 April 2005)
NetNews
, St. Lawrence University, Retrieved 4 January 2016Eben Holden
stlawu.edu, Retrieved 4 January 2016)(18 May 2014)
Honor Societies Induct Newest Members
stlawu.edu, Retrieved 4 January 2016St. Lawrence University Bulletin
p. 23 (1966) ("Eben Holden Hall contains a lounge and a dining area seating 410.")

References

External links

Fully book
via Google Books.

via North Country Public Radio * {{ibdb show, id=3263, title=Eben Holden 1900 American novels Novels set in New York (state)