Alexa Delavale, Cara Brady, Lisa Barrier, and Wesley Cairns
Through analyzing different editions of two books the Loyola/Notre Dame library,
Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper and Ethan Frome
by Edith Wharton, we were able to trace their acquisition history at Loyola/Notre
Dame Library as well as determining the height of each of the novels’ popularity.
In addition, by examining the books for use, such as highlighting and reader’s
annotations we gained a better understanding of how the book was interpreted
and read. By also looking into the authors’ backgrounds and the novels’ histories
we learned the way in which the authors and novels were received by their respective
time periods and societies. The editions we chose to analyze were Last of
the Mohicans from 1859 and 1963 and Ethan Frome from 1939 and
1996.
The “Authors in the Stacks” project allows for an investigation of readers throughout the past century in relation to social norms and/or restrictions by the dates they were checked out. Through due dates and personal notations, we are able to define the ways in which Loyola students of the past and present read. This project has revealed a definition of the times as well as the types of audiences Edith Wharton novels were mostly admired by throughout the years.
James Fenimore Cooper
and Last of the Mohicans
Edith Wharton and Ethan Frome