The Hoosier School-Master (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

By Edward Eggleston

Published in 1871, this was Eggleston's first and most successful novel.  Eggleston's use of authentic regional dialect was highly influential on the subsequent course of American literature.  Based on the experiences of Eggleston's brother George, the novel follows a young schoolmaster in his first year of teaching at a backwoods Indiana school. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble
• Release date: Mar 22, 2011
• ISBN: 9781411444676

Reviews for The Hoosier School-Master (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

[farree_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A great story if you're interested in such things as the hoosier 'dialect' of the 1870s (lots of etymological footnotes in here), what a 'hard-shell' Baptist was, and how they differ from the 'Disciples of Christ,' or 'Campbellites, and some pretty good atmosphere from the post-civil war years. This pretty much covers the kind of environment Abraham Lincoln grew up in. I give it three stars. See my comments for more info. There is another Eggleston story "The Hoosier Schoolboy" at archive.org.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I can't NOT read a classic that's set in the state I live in and love so I figured I would finally wipe the dust off this one and read it. Set in a rural Indiana town during the 1850's this is a fictionalized story of a young man coming to be the schoolmaster for a backward yet well meaning (mostly) bunch. Written in the Hoosier dialect this humorous tale is peppered with classic ink drawings and funny asides. From the Church of Best Licks to the spelling competition to midnight thievery and peg legs. Nearly 200 years old I still thought it was amusing and pretty well written. Adventure, romance, action, and intrigue are woven throughout the story and it's definitely something unique!