Essays, first series vs Hey rub-a-dub-dub: Which Should You Read?

Essays, first series Ralph Waldo Emerson · 1876 ★★★★☆ 3.5 376 pages · ≈ 6 h 58 m · Demanding

Emerson, Alfred Kazin observes in his Introduction, "was a great writer who turned the essay into a form all his own." His celebrated essays--the twelve published in Essays: First Series (1841) and eight in Essays:…

Hey rub-a-dub-dub Theodore Dreiser · 1920 ★★★★☆ 3.8 312 pages · ≈ 5 h 47 m · Challenging

This collection contains numerous essays about the idea of the literary American character and several dramatic works from Dreiser. Dreiser held the collection in high regard, but it was panned by critics on its…