Alice Adams is a novel written by Booth Tarkington that was first published in 1921. The story revolves around Alice Adams, a young woman from a middle-class family who wants to climb the social ladder and be accepted by the upper class. She is portrayed as charming, vivacious, and ambitious, but also insecure and prone to exaggeration.Alice's father, Virgil Adams, is a failed businessman who tries to keep up appearances and maintain his family's social standing. Her mother, Anna, is a hypochondriac who is obsessed with social status and constantly criticizes Alice's behavior and appearance. Alice's brother, Walter, is a lazy and selfish young man who resents his sister's aspirations.Despite her family's limitations, Alice manages to attract the attention of Arthur Russell, a wealthy young man who is initially drawn to her charm and beauty. However, as their relationship progresses, Alice realizes that she is not as sophisticated or cultured as she thought, and that her social ambitions may be unrealistic.The novel explores themes of class, identity, and self-discovery, as Alice struggles to find her place in a society that values wealth and status above all else. Tarkington's writing is characterized by his vivid descriptions of social life in early 20th century America, and his ability to capture the nuances of human behavior and relationships.Overall, Alice Adams is a timeless classic that offers a poignant and insightful portrayal of the American dream, and the challenges and contradictions that come with it.The device of the absentee partner has the defect that it cannot be employed for longer than ten or fifteen minutes at a time, and it may not be repeated more than twice in one evening: a single repetition, indeed, is weak, and may prove a betrayal. Alice knew that her present performance could be effective during only this interval between dances.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.