Quite So by Thomas Bailey Aldrich
Quite So is a novel by Thomas Bailey Aldrich, first published in 1891. It tells the story of a young man, John Breen, who is sent to a small New England town to take over the family business. He soon finds himself in the middle of a feud between two families, the Breen's and the Davenports. As he gets to know the town and its inhabitants, he discovers secrets and lies that have been kept hidden for years. He also finds himself falling in love with a young woman, Mary Davenport, who is caught in the middle of the feud. As John struggles to make sense of the situation, he must decide whether to stay and fight for what he believes in or to leave and start a new life elsewhere.
By Thomas Bailey Aldrich · First published 1873 · Genre: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age · 3 chapters · 5,851 words
First lines
Of course that was not his name. Even in the State of Maine, where it is still a custom to maim a child for life by christening him Arioch or Shadrach or Ephraim, nobody would dream of calling a boy "Quite So." It was merely a nickname which we gave him in camp; but it stuck to him with such bur-like tenacity, and is so inseparable from my memory of him, that I do not think I could write definitely of John Bladburn if I were to call him anything but "Quite So."
What this Textopian page supports
Quite So is listed on Textopian as a short story by Thomas Bailey Aldrich, dated 1873 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Thomas Bailey Aldrich
- Date: 1873 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age, Historical Fiction
- Length: 5,851 words
- Structure: 3 chapters, 90 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Quite So by Thomas Bailey Aldrich
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Quite So?
- How does this short story by Thomas Bailey Aldrich fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Realistic Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Realistic Fiction — The book follows the life of a young man, Tom Bailey, and his experiences in a small New England town, making it a realistic fiction novel.
- Romance — The book follows Tom's romantic relationships with various women, making it a romance novel.
- Coming of Age — The book follows Tom's journey from childhood to adulthood, making it a coming of age novel.
- Historical Fiction — The book is set in the late 19th century, making it a historical fiction novel.
Tags
19th century · Fiction · Short stories · Social life and customs · United States · away · back · bladburn · blakely · boys · came · camp
Contents
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3