The Briary Bush: A Novel

"The Briary Bush: A Novel" by Floyd Dell is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story follows the character Felix Fay, a young man in search of authenticity and purpose as he grapples with his past and aspires to reshape his identity in the bustling city of Chicago. The themes explore the struggle between dreams versus reality and the transformative nature of urban life. At the start of the novel, Felix sits at his desk in the Port Royal Daily Record, reminiscing about his love for the city of Chicago while reflecting on his past experiences, including a heart-wrenching love that has left him yearning for change. He contemplates his desire to escape his life in Port Royal and embrace a more realistic, action-oriented persona. As he inadvertently pushes towards a decision to leave his job and pursue his aspirations in Chicago, his conflicting feelings regarding love and failure come to the forefront, ultimately leading him to assert that he must change his character to succeed in the world that awaits him. The narrative sets the stage for Felix's journey, portraying a young man who longs to reconcile his dreams with the demands of real life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Floyd James Dell was an American newspaper and magazine editor, literary critic, novelist, playwright, and poet. Dell has been called "one of the most flamboyant, versatile and influential American Men of Letters of the first third of the 20th Century." In Chicago, he was editor of the nationally syndicated Friday Literary Review. As editor and critic, Dell's influence is seen in the work of many major American writers from the first half of the 20th century. A lifelong poet, he was also a best-selling author, as well as a playwright whose hit Broadway comedy, Little Accident (1928), was made into a Hollywood movie.