Pierre, or the Ambiguities, by Herman Melville

This book speaks to many important concerns in 19th Century American literature. Perhaps most important is the novel's struggle with authorship and originality. These concerns strike me as related to all the incest moments happening in the book: first Pierre treats his mother like his sister, then, when he meets his illegitimate sister, he decides the only way to protect her is to call her wife, and then when his former betrothed comes to live with them, he calls her sister. Even in love, Pierre cannot be original. The novel's also engaged with paintings: they provide the evidence of Pierre's father's infidelity and take on a gothic, supernatural life of their own. Finally, this novel continues the American tradition of presenting two heroines as a light lady and a dark lady. The novel's digressiveness and need to return to the past for completeness reminded me of Tristram Shandy.