--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those novels with old-fashioned heroes…" description: "\"“Those novels with old-fashioned heroes and heroines in them -- are ruinous!”\" — William Dean Howells" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/467/william-dean-howells-10621_books_those-novels-with-old-fashioned-heroes-a_1154879.jpg" --- # Those novels with old-fashioned heroes and heroines in… ![“Those novels with old-fashioned heroes and heroines in them -- are ruinous!” quote by William Dean Howells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/467/william-dean-howells-10621_books_those-novels-with-old-fashioned-heroes-a_1154879.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/467/william-dean-howells-10621_books_those-novels-with-old-fashioned-heroes-a_1154879.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/467/william-dean-howells-10621_books_those-novels-with-old-fashioned-heroes-a_1154879.jpg) > ““Those novels with old-fashioned heroes and heroines in them -- are ruinous!”” [William Dean Howells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-dean-howells/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He condemns outdated heroic tropes, seeing them as harmful to modern literature. **In simple terms:** Old hero types are damaging. Key Takeaway Embrace modern, nuanced characters. Themes literature modernism character development Mood critical reflective Type literary critical When to use this quote - book clubs - creative writing - literary criticism Key Concepts heroic archetype cultural relevance Questions to Reflect On - How can writers reinvent heroism? - What makes a hero relatable today? A Different Perspective Some readers still enjoy classic heroes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Heroes Heroines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroes-heroines-1387395/) [Heroines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroines/) [Heroines Ruinous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroines-ruinous-3281663/) [Heroism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroism/) [Novels Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels-old-3281664/) [Realism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realism/) [Romanticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romanticism/) [Ruinous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruinous/) ## Related quotes > [At the heart of every successful romance novel lies the evolution of its characters. 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