Some of his earliest writings were reports on a river trip to Saint Louis. Most of his travel sketches and travel books are about the cities of Europe and his journeys to them by boat or train. Following Washington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper, he joined his friends Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) and Henry James in exploring the tensions and contradictions of men and women from the New World confronting the cultural richness and complex historical traditions of the Old World. Influenced by the example of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Howells took an honest approach to art, free from affectation or traditional judgments. He was confident in an intuitive response to traditional art and architecture and was unconcerned about being perceived as anti-intellectual. Often baffled by the historical past—especially that of Italy—he relied on anecdotal information and conventional observation. Despite his clear belief in the moral superiority of the United States, he was attracted to the cultural charms of Europe and the richness and variety of European customs and rituals.
Keen observation of real places and real experiences is the foundation of literary realism, which Howells defined as "the truthful treatment of material" and which he practiced and preached throughout his career.
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