Stein had her own doubts about the readability of Three Lives; she understood that its style would upset readers' expectations and that the simplicity of the characters might make them of little interest to more sophisticated readers. When she was unable to find a publisher, she finally funded the printing of the book herself, paying for a relatively small run. As she expected, few copies sold—fewer than she gave away to friends and reviewers—but the book, and especially "Melanctha," did find an enthusiastic audience. Praise came from many important papers and journals, and contemporaries whose opinions Stein admired, such as Carl Van Vechten and Mabel Dodge, also embraced her efforts. Rather than lapsing into obscurity, "Melanctha" started on a path to landmark status. By the late 1920s, "Melanctha" was already something of modernist classic. In 1933,.....
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