Author | Winston Churchill |
---|---|
Illustrator | Howard Giles (book) / James Montgomery Flagg (serialization) |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Publisher | Macmillan |
Publication date | May 1913 |
Media type | Print (hardcover) |
The Inside of the Cup is a 1913 best-selling novel by American writer Winston Churchill. The story was first serialized in Hearst's Magazine from April 1912 through July 1913, and was released in book form in May 1913. The best-selling book in the United States for 1913, it sparked a nationwide debate about the role of Christianity in modern life.
The book title derives from the Gospel of Matthew (23:26), as quoted early in the novel: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess."
John Hodder is recruited from a small town and congregation somewhere in the East to become rector of the august St. John's Church in a large Midwestern city (modeled on St. Louis). Originally built in a rich area of the city, the surrounding area of the church including now-infamous "Dalton Street" has fallen into decay. But the church patrons include the wealthiest of the city, who travel to church on Sunday from their new mansions on the west side of the city, and who desire an "orthodox" minister who will preach a Christianity which will not question the growth of corporate power and the corrupting influence of concentrating wealth in America. Hodder develops a close friendship with Eldon Parr, the most wealthy and powerful man in the church. This is remarkable in that Parr has few close friends. Hodder learns of Parr's intense loneliness and unhappiness, being widowed and estranged from his son and daughter.
Hodder's failure to change his congregation's worldview causes the minister to undergo a spiritual crisis. He meets Josiah Bentley, one of founders of the church who left when financially devastated by Parr, but who has developed a network for helping the poor in the neighborhood surrounding the church. Hodder eventually disregards his "orthodox" views and preaches what he understands to be the core teachings of Jesus – to love and serve mankind. This spawns a huge battle between the old guard at the church and those who are deeply touched by Hodder's message, including Parr's daughter Alison. Though deprived of his salary by the vestry, the bishop is heartened by Hodder's transformation and tells him he will not recommend him for an ecclesiastical trial for heresy.
According to The Bookman , the novel was the best selling book in the United States in both 1913 and 1914, the first time a book had been the best-selling book for two years since that publication started reporting best-sellers in 1895. [1] Publishers Weekly , which began its own bestseller list in 1913, had the book listed as first in 1913, and third in 1914. The New York Times also selected it as one of the best books of 1913. [2] [3]
Critics complained about the didactic nature of the novel, yet the purpose of the book for Churchill was to be a vessel for the delivery of his opinions on religion. Since 1906's Coniston , Churchill had been moving into the role of societal critic, and wholly did so with this novel. And while critics thought its didactic nature would harm sales, that was proven very wrong. [4] [5]
The book caused widespread national debate, with ministers' sermons and many church organizations and other groups discussing its merits, and with vocal critics and supporters on all sides. Naval theorist Alfred Thayer Mahan wrote the most publicized critique, published in the New York Churchman. Like other critics, Mahan was concerned that the "gigantic fabric of faith" was endangered by Churchill's disregard of a need to literally believe in teachings such as the virgin birth and the resurrection. [4] [6]
In January 1921 a film adaptation of the novel was released, directed by Albert Capellani, and featuring William P. Carleton as John Hodder, David Torrence as Eldon Parr, and Edith Hallor as Alison Parr. [7] [8] As of April 2013, the movie is reported to have survived but without a projection print as of yet. [9]
Robert Erskine Childers, usually known as Erskine Childers, was an English-born Irish nationalist who established himself as a writer with accounts of the Second Boer War, the novel The Riddle of the Sands about German preparations for a sea-borne invasion of England, and proposals for achieving Irish independence.
Winston Churchill was an American best-selling novelist of the early 20th century.
Sir William Robertson Nicoll was a Scottish Free Church minister, journalist, editor, and man of letters.
John Watson, was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland. He is remembered as an author of fiction, known by his pen name Ian Maclaren.
Henry Sloane Coffin was president of the Union Theological Seminary, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, and one of the most famous ministers in the United States. He was also one of the translators of the popular hymn "O Come, O Come Emmanuel", along with John Mason Neale.
This is a list of bestselling novels in the United States in the 1910s, as determined by The Bookman, a New York–based literary journal (1910–1912) and Publishers Weekly. The list features the most popular novels of each year from 1910 through 1919.
Christopher Catherwood, is a British author based in Cambridge, England and, often, in Richmond, Virginia. He has taught for the Institute of Continuing Education based a few miles away in Madingley and has taught for many years for the School of Continuing Education at the University of Richmond. He has been associated each summer with the University of Richmond's History Department, where he is its annual summer Writer in Residence, and where most of his recent books have been written.
Anthony Charles Deane (1870–1946) was canon of Worcester Cathedral, poet and writer of religious books. He was the son of H. C. Deane, a barrister-at-law. In 1898, he married Maud, the second daughter of Col. Versturme-Bunbury of Bath. He is perhaps best known as a writer of popular Christian books.
James Stuart Stewart was a minister of the Church of Scotland. He taught New Testament Language, Literature and Theology at the University of Edinburgh.
The Eagle Has Landed is a 1976 British war film directed by John Sturges and starring Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland, and Robert Duvall.
Charles Garvice was a prolific British writer of over 150 romance novels, who also used the female pseudonym Caroline Hart. He was a popular author in the UK, the United States and translated around the world. He was ‘the most successful novelist in England’, according to Arnold Bennett in 1910. He published novels selling over seven million copies worldwide by 1914, and since 1913 he was selling 1.75 million books annually, a pace which he maintained at least until his death. Despite his enormous success, he was poorly received by literary critics, and is almost forgotten today.
The Crimson Circle is a 1922 crime novel by the British writer Edgar Wallace. Scotland Yard tackle a secret league of blackmailers known as The Crimson Circle. The novel was first published in The People's Story Magazine, March 10, 1922. The first book edition in the UK was by Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1922; and the first US edition was by Doubleday, Doran & Co., New York, 1929.
Coniston is a 1906 best-selling novel by American writer Winston Churchill.
A Lady of Quality is a novel published in 1896 by Frances Hodgson Burnett that was the second highest best-selling book in the United States in 1896. It was the first of series of successful historical novels by Burnett.
The Crossing is a 1904 best-selling novel by American writer Winston Churchill. It was the best-selling novel in the United States in 1904, and includes illustrations by Sydney Adamson and Lilian Bayliss. A portion of the book first appeared in December 1903 in Collier's under the title The Borderland.
A Modern Chronicle is a 1910 best-selling novel by American writer Winston Churchill.
The Dwelling-Place of Light is a 1917 best-selling novel by American writer Winston Churchill, the last of his twenty-year run of best-sellers.
Peter: A Novel Of Which He Is Not The Hero is a novel published in 1908 by Francis Hopkinson Smith, which was the sixth best selling book in the United States in 1908, and ninth best-selling book of 1909. It sold in excess of 100,000 copies.
The Inside of the Cup is a surviving 1921 American silent drama film directed by Albert Capellani and written by Albert Capellani and George DuBois Proctor based upon the best-selling novel of the same name by Winston Churchill. The film stars William P. Carleton, David Torrence, Edith Hallor, John Bohn, Marguerite Clayton, Richard Carlyle and Margaret Seddon. The film was released January 16, 1921, by Paramount Pictures.
The Prodigal Judge is a novel written by American novelist Vaughan Kester and published in 1911.