Literary notes about handsome (AI summary)
In literature, "handsome" is employed as a versatile descriptor that enriches both character portrayal and scenic detail. Authors use it to highlight physical attractiveness and noble bearing—often referring to men whose appearance carries an aura of dignity and strength ([1], [2], [3])—while also extending the term to objects and settings, such as elegantly bound books, well-appointed mansions, or inviting gardens ([4], [5], [6]). At times, its application even hints at a subtle irony or emphasizes prosperity, as when a fortune or property is described as handsome, suggesting both ample resources and refined taste ([7], [8]). This flexible usage allows "handsome" to convey layers of meaning, evoking both visual allure and deeper character or situational nuances.
- The women declared that I was handsome, and so I became the man you now see me.
— from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen - And Henrique spoke with an earnestness that flushed his handsome face.
— from Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - Vronsky did not speak; his handsome face was serious, but perfectly composed.
— from Anna Karenina by graf Leo Tolstoy - The first number was issued January 8, a handsome quarto of sixteen pages.
— from The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2) by Ida Husted Harper - It was a handsome mansion on the Square opposite the President’s house.
— from The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner - At the appointed hour we drove out three miles, and assembled in the handsome garden in front of the Emperor’s palace.
— from The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain - And a very handsome sum of money too, I think.
— from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - “Mr. Trabb,” said I, “it's an unpleasant thing to have to mention, because it looks like boasting; but I have come into a handsome property.”
— from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
