A Man Four-Square

Raine, William MacLeod, 1871-1954Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 301K words
Chapters: 31

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. A Man Four-Square by William MacLeod Raine. Author: Raine, William MacLeod, 1871-1954. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Nov 26, 2004.

Editor's review

This is a Western novel by William MacLeod Raine, of the kind of frontier narrative common in early twentieth-century American popular literature. Raine wrote Westerns for many years, and his works focus on how characters act and choose between the wilderness and the small town, with a brisk pace and direct dialogue that are clear marks of the genre. The book's value lies in showing the narrative conventions of early Western fiction: the contrast between integrity and cunning, the tension between law and violence, and the making and testing of a personal reputation. It is suitable as a sample for understanding the evolution of American popular fiction genres, and for readers who want light reading with a frontier atmosphere. Readers might note the stereotyped tendencies in characterisation and the role of regional description, and consider how such works shaped public ideas of the West. As a public-domain ebook, its edition notes are brief, and readers should focus on the narrative method and period voice of the text.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in the American Western genre
Readers studying early twentieth-century American popular literature
Readers who enjoy brisk frontier stories with direct dialogue
Readers who want light reading on the sources of the American image of the West

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking complex psychological portrayal or literary experimentation
Readers sensitive to stereotyped characters and traditional gender roles
Readers wanting detailed historical research and annotation

Reading tips

Read it first as a genre novel to get the rhythm and character setup of Western narrative.
On a second reading, note how descriptions of the town and the wilderness drive conflict and character choice.
Compare it with other Western novels or films to observe how genre conventions persist and change.
After reading, briefly note how character types and the law-violence relationship are handled, to support further discussion.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for Western film fans?

Yes. It has the usual elements of Western genre fiction, such as the frontier setting, confrontations and tests of reputation, and it moves quickly. It is an early text, however, with fairly stereotyped characters and plot, so readers should approach it to learn about the genre's origins rather than expecting the complexity of modern Western films.

What characterises Raine's writing style?

In this book Raine's narration is direct and action-driven, the dialogue is spare, good and evil are fairly sharply contrasted, and descriptions of place serve to advance conflict. This style suited early twentieth-century American popular fiction and makes the narrative conventions of genre literature easy to analyse.

Do I need American historical background to read this book?

It is not required, but knowing about American westward expansion and the popularity of frontier narrative makes it easier to understand the characters' behaviour and the conflicts. For light reading you can go straight into the story; for genre study, it helps to know the general development of Western fiction.

Comments

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About the author

Raine, William MacLeod, 1871-1954 Author

William MacLeod Raine (1871–1954) was an American writer of Western fiction. He wrote prolifically, producing many popular novels set on the American frontier, and this site holds twenty-two of his works. Raine’s fiction focuses largely on life in the border regions of Texas, Montana, New Mexico, and the Yukon, often featuring rangers, sheriffs, frontiersmen, and settlers, with plots centered on frontier order, adventure, and conflict. His style is accessible and fast-paced, emphasizing storytelling and a strong sense of place. Representative works include A Texas Ranger, The Yukon Trail: A Tale of the North, Ridgway of Montana, and The Sheriff’s Son. Public information about the details of his life is limited, so no speculation is offered here.