A Mere Accident

Moore, George, 1852-1933Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 264K words
Chapters: 27

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 Mere Accident by George MooreAuthor: Moore, George, 1852-1933,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Mar 1, 2004

Editor's review

A Mere Accident is a novel by the Irish writer George Moore, part of the sequence of his works exploring conflicts of morality, religion, and desire. Moore is known for naturalistic brushwork and fine psychological description; this book turns on a chance event that sets characters' fates and inner struggles in motion, and carries the aestheticism and moral reflection common in late nineteenth-century English literature. For readers studying Moore's development or the transition from late Victorian to modernist writing, it offers a sample of his narrative technique and intellectual stance. Keep the period context in mind: the book's treatment of religion, gender, and morality bears distinct fin-de-siècle marks, and modern readers may find the pace slow and the discussion profuse. Read it against Moore's contemporaneous works and the Irish literary background to appreciate its value.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and students of George Moore and late nineteenth-century Irish literature
Readers interested in late Victorian fiction of morality and religion
Literary readers who enjoy psychological description and inner conflict
Readers who need public-domain English literary texts for close-reading practice

Not a good fit for

Popular-fiction readers seeking strong plot and fast pacing
Readers impatient with late nineteenth-century religious and moral discussion
Beginners who want a modern annotated edition with introduction

Reading tips

Learn about Moore's life and the fin-de-siècle literary background before entering the text to understand its moral concerns.
Watch the key passages of the protagonist's psychological shifts, noting motivations and narrative perspective.
After finishing, compare with Moore's other works or contemporaneous Irish novels to see similarities and differences in his naturalistic method.

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

Can I read this without having read other works by George Moore?

Yes. The plot stands relatively independent and does not rely on earlier books. But Moore's works often circle similar moral and religious themes; knowing his background and the currents of fin-de-siècle English literature first makes it easier to grasp the purpose of the characters' conflicts and the narrative's measure.

How difficult is the book?

Moderately to fairly difficult. The language is late nineteenth-century English prose, with long sentences and a substantial share of discussion and psychological description; the plot moves slowly. Readers with good English can go straight to the original; otherwise use a translation or background materials to avoid giving up over the pace.

Does this electronic edition have notes or an introduction?

No. It comes from Project Gutenberg as a free electronic text of a public-domain work, offering only the original text without modern editorial notes, introduction, or bibliography. For background, use separate scholarly materials or an edition with an introduction.

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About the author

Moore, George, 1852-1933 Author

George Moore (1852–1933) was an Irish writer. The library holds 17 of his works, commonly classified under inspirational and personal growth. His major works include the novels Esther Waters, Evelyn Innes and A Mummer's Wife, the short-story collection The Untilled Field, and such books as Confessions of a Young Man, Memoirs of My Dead Life and The Brook Kerith. His fiction tends to focus on the emotional, marital and personal struggles of ordinary people, written with delicate restraint and a realistic attention to inner life; his autobiographical works candidly recall his own experiences and literary acquaintances. Moore occupies a place in the transition of Irish literature from the Victorian tradition toward modernism, and his work has influenced later writers. Public information is limited, and the above is a brief overview based only on the works held in the library.