A Modern Telemachus

Yonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary), 1823-1901Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 326K words
Chapters: 33

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 Modern Telemachus by Charlotte M. Yonge. Author: Yonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary), 1823-1901. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Jul 1, 2003

Editor's review

Charlotte M. Yonge was a major Victorian novelist and writer of historical works. A Modern Telemachus borrows the classical framework of Telemachus's search for his father in the Odyssey and transplants the themes of growth, wandering, and family duty into a more modern setting. For Chinese readers, the value of this book lies not only in the story itself but in the sample it offers of how nineteenth-century English literature rewrote classical tradition: with gentle moral concern and finely drawn characters, the author lets the young protagonist achieve self-formation through travel and trials, combining the readability of adventure narrative with an emphasis on moral instruction and self-reflection. Yonge's prose is elegant and unhurried, suited to slow reading; the English original poses some linguistic difficulty for general readers, but precisely for this reason it is well suited as parallel reading material for lovers of classical literature and English learners. The public-domain electronic edition from Project Gutenberg is convenient for searching and excerpting, and is especially suitable for readers studying Victorian young-adult literature, the history of classical reception, or undertaking close reading of English texts. Readers may wish to place it alongside the relevant passages of Homer's epic to appreciate how the same motif is transformed and continued across different eras.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers interested in Victorian English literature and the motif of classical rewriting
Advanced learners who wish to improve their English reading through close reading of the original text
Readers who enjoy themes of growth and distant travel and can accept an unhurried narrative pace
Teachers who need a public-domain English text for teaching or excerpting

Not a good fit for

General readers who only want a Chinese translation and are unwilling to tackle the English original
Readers expecting a strong plot and a fast-paced adventure story
Readers impatient with nineteenth-century moralizing narration

Reading tips

First learn the basic plot of Telemachus in the Odyssey, then read this book to appreciate the transplantation and transformation of the motif.
After each chapter, summarize the main thread and character changes in three to five sentences to avoid being slowed down by the elegant syntax.
Use the Project Gutenberg electronic edition for search-based close reading, marking passages that echo the classical text.
If the English is difficult, read a synopsis first and then return to key chapters of the original, gradually adapting to the author's style.

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

What is the relationship between this book and Homer's Odyssey?

Telemachus in the title is the son of Odysseus in the Odyssey; this book borrows the classical framework of his search for his father and his growth and transplants the themes into a more recent historical setting. It is not a translation or retelling of the epic but an independent narrative built on the motif, so readers may both compare it with the classical prototype and treat it as a work in its own right.

Can readers with average English read this book?

This is the English original, written in nineteenth-century literary language with long sentences and elegant diction, and it is difficult for readers below the intermediate level. A solid foundation in English reading is recommended; those with a more modest level may first read a plot synopsis, then closely read selected key chapters, progressing gradually with a dictionary and notes rather than insisting on reading it straight through.

What are the features of this edition?

This edition comes from Project Gutenberg and is a public-domain e-book, convenient for free access, full-text searching, and excerpting and citation. It contains no modern translation notes or introduction, so readers must supply background knowledge themselves; for research or teaching, it is advisable to consult relevant literary histories and classical texts as well to make up for the edition's lack of annotation.

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About the author

Yonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary), 1823-1901 Author

Charlotte M. Yonge (1823–1901) was a prolific nineteenth-century British novelist and writer of children's literature, with 65 works held in this collection. Public information is limited, but her representative works reveal the range of her writing: family novels such as The Heir of Redclyffe and The Daisy Chain centre on everyday life and moral growth; A Book of Golden Deeds and The Little Duke, aimed at young readers, recount historical stories and heroic character; she also wrote a life of John Coleridge Patteson, missionary bishop of the Melanesian Islands. Her works generally deal with family, faith, duty and history in a gentle, realistic style, and were influential among Victorian readers, with many long surviving as reading for young people.