A Royal Prisoner

Souvestre, Pierre, 1874-1914Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 290K words
Chapters: 30

Summary

This book is a work by the French popular novelists Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allain, an English translation set against a background of French literature, released free by Project Gutenberg. As a representative of early serialized crime-adventure fiction, it emphasizes plot progression and suspense, with strong character action, and is suitable as an entry point for understanding the look of early twentieth-century French popular literature. Readers need not approach it with the mindset of pure literary study; it is better enjoyed as a fast-paced genre novel. For readers studying Project Gutenberg itself or interested in the early dissemination of eBooks, this public-domain eBook also offers a sample for observing how texts circulate. Note that this edition is an English electronic text without the annotations and introduction of a modern translation, so readers need some basic English reading ability.

Editor's review

This book is a collaborative work by French popular novelists Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allain, an English translation set against a background of French literature, released free by Project Gutenberg. As a representative of early serialized crime-adventure fiction, it emphasizes plot momentum and suspense, with strongly action-driven characters, and serves as an accessible entry point for understanding the shape of early twentieth-century French popular literature. It is best read not with the mindset of pure literary study but as a briskly paced genre novel for entertainment. For readers interested in Project Gutenberg itself or in the early circulation of e-books, this public-domain e-book also offers a sample for observing how texts circulated. Note that this edition is an English electronic text without the notes and introduction of a modern translation, so readers need some foundation in English reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers who enjoy early crime-adventure fiction
Readers interested in French popular literature and serialized novels
Students who need free public-domain English e-books as reading material
Enthusiasts studying Project Gutenberg and the early circulation of e-books

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a Chinese translation or detailed annotations
Literary researchers who prefer serious literary analysis and scholarly introductions
Beginner readers with limited English reading stamina who need guided assistance

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to clarify character relationships and case clues before deciding whether to read the whole book.
Keep a notebook to record characters and key turning points, reducing confusion caused by English names.
Read chapter by chapter, one or two at a time, to preserve suspense and pacing.
If used for a course or book club, pair it with a brief discussion of the contemporary French popular-fiction context.

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 in Chinese or English?

According to the information, the book's language is English; it is an English electronic text released by Project Gutenberg, not a Chinese translation.

Will the lack of notes and an introduction affect reading?

This public-domain e-book generally contains no modern notes or introduction, so readers must sort out characters and plot clues themselves; basic English reading ability is enough to proceed, though the early stages may require a slower pace.

Is this book suitable for studying French literature?

It is better suited as a reading sample of French popular fiction and the early crime-adventure genre than as a systematic literary-studies text; for research, it is advisable to use it alongside relevant literary history materials.

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About the author

Souvestre, Pierre, 1874-1914 Author

Pierre Souvestre (1874-1914) was a French writer best known for co-creating the master criminal Fantômas with Marcel Allain. Five of his works are held in this collection, including Fantômas, The Exploits of Juve, A Royal Prisoner, Messengers of Evil, and A Nest of Spies. These works belong largely to the crime and detective adventure genre, with tight plots and mounting suspense built around Fantômas, a cunning and shape-shifting villain, and the tense pursuit and intrigue that surround him. Because public information is limited, details of his life and the full scope of his work remain uncertain; nonetheless, these titles show his skill in driving narratives through serial characters and interconnected events, and they give him a place in early popular crime fiction, with the Fantômas figure becoming an important source for later film and television adaptations.