About Ireland

Eliza Lynn LintonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 116K words
Chapters: 12

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.About Ireland by E. Lynn LintonAuthor: Linton, E. Lynn (Elizabeth Lynn), 1822-1898,Language: English, Class: DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe, Release Date: Aug 3, 2004

Editor's review

E. Lynn Linton's About Ireland is an English-language work on Ireland, belonging to history and geography. The author was long active in 19th-century British literary circles, and the book's interest lies in its essayistic discussion of Irish social conditions and local life, carrying a distinct period perspective and personal judgments. For today's readers, its value lies more in showing how 19th-century Britons observed and narrated Ireland than in offering a neutral contemporary account of the country. Read it as a historical text: note the author's tone, range of sources, and value assumptions, and compare with later research on Irish history. Places, institutions, and events mentioned should be understood with background material and not taken directly as factual authority. It suits readers interested in Irish history, Anglo-Irish relations, or 19th-century travel and political writing.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University readers studying 19th-century Anglo-Irish relations and Irish history
Readers interested in Victorian political writing and essays
Historical source users needing to understand British views of Ireland at the time
Enthusiasts with English reading ability and familiarity with Irish geography

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a contemporary Irish travel guide or country profile
Beginners expecting a systematic general history with a clear timeline
Those who struggle with English and are unfamiliar with 19th-century English prose

Reading tips

Learn the general historical background of 19th-century Ireland first to avoid misreading the author's judgments
Mark the author's subjective evaluations and factual statements as you read, and distinguish between them
Read alongside a modern general history of Ireland to correct period bias
Excerpt by topic rather than reading straight through, for focused research on Anglo-Irish relations or travel writing

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 this book be read as factual Irish history?

It should not be taken directly as factual authority. It carries the personal stance and period bias of a 19th-century author and is better used as historical material for observing how Britons then narrated Ireland; factual parts need verification against later research.

Can I read it without a foundation in Irish history?

Yes, but the author's judgments are easy to misunderstand. It is advisable to first fill in some 19th-century Irish historical background, then read the text, noting the author's tone and choice of material.

Is it a travelogue or political writing?

Judging from the title and the author's style, it is closer to a work discussing Irish society and local life in an essayistic manner, combining observation and commentary; it should not be simply classified as one genre. Focus on its narrative perspective rather than genre classification.

Comments

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About the author

Eliza Lynn Linton Author · British · 1822–1898

Eliza Lynn Linton (1822–1898) was an English novelist, essayist and journalist of the Victorian era. She is said to have been the first salaried female journalist in Britain, and over her lifetime she wrote more than twenty novels. Five of her works are held here, including the two volumes of The Girl of the Period, and Other Social Essays, About Ireland, Modern Women and What is Said of Them, and Witch Stories, spanning social commentary, women's issues and folklore. Her social essays, most notably The Girl of the Period, are known for their sharp style and fierce criticism of early feminism, and exerted a notable influence on Victorian public opinion. Public information is limited, so her biographical details are not elaborated here.