Another Sheaf

Galsworthy, John, 1867-1933Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 422K words
Chapters: 43

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.Another Sheaf by John GalsworthyAuthor: Galsworthy, John, 1867-1933,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Aug 17, 2009

Editor's review

Another Sheaf is a collection of essays and short pieces by John Galsworthy, released as a free electronic text by Project Gutenberg. Galsworthy is best known for The Forsyte Saga, and his prose is finely wrought, adept at using everyday details as a point of entry for observations on social ethics, human relations, and the changes of the times. The book is not long, and its chapters stand relatively independent of one another, making it suitable for reading in fragmented moments such as commutes or before bed, and also as a supplementary read for understanding the early twentieth-century British literary scene and the author's non-fiction style. The English original is elegant without being obscure; for readers with some grounding in English reading, it is good material for experiencing the rhythm and phrasing of English prose. Note that the Gutenberg edition is a public-domain e-book without a modern introduction or notes, so readers must supply the background themselves; moreover, this is a relatively obscure work by the author and should not be the first choice for those new to his representative works.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy English literature and want to explore Galsworthy's non-fiction
Readers with intermediate or higher English reading ability who wish to practise English prose
Readers who prefer short essays and are used to fragmented reading
Enthusiasts studying early twentieth-century British society and literary life

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for a long novel in the manner of The Forsyte Saga
Beginners with weak English who need Chinese annotations
Academic researchers who need a modern introduction and detailed background notes

Reading tips

First skim the table of contents and start with the chapter whose title interests you most; there is no need to read in order.
After each piece, summarise the main idea in two or three English sentences, and pick up some expressions along the way.
Mark unfamiliar words and look them up later, so as not to break the rhythm of the prose.
It can be read alongside a brief biography of Galsworthy to understand the historical context of his 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

Is this book a novel or a collection of essays?

From the title and the information available, this is a short work by Galsworthy, closer to a collection of essays and short pieces than to a long serial novel like The Forsyte Saga. The pieces stand relatively independent of one another and are suitable for reading in sections.

How difficult is the English?

It is early twentieth-century English literary prose: elegant in diction but not excessively complex in sentence structure. Readers at university English level, or able to read English originals smoothly, should generally cope; a dictionary is recommended.

Does this edition have notes or an introduction?

This is a public-domain e-book released by Project Gutenberg, usually containing only the original text and basic bibliographic information, generally without a modern introduction, notes, or translator's remarks; readers must supply the background knowledge themselves.

Is it suitable as an introductory book for understanding Galsworthy?

Not really. His representative works are novels such as The Forsyte Saga; this book is a relatively obscure collection, better suited to readers who have already read his major works and want to learn more about his essay writing.

Comments

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About the author

Galsworthy, John, 1867-1933 Author

John Galsworthy (1867–1933) was a British novelist and playwright known for his detailed portrayal of English social life from the late Victorian period to the early twentieth century. The library holds fifty-six of his works, including novels, serial fiction, and plays. Representative titles include The Forsyte Saga in its complete form and in Volumes I and II, To Let, Strife: A Drama in Three Acts, and Justice. His fiction often centers on family relationships, attitudes toward property, and shifts in social class, written in a restrained and observant style that attends to the interplay between individual psychology and social environment. His plays frequently explore tensions between law, morality, and personal circumstance. Overall, his work combines realistic depth with readability and has had a lasting influence on English literature. Public information is limited, so biographical details are omitted here; this introduction is based mainly on the works held in the library.