Anthony the Absolute

Merwin, Samuel, 1874-1936Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 370K words
Chapters: 38

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.Anthony the Absolute by Samuel MerwinAuthor: Merwin, Samuel, 1874-1936,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jul 5, 2016

Editor's review

This novel is a work by Samuel Merwin, released free as an eBook by Project Gutenberg and classified under American literature. Merwin was active in the early twentieth century, and his works often drive the narrative through the tension between character and circumstance; Anthony the Absolute likewise centers on a man of unbending resolve, and the title itself hints at the stubbornness and extremism in the protagonist's nature. For readers curious about the landscape of early twentieth-century American popular fiction, this book offers a light entry point: moderate in length, accessible in language, and clear in narrative thread, it can be read in segments during a commute or before sleep. Note that the Gutenberg edition is the original English electronic text, so basic English reading ability is required; it is also a public-domain reset eBook without a modern introduction or notes, so readers must situate the period background themselves. It is better suited as supplementary reading for literature enthusiasts than as a core text for researching a specific topic.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-reading readers curious about the landscape of early twentieth-century American fiction
Readers who prefer character-driven stories and enjoy watching a stubborn protagonist
English learners seeking light public-domain English books for reading practice
Literature enthusiasts accustomed to reading in fragments on electronic devices

Not a good fit for

Chinese readers with no English reading ability at all
Researchers expecting detailed notes and scholarly introductions
Readers who prefer strong-plot, fast-paced genre fiction
General readers seeking a contemporary setting or a localized translation

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to see whether the pacing and language difficulty suit you before committing to the whole book.
Jot down the protagonist's key decisions as you read and observe how his character drives the plot's turns.
Pair the reading with brief background material on early twentieth-century American society to help understand the characters' circumstances.
If interest flags midway, switch to skimming dialogue and key scenes to grasp the main storyline.

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 Project Gutenberg's data, the book is in English and falls under American and Canadian literature. There is no Chinese translation in the book, so basic English reading ability is needed.

Is this book suitable for English beginners?

This is an early twentieth-century American novel whose sentence patterns and vocabulary carry period features; it was not written for language learning. English beginners may find it difficult, and intermediate learners with some reading foundation will be more comfortable.

Does this edition have notes or an introduction?

Project Gutenberg provides public-domain electronic texts that usually contain only the main text, without modern editorial notes, introductions, or discussion questions. Readers who want background knowledge must look up relevant material themselves.

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About the author

Merwin, Samuel, 1874-1936 Author

Samuel Merwin (1874–1936) was an American writer whose life and education are sparsely documented in publicly available sources. Twelve of his works are held in the collection, and their subjects are notably varied: there is the episodic coming-of-age series about Henry Calverly, Henry Is Twenty; there are stories of small-town life and human entanglement such as His Little World and The Whip Hand; and there is the historical adventure novel The Road to Frontenac. He also engaged with social issues, most notably in Drugging a Nation, a book on China and the opium problem that reflects his concern with real-world affairs. On the whole, Merwin's writing combines popular storytelling with social observation; his plain style and his skill at developing plot through his characters' experiences earned him a place in early twentieth-century American popular literature.