Brittany

Dorothy MenpesProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 243K words
Chapters: 25

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.Brittany by Dorothy MenpesAuthor: Menpes, Dorothy,Language: English, Class: DC: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: France, Andorra, Monaco, Release Date: Jun 15, 2013

Editor's review

This is Dorothy Menpes's humanistic travel account of Brittany, a Project Gutenberg public-domain eBook. Written in English and modest in length, it serves as an introductory read on the customs, historic architecture and local life of Brittany in northwestern France. The text carries the observational perspective of early twentieth-century travel writing, with a largely impressionistic tone, letting readers sense how outsiders of the time viewed this region with its distinctive Celtic tradition. It is neither a systematic local gazetteer nor a detailed travel guide, and is better read as a cultural essay or literary travelogue. Reading it alongside maps and background on Breton history, and looking up the place names, churches and folk customs it mentions, yields a fuller picture. As a public-domain eBook it is easy to obtain and fits onto reading lists on travel literature or French regional culture.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the culture and history of Brittany, France
Readers who enjoy early twentieth-century travel writing and impressionistic essays
Travelers to France seeking cultural background
Learners needing English public-domain texts for extensive reading or cultural enrichment

Not a good fit for

Travelers needing current practical information such as transport and lodging
Readers expecting a systematic gazetteer or rigorous scholarship
Readers who prefer Chinese and are uncomfortable with English originals

Reading tips

Consult a map of Brittany first, marking the place names and buildings mentioned as you read.
Read alongside a brief history of Brittany to fill in background the book does not develop.
Read in batches by chapter, noting after each the scenes or folk customs that left the strongest impression.
For English study, excerpt descriptive passages for close reading and imitation 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 travel guide?

No. It is closer to a literary humanistic travelogue, focusing on the author's observations and impressions of Breton customs, architecture and local life. It offers no practical information on transport, lodging or tickets and is not suited to planning an itinerary step by step.

What English level does it require?

The text is an English public-domain travelogue with largely descriptive sentences and vocabulary involving place names and architectural terms. A moderate reading level suffices; look up proper names with a map and dictionary as needed without losing the overall sense.

Is the content suitable as historical research material?

Use with caution. It is travel writing from a personal perspective, with period limitations and subjective impressions. It can serve as material on how travelers of the time saw the region, but should not be treated as authoritative history of Brittany; compare with other sources before citing.

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About the author

Dorothy Menpes Author · British · 1883–1973

Dorothy Menpes (Dorothy Whistler Menpes, 1883–1973) was a British woman writer and the daughter of the illustrator Mortimer Menpes. She wrote the text for several of her father's colour travel picture books, including Japan: A Record in Colour (1901), Venice (1904), and Brittany (1905), all published by A&C Black in London. Combining written commentary with colour illustrations, these works present local scenery and travel impressions and stand as representative examples of early twentieth-century British colour-plate travel books. Public information about her life is limited; the library holds three of her works, and no common classification is currently available. The existing information chiefly reflects her contribution to travel literature and colour-plate travel writing.