Catharine

Adams, Nehemiah, 1806-1878Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 182K words
Chapters: 19

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.Catharine by Nehemiah AdamsAuthor: Adams, Nehemiah, 1806-1878,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 28, 2005

Editor's review

This novel by Nehemiah Adams, a 19th-century American Congregational minister and writer, is an early work of American fiction available in the Project Gutenberg public-domain ebook library. Adams was known chiefly for his religious writing and essays, and his fiction bears the clear imprint of its era and a strong moral and religious concern. For readers studying 19th-century American literature and religious culture, or those interested in the English-language public-domain literary works preserved by Project Gutenberg, the book has some documentary and historical value. The original is in English, in a 19th-century written style whose sentence structures and vocabulary are somewhat removed from modern English. Since public-domain ebooks usually lack modern introductions or annotations, readers need decent English reading ability and some familiarity with the cultural background of the period. On the whole, it is better suited as a supplementary text for the study of literary history or public-domain books than as a popular read for a general audience.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students and scholars studying 19th-century American literature and religious culture
Readers interested in English-language public-domain novels from Project Gutenberg
Readers with strong English skills who want to engage with 19th-century English texts
Collectors of Nehemiah Adams's religious literature

Not a good fit for

General readers looking for light, popular fiction
Readers with weaker English who need modern annotations
Readers with little interest in religious and moral fiction

Reading tips

Begin by looking into the life of Nehemiah Adams and the 19th-century American religious context before starting the text.
Note unfamiliar words and period expressions as you read, and use an English-English dictionary to grasp the feel of the language.
Read it alongside other American novels of the same period, noting the features of its religious and moral narrative.
As the public-domain ebook has no annotations, look up the historical and religious allusions as you go.

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 suitable for readers with only average English?

Not really. The original is 19th-century English with long sentences and old-fashioned wording, and public-domain ebooks usually have no modern annotations or glossary. Readers with average English will find it demanding, so it is better attempted after gaining solid English reading experience.

Is there a Chinese translation or introduction?

According to the available information, the book comes from Project Gutenberg as an English public-domain ebook, and no Chinese translation or modern introduction is mentioned. Readers who want Chinese-language support will need to consult relevant literary-history materials themselves.

What is Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg is the first project to provide free ebooks, founded by Michael Hart in 1971, who invented the ebook format. The project continues to compile and offer public-domain ebooks, and this book is one of the works it has collected.

Comments

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About the author

Adams, Nehemiah, 1806-1878 Author

Nehemiah Adams (1806–1878) was an American Congregational minister and writer. Public information about his life is limited; what can be confirmed is that he left three works: The Sable Cloud: A Southern Tale With Northern Comments, Catharine, and Bertha and Her Baptism. Judging from their subjects, his writings touch on fiction, religion, and family ethics. The Sable Cloud, which pairs a Southern story with Northern commentary, engages with the social issues between the American North and South at the time, while the other two works are closer to personal life and religious upbringing. Overall, his writing carries the exhortatory tone of nineteenth-century American religious literature, focusing on moral reflection and family nurture. His output was small, and his influence was largely confined to the readership of his own era.