Chanticleer

Mathews, Cornelius, 1817-1889Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 164K words
Chapters: 17

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.Chanticleer by Cornelius MathewsAuthor: Mathews, Cornelius, 1817-1889,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Apr 11, 2008

Editor's review

Chanticleer is a juvenile work by Cornelius Mathews, its title taken from the rooster Chanticleer, a familiar figure in the fable tradition. Belonging to children's literature in the language and literature category, it carries fable coloring and room for moral allegory, and serves as a sample of nineteenth-century American children's writing. The Project Gutenberg edition is the original English e-book, freely available, convenient for reading the original directly and for teachers selecting passages for class. When reading, notice how the narrative uses animal figures to convey lessons and the period features of the language. Its length and difficulty suit extracurricular extensive reading rather than tightly plotted modern fiction. For readers interested in children's literature history, fable adaptation, or reading original English, it offers a light but meaningful read.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in fable-style children's stories
Enthusiasts of nineteenth-century American children's literature
English learners needing free original English reading material
Language or English teachers seeking extensive reading for class

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strong plot and fast-paced narrative
Young children with limited English reading experience reading independently

Reading tips

Read a summary first, then the original, noting the lessons the rooster figure carries.
Read alongside similar stories in Aesop's fables and compare the approaches.
Teachers can select dialogue passages for classroom reading aloud and discussion.

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

What does Chanticleer refer to?

Chanticleer is the name commonly given to the rooster in the fable tradition; the book takes this as its title and builds its story around this figure, with fable and allegorical coloring. Read it as children's literature that uses animal figures to teach lessons.

Is this book suitable for children to read independently?

The original is in English with nineteenth-century usage, so independent reading will be difficult for young children. Parents or teachers should read along, or read and explain selected passages, gradually moving toward independent reading.

Can the Gutenberg edition be obtained free?

Yes. Project Gutenberg is known for free e-books; this edition is a publicly available original English e-text that readers can read or download free on its platform, suitable for personal reading and teaching materials.

Comments

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About the author

Mathews, Cornelius, 1817-1889 Author · American · 1817–1889

Cornelius Mathews (1817–1889) was an American writer and critic, one of the more active literary figures in nineteenth-century American letters. Public information about him is limited, and the details of his life are difficult to set out in full, yet his works and existing summaries give a clear sense of his writing. He was the author of satirical novels such as The Life of Puffer Hopkins, which depict social manners in a humorous, mocking vein. He also compiled The Indian Fairy Book: From the Original Legends, drawing on Native American tales and retelling them for readers. Other works include Chanticleer. His writing ranges from satirical fiction to adaptations of folk legend, showing both a critic's eye and a literary sensibility, and left its mark on the American literary scene of his time.