Comrades

Phelps, Elizabeth Stuart, 1844-1911Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 40K words
Chapters: 5

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.Comrades by Elizabeth Stuart PhelpsAuthor: Phelps, Elizabeth Stuart, 1844-1911,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 8, 2010

Editor's review

Comrades comes from the nineteenth-century American writer Elizabeth Stuart Phelps and belongs to the strand of her writing concerned with social issues. The work is concise in length and restrained in touch, directing its gaze toward the bonds between people and differences in circumstance, carrying the moral concern and emotional tension common in American literature of the time. Its reading value lies in offering a window onto nineteenth-century American social issues and women's writing: the narrative is not driven by strong plot but wins through character relationships and a sense of inner measure. For readers accustomed to fast-paced narrative, the opening may seem quiet, but once they enter patiently, they can feel a reserved power. It is suitable as a supplementary selection in American literature readings; reading it together with background materials on the author's era yields better results.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying nineteenth-century American literature and social issues
Literature enthusiasts interested in the trajectory of women writers
Readers who prefer short works, slow pacing, and depictions of character relationships
Upper-level students who need materials for English literature selections

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking strong plot and fast-paced narrative
Readers hoping for clear social conclusions or arguments
Readers still at the beginning stage of English reading who are intimidated by long sentences

Reading tips

First learn about the social background of the author's era, then enter the text.
It is best read in one sitting, paying attention to the subtext and gaps in the characters' dialogue.
After reading, compare it with American women's writing of the same period and compare similarities and differences in their concerns.

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 long? How long does it take to finish?

The work is concise and of short-story length; focused reading in one or two sessions is enough to finish it. If combined with background materials and notes, it can be read closely over two to three days, leaving time to appreciate the character relationships and tone.

Can I understand it without a background in American literature?

The basic plot and character relationships are not hard to understand, but the moral concerns and period context in the work require some background knowledge to appreciate fully. It is recommended to first read a brief introduction to the author and the era, then enter the main text, for smoother understanding.

Is it suitable as English learning material?

The text carries the features of nineteenth-century literary language, with rather long sentences and more elegant wording, posing some difficulty for beginners. It is more suitable as close-reading material for learners with intermediate or above English reading ability who wish to engage with literary original texts.

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About the author

Phelps, Elizabeth Stuart, 1844-1911 Author

Elizabeth Stuart Phelps (1844–1911) was an American writer. Fourteen of her works are held in this collection, commonly classified under inspirational and personal growth. Public information is limited, and reliable details of her life such as education, awards, and official positions are not available here, so this note focuses on her works. Her representative titles include The Gates Ajar, Beyond the Gates, The Gates Between, Men, Women, and Ghosts, A Singular Life, Avery, Loveliness: A Story, and the poetry collection Songs of the Silent World, and Other Poems. These titles show that she wrote both fiction and poetry, often exploring faith, death, the imagined afterlife, and everyday moral questions with a reflective and consoling tone. Some works use ghostly and supernatural frameworks to examine inner struggle in the face of loss and the unknown. Her style is quiet and restrained, with attention to her characters' inner lives, giving her inspirational writing a gentle, introspective quality.