Coquette

Swinnerton, Frank, 1884-1982Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 508K words
Chapters: 51

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.Coquette by Frank SwinnertonAuthor: Swinnerton, Frank, 1884-1982,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jan 18, 2010

Editor's review

Frank Swinnerton's Coquette is an English novel in Project Gutenberg's British literature collection. The title's "coquette" points to a woman who flirts and maneuvers through romantic relationships, a figure often used in early twentieth-century British fiction to examine gender roles and marriage in social circles. Swinnerton's narrative typically focuses on psychological detail and everyday scenes, sustaining tension through dialogue and shifting relationships rather than strong plot. For Chinese readers, it is better suited as a sample of early twentieth-century British popular fiction than as a source of dramatic reading pleasure. Pay attention to the social rules behind characters' words and the narrator's attitude toward the female character; these are key to understanding the work's period context. As a public-domain e-book, version information is limited, so readers should rely primarily on the text itself.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers interested in early twentieth-century British fiction and social themes
Advanced English learners seeking to improve language sense through original novels
Readers studying female images and views of marriage in popular fiction
Readers who prefer slow-paced character-driven novels over strong plot

Not a good fit for

Readers of suspense or genre fiction who prefer fast pacing and strong conflict
Beginners not yet proficient in English reading who need annotated support
Researchers expecting detailed author biography and critical introduction

Reading tips

Read a few chapters first to feel the rhythm of dialogue before deciding whether to read through or selectively
Track changes in the main characters' relationships as you read to clarify the social circle
Note the narrator's tone in evaluating the heroine's words and actions to grasp period gender norms
If English is difficult, read a reliable translation for the plot first, then return to the original

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 is the English difficulty level of this book?

As an early twentieth-century British novel, its sentences are fairly formal and the dialogue contains period expressions, making it moderately to highly difficult overall. Readers with some experience of original English fiction will find it easier to enter; beginners may need a dictionary or translation for support.

What does the title Coquette refer to in the book?

Coquette generally refers to a woman who flirts and maneuvers in romantic relationships. The title directs readers to the heroine's social behavior and others' evaluations of her, which is also an entry point for understanding the novel's themes and period gender norms.

Is the version information for this e-book reliable?

The information shows it comes from Project Gutenberg and is a public-domain e-book with brief publication details and no detailed textual collation notes. Rely mainly on the text when reading; for research citation, verify against an authoritative edition and publication information.

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About the author

Swinnerton, Frank, 1884-1982 Author · British · 1884–1982

Frank Swinnerton (1884–1982) was a British novelist and literary critic. His writing and criticism spanned much of twentieth-century English literary life: he wrote fiction, worked for years as a critic, and left several memoirs of the literary world that offer first-hand material on the people and temper of his time. His novels include Nocturne and Coquette, works that often centre on urban life and relations between men and women, written with delicate attention to character psychology and everyday atmosphere, restrained rather than exaggerated in style. Two of his works are held in this collection. Public information on his early education, career details and honours is limited, so no speculation is offered here; readers may turn to his fiction and memoirs for his observation of human nature and his enduring literary taste.