Daisy

Saunders, Marshall, 1861-1947Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 30K words
Chapters: 4

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.Daisy by Marshall SaundersAuthor: Saunders, Marshall, 1861-1947,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Dec 17, 2014

Editor's review

Daisy is an English-language novel by Canadian author Marshall Saunders (1861–1947), classified under American and Canadian literature and released by Project Gutenberg as a free eBook. Saunders was known for animal stories and juvenile fiction, and this book continues her focus on the vulnerable and the emotional world, with gentle narration and clear character relationships; it serves as an accessible introduction to late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century North American popular fiction. The Gutenberg edition's value lies in zero-barrier access to the text: it can be freely downloaded, copied, and searched, making it convenient for close reading against the original and suitable as graded reading material for English learners. Note that this is the original English edition without Chinese notes or introduction, so readers need some English reading ability. It is advisable to first familiarize yourself with the family novel and sentimental novel traditions of the author's time before entering the text, which makes it easier to appreciate the social context behind the characters' choices. As a public-domain eBook, it suits research-oriented and interest-driven reading rather than leisure reading that seeks strong plot or modern narrative pacing.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature lovers interested in early Canadian popular fiction and women's writing
Intermediate to advanced English learners who need free original English texts for intensive reading practice
Students researching late nineteenth-century North American family and juvenile fiction
General readers who enjoy gentle narration and attention to characters' emotions

Not a good fit for

Beginners with weak English who need Chinese annotations for support
Readers who prefer strong plot, fast pacing, or modern genre fiction
Researchers seeking detailed introductions and scholarly annotations

Reading tips

Start by reading the bibliographic information on the Gutenberg page to confirm the edition and chapter structure, then set a daily page target.
Mark unfamiliar words without looking them up immediately, and review them after finishing a chapter to maintain narrative continuity.
Read alongside other animal-themed works by the author to observe the continuity of her themes.
After finishing, write a paragraph in English or Chinese about your understanding of the protagonist's situation to test what you have gained from the reading.

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 in Chinese or the original English?

This is the original English eBook released by Project Gutenberg; the text is in English with no Chinese translation or annotations. Readers need some English reading ability; intermediate to advanced learners are advised, or use a dictionary and辅助 tools.

What is special about the Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free, freely downloadable public-domain eBooks whose text is easy to search, copy, and read offline, suitable for close reading, citation, and teaching. This edition does not include the introduction, annotations, or illustrations of a commercial publisher; the reading experience is primarily plain text.

Do I need to know about the author before reading?

No special preparation is necessary. The author, Marshall Saunders, was active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and wrote for juvenile and family readers. Knowing this background helps understand the narrative pacing and characters' views, but it does not affect basic reading; browsing the bibliographic information beforehand is enough.

Is it suitable as English learning material?

It suits intermediate to advanced English learners for combined extensive and intensive reading training. The text is a public-domain novel whose language carries period features, with some expressions differing from modern English. It is advisable to read chapter by chapter, first grasping the plot and then organizing vocabulary and long sentences; it is not suitable as a zero-beginner textbook.

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About the author

Saunders, Marshall, 1861-1947 Author

Marshall Saunders (1861-1947) was a Canadian author whose life and nationality are only sparsely documented in public sources. The library holds fifteen of her works, most of them animal stories for young readers, the best known being Beautiful Joe: An Autobiography. Others include Boy the Wandering Dog: Adventures of a Fox-Terrier, the story of a canary named Golden Dicky, and Pussy Black-Face, the tale of a kitten and her friends. She often lets animals narrate, in a warm tone with moral overtones. She also wrote growing-up stories centred on orphans, such as 'Tilda Jane: An Orphan in Search of a Home, along with Deficient Saints: A Tale of Maine and Rose à Charlitte. Her writing stays close to everyday life and dwells on feeling and character, and retains some place in early children's literature.