Dame Care

Hermann SudermannProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.7

Word count: 384K words
Chapters: 39

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.Dame Care by Hermann SudermannAuthor: Sudermann, Hermann, 1857-1928,Language: English, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Jul 1, 2005

Editor's review

Dame Care is a novel by the German writer Hermann Sudermann, a work of German literature concerned with the fate of ordinary people and social reality. The "Care" in the title is personified as a caretaker, and the novel revolves around family hardship and the growth of its characters, carrying the realist temperament and emotional tension common to late nineteenth-century German literature. Its value lies in presenting the characters' inner struggles through the details of everyday life; it does not rely on sensational plotting but moves readers through patient portrayal of people in hardship. The availability of a Chinese or English translation will affect the reading experience, so it is advisable to confirm the edition first. It serves well as an introductory choice for understanding German realist fiction, and also suits readers interested in family ethics and themes of growth, to be savored slowly. As it is fairly long, reading chapter by chapter is recommended, with notes on character relationships kept afterward.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in German realist fiction and late nineteenth-century literature
Literature lovers who enjoy themes of family ethics, growth, and hardship
University students and self-learners seeking to broaden their reading in foreign literature
Readers willing to read a long novel slowly and attentive to inner character portrayal

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking fast-paced plots and strong dramatic conflict
Readers who want only short essays and are unwilling to invest time in a long work
Readers sensitive to translation quality who cannot find a suitable edition

Reading tips

First sort out the main character relationships, then proceed chapter by chapter to avoid confusion midway.
Pay attention to descriptions of setting and everyday detail, for they carry the characters' emotional shifts.
After each chapter, summarize the conflict in one or two sentences to help grasp the overall direction.

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 as an introduction to German literature?

It can serve as one introductory choice, being a realist work of family and growth themes with a plot that is not overly complex. But it is fairly long, so it is advisable to confirm the quality of the edition at hand before deciding whether to read it closely.

What does "Care" in the title refer to?

The title personifies "care" or "looking after," pointing to the hardship and responsibility overshadowing the characters' lives. While reading, note how this image changes as the plot advances; it is closely tied to the characters' fates.

Do I need to know the author beforehand to read this book?

Not necessarily. The novel can be read on its own; knowing the author's era helps in understanding the realist style but is not essential. It is best to focus on character relationships and everyday details.

Comments

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About the author

Hermann Sudermann Author · German · 1857–1928

Hermann Sudermann (1857–1928) was a German writer and a leading representative of German Naturalism, born in Matzicken, East Prussia, and died in Berlin. He worked early in life as a tutor and journalist, and rose to fame in 1887 with the novel Dame Care. His plays Honour and Heimat (translated into English as Magda) won acclaim throughout Europe, and he also wrote The Cat's Bridge and Lithuanian Stories. His work spans fiction and drama, focusing on social reality and individual destiny with a realistic style and dramatic intensity. The library holds nineteen of his works, including The Undying Past, Magda: A Play in Four Acts, The Song of Songs, Dame Care, The Silent Mill, and Roses: Four One-Act Plays, commonly classified under inspirational growth.