Familiar Quotations

Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 291K words
Chapters: 30

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.Familiar Quotations by John BartlettAuthor: ,Language: English, Class: PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections, Release Date: Sep 23, 2005

Editor's review

This edition of Familiar Quotations is John Bartlett's classic compilation of English quotations, offered by Project Gutenberg as a free eBook. Its core value lies not in a continuous narrative but in gathering frequently cited passages from English literature and intellectual history by author or theme, forming a browsable treasury of quotations. For Chinese readers, the highlight is that it preserves the original English text and source references, making it easy to verify quotations and trace their contexts rather than relying on secondhand paraphrase. It suits a desk or e-reader as a reference tool: finding an apt quotation while writing, checking the true source of a famous line while reading English literature, or serving as an entry index to English cultural allusions. Note that it follows the English documentary tradition and provides no Chinese translation or modern annotation; readers need decent English reading ability and a willingness to verify background themselves. Overall, it is a reference work for slow, repeated use, not a popular book to read straight through.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers seeking sources for English quotations for writing or speeches
English learners who want to verify quotation sources while reading English books
General readers interested in allusions from English literature and intellectual history
Teachers or editors who want to build a personal quotation database

Not a good fit for

Beginners who want Chinese translations and detailed annotations
Readers expecting a continuous narrative or plot-driven reading experience
Practical users who need modern thematic categories and search tools

Reading tips

Use it as a reference book, jumping by author or keyword rather than reading straight through.
When encountering a quotation, first check the original source, then return to the original context to confirm meaning and avoid taking it out of context.
Keep a notebook to record frequently used quotations and sources, gradually building your own index.
If your English is weak, consult a reliable bilingual dictionary and background materials alongside it.

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 for reading from cover to cover?

Not really. It is essentially a compilation of quotations, and the entries lack a continuous narrative, so reading straight through can be tiring. A more effective approach is to use it as a reference book, jumping by author, theme, or writing need, and tracing interesting quotations back to their original contexts.

Does the lack of Chinese translation affect its use?

Somewhat. The whole book is arranged in English and includes no Chinese translation or modern annotation, so readers need basic English reading ability. If you only want quick access to Chinese quotations, use bilingual materials; if you want to verify original English lines and sources, this book is actually more valuable.

What is the difference between the electronic and print editions in use?

The Gutenberg edition is a free eBook, convenient for full-text searching and copying quotations, and suitable for quick verification while writing; the print edition is better for browsing and long reading sessions. The content is the same in orientation, and the choice depends on whether you value search efficiency or the browsing experience.

Comments

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