Far Off Things

Machen, Arthur, 1863-1947Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 241K words
Chapters: 25

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.Far Off Things by Arthur MachenAuthor: Machen, Arthur, 1863-1947,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Feb 3, 2011

Editor's review

Far Off Things is an English-language work by Arthur Machen, released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain eBook in the English literature category. Machen is known for his atmosphere of the strange and supernatural; the title points toward distant things and memory-inflected writing, suited to slow reading in a quiet setting, to savor its verbal rhythm and elusive sense of mystery. The public-domain electronic edition allows full-text searching and serves as an accessible entry point for studying Machen or the mood of late nineteenth-century English literature. However, the available data provide only the author, language, and bibliographic classification, with no content summary, so readers should not assume a specific plot; it is best approached as atmospheric reading rather than a plot-driven novel. Before reading, one may learn about Machen's creative background; afterward, record striking images and passages, then decide whether to read further works.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy British weird and mysterious atmospheric literature
New readers who want to discover Arthur Machen through a public-domain eBook
Enthusiasts studying late nineteenth-century English literature and the weird tradition
Readers who prefer slow reading and value verbal atmosphere over strong plot

Not a good fit for

Genre-fiction readers expecting tight plotting and a clear ending
Readers who need a detailed summary or introduction before choosing a book
Readers who read only Chinese and are unwilling to engage with the English original

Reading tips

Read the opening pages first to gauge language difficulty and atmosphere, then decide how much to read each day.
Note recurring images and place names as you go, and revisit these clues after finishing.
Pair the book with a short text on Machen's life or the background of weird literature to help situate it.
If the English is hard going, read a Chinese-translated passage alongside it first, then return to the original for slow 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

What story does this book tell?

The available data provide only the title, author, language, and bibliographic classification, with no content summary, so no specific plot can be recounted from them. It is best regarded as a Machen-esque atmospheric work; do not expect a complete storyline before reading, and focus primarily on language and imagery.

Is it suitable for someone reading Arthur Machen for the first time?

It can serve as an introductory attempt, but expectations should be adjusted. This public-domain eBook usually has no introduction or notes, so first-time readers should ideally learn about Machen's weird style first, or begin with selected short stories before entering this book, so as not to lose patience for lack of background.

What level of English is needed to read it?

It is advisable to have a level sufficient for English prose of the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. Machen's language is literary, with many long sentences and archaic expressions; if the English original is difficult, read a Chinese-translated passage alongside it first, then return to the original, avoiding word-by-word dictionary lookup that interrupts the reading rhythm.

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About the author

Machen, Arthur, 1863-1947 Author

Arthur Machen (1863–1947) was a British writer known for his fantasy, horror and supernatural fiction. Ten of his works are included here, among them The Great God Pan, The Three Impostors or, The Transmutations, The Hill of Dreams, The House of Souls, The Terror: A Mystery, The Secret Glory, Far Off Things and The Angels of Mons: The Bowmen and Other Legends of the War. His writing often draws on the Welsh countryside, ancient legend and pagan survivals, quietly introducing supernatural forces into ordinary settings and creating a restrained yet lasting sense of psychological dread. He is regarded as an important forerunner of modern horror literature, and his style relies on atmosphere and suggestion rather than explicit violence. The story The Bowmen also gave rise to a widely circulated social legend. Public information is limited, so details of his life are not elaborated here.