His Little World: The Story of Hunch Badeau

Merwin, Samuel, 1874-1936Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.1
Word count
136K words
Chapters
14

Tags

English Originals Foreign Literature Social ObservationPortrait GalleryFate and FortuneComplex HumanityGrowing UpDaily ReflectionsHeartwarming NarrativePopular Narrative

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. His Little World: The Story of Hunch Badeau by Samuel Merwin. Author: Merwin, Samuel, 1874-1936. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Feb 3, 2017

Editor's review

Samuel Merwin's novel, titled His Little World, points to the limited sphere of existence and inner dimensions of its characters, and belongs to the strand of early twentieth-century American fiction concerned with individual circumstances. Project Gutenberg has made it available as a free English electronic edition, bringing this work—rarely seen in the Chinese market—back within reach. Judging from the limited information available, the book leans toward character-driven narrative: it unfolds the ups and downs within the life circle of a character named Hunch Badeau, through which readers can appreciate Merwin's observation of ordinary people's fates and his restrained craft. Its value lies not in spectacular plotting but in offering a window onto a slice of early American society; it suits readers interested in filling out their view of the lesser-known writers in the American literary lineage. As a public-domain electronic text, it is easy to search, cite, and carry for reading, but readers need their own English reading stamina and must accept the plain typography of a volunteer-digitized edition.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. Before reading, learn a little about early twentieth-century American society to better grasp the characters' circumstances
  2. Read chapter by chapter and note changes in character relationships to avoid confusing similar English names
  3. If the pace feels slow, read the middle section first and then return to the opening to test the narrative's appeal
  4. After finishing, compare its character portrayal with contemporary American novels to form your own judgment

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.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14

FAQ

What are the main highlights of this book? The highlights lie in its character-driven slice-of-life narrative and its sense of a slice of early American society. It does not rely on spectacular plotting but presents Merwin's observation of ordinary people's circumstances through the ups and downs of characters in a limited social circle. It suits readers willing to slow down and appreciate character portrayal.
Does the Gutenberg edition include Chinese notes? Project Gutenberg releases the original English electronic text, which usually contains no Chinese notes or introduction. Readers who need support can pair it with dictionary tools or relevant background materials. The text itself is searchable and copyable, making note-taking and citation easy.
What level of English difficulty does it involve? It is early twentieth-century American novelistic language, with sentence patterns and word choices characteristic of the period; overall it is not very difficult but requires some reading stamina. Readers with intermediate English reading ability who are used to reading original novels will find it relatively easy to get into; beginners are advised to use reference tools or try shorter chapters first.
Why recommend it to readers interested in the literary lineage? Because Merwin is not among the most frequently translated American writers, and this book offers a sample outside the popular canon. For readers studying or interested in the American literary lineage, reading works by such lesser-known writers helps them understand the distribution of themes and styles in fiction of the time and avoid forming a one-sided impression based only on classics.

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About the author

Merwin, Samuel, 1874-1936 Author

Samuel Merwin (1874–1936) was an American writer whose life and education are sparsely documented in publicly available sources. Twelve of his works are held in the collection, and their subjects are notably varied: there is the episodic coming-of-age series about Henry Calverly, Henry Is Twenty; there are stories of small-town life and human entanglement such as His Little World and The Whip Hand; and there is the historical adventure novel The Road to Frontenac. He also engaged with social issues, most notably in Drugging a Nation, a book on China and the opium problem that reflects his concern with real-world affairs. On the whole, Merwin's writing combines popular storytelling with social observation; his plain style and his skill at developing plot through his characters' experiences earned him a place in early twentieth-century American popular literature.