Hyperion

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-1882Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 399K words
Chapters: 40

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.Hyperion by Henry Wadsworth LongfellowAuthor: Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-1882,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 1, 2004

Editor's review

Longfellow's Hyperion is an autobiographical epistolary novel and a record of a young American poet's spiritual wanderings. The book follows the protagonist's travels through Germany and elsewhere in Europe, interspersed with reflections on art, music, natural scenery, and the meaning of life; the language is poetic and full of Romantic temperament. Its value lies not in dramatic plot but in the way travel observations are elevated into spiritual monologue, through which readers can sense the admiration and self-examination with which nineteenth-century American literati faced European culture. Its highlights are the prose-like narrative rhythm and numerous lyrical passages, suited to slow reading and excerpting. It can be read in a quiet afternoon or before sleep; open it anywhere and you enter a contemplative atmosphere. For readers studying the sources of Longfellow's poetry, American Romantic literature, or travel writing on the German-speaking lands, this early work offers background clues for understanding his later poems. A reminder: it is closer to prose-poetic essays than to a novel in the modern sense.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who love Longfellow's poetry and want to understand his early creative development
Researchers interested in American Romantic literature and nineteenth-century travel writing
Slow readers who prefer prose-like narration and enjoy contemplation and landscape description

Not a good fit for

Readers of popular fiction who seek strong plots and fast-paced stories
Readers who want a systematic biography of Longfellow rather than his works
Beginners with limited English reading ability who need a Chinese translation

Reading tips

Read the preface or opening chapters first to grasp the basic tone of the epistolary narration before proceeding.
Keep a notebook and jot down passages involving music, painting, and nature description for later review.
Don't chase the plot; read chapters independently and pause briefly after each to savor it.
If studying Longfellow's poetry, compare with his later poems to observe the continuity of ideas and imagery.

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 a novel or a collection of prose essays?

It is usually regarded as an autobiographical epistolary novel, but the plot is loose and lyrical and reflective passages take up a large proportion; the reading experience is closer to prose essays or a poetic travelogue, so it need not be judged by the expectations of a traditional novel.

Can I read this book without having read Longfellow's poetry?

Yes. This is an early work by Longfellow and stands on its own, not depending on his poetry. Still, familiarity with his poetic style makes it easier to appreciate the rhythms and imagery of the language.

What English level is needed to read this book?

The original is nineteenth-century English with long sentences and literary wording. A good foundation in English reading is advisable, or use an annotated edition; don't look up every unfamiliar expression—focus on grasping the overall atmosphere.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

This edition is a free public-domain e-book from Project Gutenberg, presenting the original English text, convenient for searching and excerpting on electronic devices. It has no modern translation notes or introduction, so readers need to supplement background material themselves.

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About the author

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-1882 Author

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth (1807–1882) was a nineteenth-century American poet; his name and dates are as recorded in the library, while other biographical details are limited in publicly available sources and are not speculated upon here. The library holds twenty of his works, spanning long narrative poems, short lyrics, and verse drama. Evangeline, set against the dispersal of the Acadians, is a sustained and sympathetic narrative; The Courtship of Miles Standish draws on legends of the colonial period; Tales of a Wayside Inn uses a frame narrative in which travelers tell stories from many lands; and The Wreck of the Hesperus is a ballad-like treatment of a maritime disaster. His verse attends to rhyme and rhythm and to folk and legendary material, and its plain language, addressed to ordinary readers, helped it circulate widely in the English-speaking world.