Idols cover

Idols

Rating 3.3
Word count
450K words
Chapters
46

Tags

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. Idols by William John Locke. Author: Locke, William John, 1863-1930. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Nov 20, 2017

Editor's review

Idols is a novel by the British author William John Locke and belongs to the public-domain canon of English literature. Locke is known for depicting human affairs with gentle irony, and this work continues his fine observation of psychology and social relationships, showing through the plot how characters waver between ideals and reality. As a free e-book from Project Gutenberg, it is a lightweight choice for reading English literature in the original and is also useful for studying the narrative style of early twentieth-century British popular fiction. When reading, do not seek intense plot excitement; instead, notice the wit in dialogue and the restraint in characterization. For readers used to fast-paced modern fiction, the book is slow and requires patience; but if the purpose is to study language and character portrayal, it has its own value. It is advisable to read the opening chapters first to get a feel for the style before deciding whether to read it through.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • English-language readers who enjoy early twentieth-century British fiction
  • Learners who want to practice reading English originals with public-domain e-books
  • Literature enthusiasts studying Locke's works or popular fiction narrative

Not a good fit for

  • Readers who prefer strong plots and fast-paced modern fiction
  • Beginners whose English reading ability is not yet sufficient for full-length originals

Reading tips

  1. Read the first five chapters to get a feel for Locke's rhythm and dialogue style before deciding how to proceed.
  2. Keep paper or electronic notes on character relationships and key turning points to avoid losing the thread in a long work.
  3. Read alongside an audiobook or dictionary tools to ease the burden of long original sentences.

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
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46

FAQ

Is this book suitable for English beginners?
Not really for complete beginners or elementary learners. It is a full-length novel in English with somewhat difficult sentence patterns and vocabulary, better suited to readers with intermediate or higher English reading ability who want to explore public-domain literature.
Why do you recommend reading the first few chapters before deciding?
Locke's works have a relatively leisurely pace, and the opening focuses on establishing characters and atmosphere. Reading a few chapters first lets you judge whether you are comfortable with the style and avoid giving up because you expected a strong plot.
What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?
This edition is a free e-book, easy to obtain and search on a computer or e-reader. It is a public-domain resource, suitable for low-cost sampling of English literary originals, but it usually contains no modern introduction or annotations.

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About the author

William John Locke (1863–1930) was a British novelist, with 23 of his works held in this collection. His representative works include The Belovéd Vagabond, The Mountebank, The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol, Septimus, The Rough Road, The White Dove, The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne: a Novel, and Jaffery. Public information about his life is limited, so this entry offers only a brief account based on the works in the collection and the clues they provide. Judging from these titles and the character of the works, Locke's novels are largely character-centered, with brisk plots that often carry a romantic and humorous tone, blending vagabondage, adventure, and social observation, and creating many vividly drawn figures whose fortunes rise and fall. His works found a readership in the early twentieth century, and some were adapted for the stage and screen, leaving a mark on popular literature and general reading.

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