Jessie Trim

Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold), 1833-1903Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 337K words
Chapters: 34

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.Jessie Trim by B. L. FarjeonAuthor: Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold), 1833-1903,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Dec 12, 2016

Editor's review

Jessie Trim is an English novel by the nineteenth-century writer Benjamin Leopold Farjeon, released as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg. Farjeon was a prolific Victorian novelist whose works are known for plot momentum and the fate of their characters, and this book is likewise a public-domain work of English literature. For today's readers its value lies mainly in two things: as a sample of nineteenth-century popular English fiction, it allows observation of the narrative pace, characterization, and social background of the period; and as a free electronic text, it lets English learners build a feel for the language through long-form reading. The book offers no modern editor's introduction or notes, so readers must adjust on their own to nineteenth-century English usage and period background. It suits readers interested in Victorian English fiction who are willing to read the original, and can also serve as long-form extensive reading material in English. Those seeking a tightly plotted modern genre novel or an edition with detailed notes should look elsewhere.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in nineteenth-century English fiction who are willing to read the original
English learners needing long-form English extensive reading to build a feel for the language
Enthusiasts studying the narrative style of Victorian popular literature
General readers who like public-domain classics and are used to e-reading

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast-paced modern genre fiction and have limited patience for old-style narration
Beginners with weak English who need Chinese notes or a parallel translation
Literature researchers needing a scholarly edition with notes and author studies

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to get used to nineteenth-century English sentence patterns and rhythm, then decide whether to read through or select portions.
Keep a notebook to track character relationships and key plot points; long old novels can be confusing with many characters.
Read alongside public material on the author and the Victorian background to deepen understanding of how the plot is constructed.

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

How difficult is the English in this book?

As a nineteenth-century English novel, its sentence patterns and vocabulary are more elaborate than contemporary English, with many long sentences and old-fashioned expressions. Readers at college English reading level or with some experience of reading originals will find it smoother; beginners should sample the opening chapters first to judge whether it suits them.

Why are there no notes or introduction?

Project Gutenberg provides public-domain electronic texts, focusing on making the original freely available, and usually does not include the notes, introduction, or scholarly editing of a modern publisher. Readers who want background explanations can consult public material such as the author's biography and the historical background.

Can it be used for English study?

It can serve as long-form extensive reading material to help familiarize you with narrative English and old-fashioned expressions. It is not recommended as a sole textbook: lacking notes and exercises, unfamiliar usage must be checked independently. Combining a dictionary with selective close reading of passages will give better results.

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About the author

Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold), 1833-1903 Author

Benjamin Leopold Farjeon (1833–1903) was a prolific English novelist of the late nineteenth century. Public information about his life is limited: the available records confirm only his name, year of death, and the twenty-nine works held in the collection, without stating his nationality or detailed experiences. Judging from the surviving titles, he wrote mainly long novels with intricate plots, often touching on mystery and crime, including Aaron the Jew: A Novel, The Mystery of M. Felix, A Secret Inheritance, Devlin the Barber, Toilers of Babylon: A Novel, The House of the White Shadows, and Joshua Marvel. These works generally revolve around secrets, inheritances, and lower-class urban figures, with compact narration and a sombre atmosphere; they found readers in their day and offer material for studying Victorian popular fiction.