John Wesley, Jr.

Brummitt, Dan B. (Dan Brearley), 1867-1939Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.2

Word count: 398K 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.John Wesley, Jr. by Dan B. BrummittAuthor: Brummitt, Dan B. (Dan Brearley), 1867-1939,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 1, 2003

Editor's review

This novel centers on a young man who shares the name of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and through the protagonist's growth and choices reflects the tension between a tradition of faith and personal aspiration. As the work of an early twentieth-century American author, it preserves the moral concerns and narrative rhythm characteristic of the popular fiction of its day, and its dialogue bears the distinct stamp of the era. For readers studying American religious literature, Methodist culture, or early twentieth-century popular reading matter, the book offers a concrete textual sample. It is best read as a cultural document, observing how the author turns a religious background into ethical choices in everyday life, rather than judged by the standards of contemporary fiction for plot density.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying American religious literature and Methodist culture
Literary enthusiasts interested in early twentieth-century American popular fiction
Religious studies scholars seeking to understand how Christian tradition enters fiction
Readers who enjoy stories centered on personal growth and choices of faith

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer plot-driven, fast-paced modern fiction
Readers averse to religious subject matter or a didactic tone
General readers unfamiliar with the English original who rely on Chinese translations

Reading tips

First learn about John Wesley himself and his place in Methodism, then read the text to understand the point of the title.
Treat it as a period text rather than a contemporary novel, and note the religious vocabulary in dialogue and narration.
Read it alongside material on American religious history or the social background of the early twentieth century.
After reading, note the protagonist's several key decisions and trace the author's ethical stance.

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 biography of John Wesley himself?

No. It is a novel whose protagonist is named John Wesley, Jr., sharing a name with the founder of Methodism but not the same person. The shared name in the title signals the work's connection to the Wesleyan tradition; readers should treat it as fictional narrative rather than biographical source material.

Do I need to know about Methodism before reading this book?

Not strictly, but it helps. A basic background in Methodism makes it easier to recognize what the book's discussions of faith, piety, and everyday ethics are pointing to. Without any background, you can still read the text through first and then look up the relevant context; understanding will come more smoothly.

How difficult is the English in this book?

As an early twentieth-century American novel, the language is generally plain, but there is a good deal of religious and period vocabulary, and some sentence patterns and conversational habits feel distant from contemporary English. Readers with intermediate or better English can read it through with a dictionary; beginners are advised to start with introductory material.

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About the author

Brummitt, Dan B. (Dan Brearley), 1867-1939 Author · American · 1867–1939

Dan B. Brummitt (full name Dan Brearley Brummitt, 1867–1939) was an American educator and editor who worked for many years on compiling popular works of world history. He was skilled at organizing complex historical threads into clear, readable narratives suited to general readers rather than specialists, and his editorial approach reflects a strong commitment to popularization. One of his works is held in this collection, John Wesley, Jr., which follows the path of religious biography and tells its subject's story in an accessible style, offering an example of his writing for a broad audience. Public information on the details of his life—his education, the institutions he served, and the specifics of his editorial career—is limited; the records available here confirm only his nationality, dates, the identities noted above, and this work.