Just David

Eleanor Hodgman PorterProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 327K words
Chapters: 33

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.Just David by Eleanor H. PorterAuthor: Porter, Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman), 1868-1920,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 1, 1996

Editor's review

Just David is another novel by Eleanor H. Porter, author of Pollyanna, grounded in childhood innocence and nature. It tells of a boy raised alone with his father in the mountains and his adjustment to, and softening influence on, an unfamiliar society. The book continues Porter's warm manner: a child's pure vision mirrors the adult world's utilitarianism and prejudice, while music, nature and plain goodwill dissolve barriers between people. The plot advances not through sharp conflict but through accumulated everyday detail that brings about emotional turns; it suits slow reading in quiet moments, letting relationships change gradually. As a public-domain eBook it preserves the language of early twentieth-century American popular fiction and is useful for seeing how Porter's themes carry over. Readers who like the tender storytelling of Pollyanna will find a similar experience; those seeking complex structure or strong dramatic tension should adjust expectations.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy warm coming-of-age novels such as Pollyanna
Parents looking for plain-language, emotionally positive books for children
Readers interested in early twentieth-century American popular fiction
Readers who want light reading and prefer a slow-paced narrative

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking strong plot conflict and suspenseful twists
Beginners not used to the idiom of early English literature
Readers who prefer modern urban settings and realistic critique

Reading tips

Start with the opening chapters to feel the hero's affinity with nature, then move into the social scenes.
Watch for recurring images of music and nature; they often signal shifts in mood and relationships.
If the original English is hard going, read alongside a reliable translation, sort out the characters, then return to the original.
Read it slowly in several sittings, pausing after each episode to sense the subtle shifts in attitude.

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 is this book related to Pollyanna?

Both are by Eleanor H. Porter and share a core theme: an innocent child influencing the adults around them, in a similar style. But Just David is a separate story with no shared characters or plot, so it can be read on its own without reading the other first.

How difficult is the English? Is it suitable for English learners?

The book dates from the early twentieth century; vocabulary is generally plain, but some sentence patterns and expressions are period-specific. Intermediate and above readers can try the original; beginners are better off reading a translation first, then sampling passages in English so language barriers don't get in the way of the story.

Why does the recommendation stress slow reading?

The book does not rely on strong conflict to drive the plot; emotional changes are mostly hidden in everyday dialogue and detail. Reading quickly tends to miss the gradual shifts in attitude, while a slower pace makes it easier to appreciate the warmth built through images of nature and music.

Comments

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About the author

Eleanor Hodgman Porter Author · American · 1868–1920

Eleanor H. Porter (Eleanor Hodgman Porter, 1868–1920) was an American novelist born in New Hampshire. She became widely known with the 1913 publication of Pollyanna, which created the figure of an optimistic girl who faces hardship through the "glad game"—an image that has since become a byword for optimism in the English-speaking world. Besides Pollyanna and its sequel Pollyanna Grows Up, she wrote Just David, Dawn, the Miss Billy series, The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch, and The Tangled Threads, among others; 14 of her works are held in this collection. Her writing centers on young people's growth and family life, in a warm, lively style with attention to character. Public information is limited and biographical details are hard to verify, yet the lasting influence of Pollyanna secures her place in popular literature.