King-Errant

Steel, Flora Annie Webster, 1847-1929Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 556K words
Chapters: 56

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.King-Errant by Flora Annie Webster SteelAuthor: Steel, Flora Annie Webster, 1847-1929,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: May 25, 2012

Editor's review

King-Errant is a historical novel by Flora Annie Steel; its title evokes a wandering king and points to a monarch-like figure cast out among common folk and displaced from his rightful station. Steel wrote extensively about India, and this book continues in her characteristic narrative rhythm: the plot moves briskly, dialogue is lively, and exotic settings interweave with court politics. As a public-domain ebook, it is easy to obtain at any time and serves as a useful sample of late nineteenth-century British popular historical fiction. As you read, notice how the author arranges adventure episodes and romantic threads, and what period markers shape her imagining of the East. One caution: the work reflects the tastes and perspectives of its era, so today's readers should approach its cultural depictions with a critical eye rather than treating it as a reliable history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Victorian popular historical adventure novels
Researchers interested in British writers portraying India
English learners seeking public-domain English novels for extensive reading
Fiction lovers who want to understand Steel's narrative style

Not a good fit for

Academic readers seeking rigorous historical scholarship on South Asia
Readers who prefer contemporary pacing and have little patience for old-fashioned exposition
Readers sensitive to colonial-era Orientalist depictions

Reading tips

Read the preface or bibliographic information first to understand the period of composition, then move on to the main text.
Note descriptions of Indian settings and characters as you read, and analyze them together after finishing.
Separate the adventure main plot from the romantic subplot and observe how the author interweaves and advances them.
If the English is difficult, start with chapter summaries, then read key passages closely chapter by chapter.

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 suitable as a history of India?

No. It is a historical novel, with fictional and dramatized plot and characters that reflect the imagination and tastes of the author's era. To learn about Indian history, choose professional historical scholarship; this book is better treated as literary material for observing how late nineteenth-century British fiction depicted the East.

What does the title King-Errant mean?

Literally, it can be understood as a 'wandering king' or 'drifting monarch,' suggesting a mismatch between the central character's identity and circumstances. Its specific reference needs to be understood in light of the plot. Readers need not insist on a single interpretation of the title and can watch for threads of movement, exile, and return as they read.

How difficult is the English, and what level is it suitable for?

As a late nineteenth-century English novel, it has long sentences and period-flavored vocabulary, making it fairly accessible to intermediate and above English readers. Beginners can use annotations or translations as support and first grasp the main plot; intermediate and advanced readers can note the wording of dialogue and scene descriptions as material for extensive reading and language building.

Comments

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About the author

Steel, Flora Annie Webster, 1847-1929 Author

Flora Annie Webster Steel (1847–1929) was a British writer best known for her works on India and for her retellings of folk tales. Her output ranged widely: she produced story collections for children such as Tales of the Punjab: Folklore of India and English Fairy Tales, as well as novels set against Indian society and history, including On the Face of the Waters: A Tale of the Mutiny, The Flower of Forgiveness, The Potter's Thumb, The Hosts of the Lord, In the Guardianship of God and In the Permanent Way. Her writing often draws on Indian folklore and on the realities of colonial life, with plain narration and a strong sense of place. Public information about her life is limited, but the twenty works held here show a lasting engagement with folk literature and with exotic settings, contributing to both children's literature and fiction about India.