Kitty Trenire

Florence Mabel Quiller-CouchProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 422K words
Chapters: 43

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.Kitty Trenire by Mabel Quiller-CouchAuthor: Quiller-Couch, Mabel, 1866?-1924,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Nov 9, 2004

Editor's review

This work comes from the hand of Mabel Quiller-Couch, belongs to the juvenile literature category, and is presented here by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain eBook. Its value lies not in any strangeness of plot but in preserving the natural tone of English children's literature from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century: the narrative is unhurried, and the relationships among characters are built on everyday ethics and emotional probing, giving it a leisurely, old-fashioned warmth. For readers familiar with the lineage of Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, the surname Quiller-Couch itself signals a kindred Cornish seaside atmosphere and storytelling tradition. The book is better suited as a supplementary sample for reading within a literary genealogy than as entertainment for those seeking strong plot. The electronic edition is simply set, with no notes or introduction, so readers must enter the period context on their own. It suits slow, sectional reading on quiet afternoons, with attention to the tone of dialogue and the subtle psychological turns of the characters—precisely the most rewarding part of old novels of this kind.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in late-nineteenth-century English juvenile literature
Enthusiasts of public-domain eBooks and the genealogy of children's literature
Readers who enjoy slow-paced domestic and ethical narratives
Learners hoping to broaden their reading of old English novels

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking strong plot and fast-paced narrative
Beginners who need detailed notes and introductory guidance
Readers impatient with old-fashioned English expressions

Reading tips

Read the first five chapters first to grasp the character relationships and period background, then decide whether to read the whole book.
Do not stop at unfamiliar expressions; read on for the plot first and look up words afterward.
Read it alongside other public-domain juvenile novels to observe differences in period tone.
After finishing, note two or three character details that left the deepest impression to deepen understanding.

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

What age group is this book written for?

Judging by its public-domain classification, it falls under juvenile literature, and the intended readers at the time of writing were young people. But the narrative density and language habits of old juvenile novels differ considerably from contemporary children's books; today's adult readers can read it too, though they need a little adjustment to old English expressions.

Does the electronic edition include notes or an introduction?

This Project Gutenberg edition is a basic text and generally contains no modern editorial notes or introduction. Readers who need background explanation can look up information on the author and late-nineteenth-century English children's literature before entering the main text.

Is the author related to the author of Treasure Island?

Mabel Quiller-Couch's surname is connected to the Cornish cultural circle to which Robert Louis Stevenson belonged, but the two are not the same author. There is no need to assume plot similarities when reading; simply treat it as an independent work within the same regional literary tradition.

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About the author

Florence Mabel Quiller-Couch Author · English

Mabel Quiller-Couch (Quiller-Couch, Mabel, 1866?–1924) was a British writer and editor of children's literature, born in Bodmin, Cornwall, and the sister of the literary critic Arthur Quiller-Couch. She co-wrote several works with her sister Lilian and was also a prolific independent author; nine of her works are held in this collection, mostly centring on children's growth and character formation and commonly classified as inspirational coming-of-age stories. Her representative titles include Paul the Courageous, Kitty Trenire, The Carroll Girls, Cornwall's Wonderland, Dick and Brownie, The Story of Jessie, Better than Play, and The Making of Mona, and she also compiled an anthology of children's poetry. Her writing is gentle and plain, using everyday stories to convey courage and kindness, and found a readership among children's books of her time. Public information on her education and detailed life is limited. She died in 1924.