Leonora

Bennett, Arnold, 1867-1931Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 424K 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.Leonora by Arnold BennettAuthor: Bennett, Arnold, 1867-1931,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Oct 12, 2004

Editor's review

Arnold Bennett's *Leonora* is an English novel brought back to readers' attention, circulating free through Project Gutenberg's public-domain electronic text. Bennett is known for his realistic method and his skill at depicting women's situations within the frames of family, marriage, and social expectation; this book centers on the experiences of its protagonist, Leonora, with patient, restrained development of psychology and everyday detail. Its value lies not in strong plot excitement but in offering a window onto English social life from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century, where readers can sense the moral ideas and pace of life of the middle class of the time. As a public-domain e-book, it is easy to search, quote, and read closely chapter by chapter, suiting literary researchers, English learners, and readers who enjoy classic realist fiction for segmented reading on commutes or before sleep. Note that this is the English original, with language bearing the marks of its era and a slow pace; it is not for readers seeking fast-moving stories.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who love English realist fiction and want to know Bennett's narrative style
English majors or advanced learners who want to practice close reading with public-domain originals
Literary researchers interested in women's situations and marriage themes, who can use it as textual analysis material
Readers used to free e-books who like annotating and searching on screen

Not a good fit for

General readers who read only Chinese translations and do not want to face the English original
Readers who prefer strong plots and fast-paced genre fiction
Beginners who need modern annotation and introductions; the public-domain text lacks supporting material

Reading tips

Read the first two chapters to gauge the language difficulty, then decide whether to read closely or straight through
Keep a simple character chart at hand while reading, and note the psychological description before and after each of Leonora's key choices
After each chapter, summarize the plot in two or three sentences for easier review and citation
Consult critical material on Bennett's other works to understand where his realist style stands

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 in Chinese or English?

According to the material, this is the English original, a public-domain e-book in English. Chinese readers need some English reading ability, or should use a dictionary and translation tools alongside it.

Why does this book have no modern introduction or notes?

It comes from Project Gutenberg's public-domain electronic text, which mainly provides the original content and usually does not include modern scholarly introductions, notes, or translator's annotations, so readers need to supply background knowledge themselves.

Is it suitable for learning English?

It can serve as advanced reading material. The text is a complete English novel with period style, suitable for readers who already have some foundation and wish to encounter classic literature; beginners may find the sentences long.

Do I need to know the author's background before reading?

You need not read a biography first, but a brief understanding of the English realist tradition Bennett belonged to helps in grasping the book's detailed depictions of family and society. You can look up key terms as you read.

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About the author

Bennett, Arnold, 1867-1931 Author

Arnold Bennett (1867–1931) was an English novelist, essayist and playwright. Publicly available information is limited, so his early life and education cannot be described in detail, but his work is clearly recognisable. He often set his writing in the five pottery towns of Staffordshire, his home region, portraying the daily livelihoods and emotional ups and downs of ordinary people in a meticulous, restrained style, and revealing character and circumstance through everyday detail. The collection here holds 45 of his works, including The Old Wives' Tale, Riceyman Steps, Clayhanger and several Five Towns story collections, as well as essays such as The Author's Craft and How to Live on 24 Hours a Day. His writing thus spans fiction and essays on life and the craft of writing, drawing its material from ordinary life with a plain style and close observation.