Lilian

Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg · United StatesMar 2023

2.5

Word count: 274K words
Chapters: 28

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.Lilian by Arnold BennettAuthor: ,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jul 26, 2012

Editor's review

Lilian is a novel by Arnold Bennett, made available as a free ebook by Project Gutenberg. Bennett is known for his detailed social observation and character portrayal; this book is suitable as extended reading for those who want to understand the landscape of the English novel in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The electronic edition is convenient to carry and search, but the public-domain material provides no plot summary or detailed bibliographic information, so readers would do best to learn about Bennett's style and literary tradition before deciding whether to go further. If you are mapping the genealogy of the English realist novel, or want a not-too-heavy Bennett work to sample, this book can serve as an entry point; if you need a detailed guide or scholarly annotation, you will need to find an annotated edition elsewhere.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English literature enthusiasts who want to expand their reading of Arnold Bennett's works
Students studying the English novel of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
Readers who need a free electronic edition to carry public-domain novels with them
General readers interested in character portrayal in the English realist novel

Not a good fit for

Advanced researchers who need detailed plot guides and scholarly annotation
Readers who prefer fast-paced plots or genre fiction
Readers who only want Bennett's most famous major works and are not seeking to expand

Reading tips

First read one of Bennett's major works to become familiar with his narrative pace and approach to character.
While reading, pay attention to the novel's depiction of everyday details and social environment, and keep brief notes on character relationships.
Use chapters on Bennett's era in a history of English literature to build a background framework.
If using the book for course discussion, first outline the chapter structure yourself, then compare it with relevant critical articles.

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 Lilian a major work by Arnold Bennett?

Based on the available material, we can only confirm that this book is a work by Bennett; it is not possible to judge whether it is one of his major works. Bennett is better known for other works, and this book is more suitable as extended reading. For research on his works, it is advisable to consult a bibliography of Bennett's works and critical material first, then determine this book's place within them.

Does the electronic edition of this book include annotations or a guide?

According to the given material, this is a public-domain ebook provided by Project Gutenberg, with no indication that it includes scholarly annotation or a guide. Readers who need background explanation should supplement it with literary history material or look for an annotated edition. The advantage of the electronic edition lies in being free and portable, not in replacing a scholarly edition.

Can I read this book directly without knowing Bennett?

You can, but it is advisable to first learn about Bennett's basic writing style and his era. As a public-domain novel, the book's language threshold is not high, but without a guide it is easy to overlook details. Read an introduction to Bennett's work or a relevant chapter of literary history before entering this book, and the reading experience will be smoother.

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Project Gutenberg is not a single author but a nonprofit digital library founded by Michael Hart in 1971 and one of the world's earliest free ebook platforms. It relies on volunteers to digitize, proofread, and freely distribute public-domain works and is now operated by the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Its collection contains 2,692 works, mainly religious texts, epics, and story collections, including the King James Bible and the Douay-Rheims volumes, the epic Mahabharata, a literal translation of the Arabian Nights, and Danish editions of the Old and New Testaments. Public information is limited, and its nature is closer to a public-interest compiling and dissemination body; these texts are open to the public, easy to consult and circulate, and have had a profound influence on the spread of ebooks and the preservation of public-domain resources.