Literary Byways

Andrews, William, 1848-1908Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 290K words
Chapters: 30

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.Literary Byways by William AndrewsAuthor: Andrews, William, 1848-1908,Language: English, Class: PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections, Release Date: May 10, 2011

Editor's review

Literary Byways is a collection of literary essays by the English writer William Andrews (1848–1908). The title may be rendered literally as "Literary Byways," and the contents mostly concern anecdotes from English literary history, book lore, details of writers' lives, and local literary memories. Andrews wrote many such essays on literary and historical topics over the years; his tone is plain and his emphasis falls on gathering source material and on entertaining narration, making the book a useful window into the tastes of Victorian English men of letters. This electronic edition is issued by Project Gutenberg as a free public-domain resource and is easy to obtain. It is neither a systematic literary history nor an academic monograph, but rather a volume of "literary odds and ends" to dip into: each piece is short, the information density is moderate, and it suits reading on the commute, before sleep, or in gaps between research tasks. It does require a certain level of English reading ability, since readers must handle nineteenth- and early twentieth-century English usage and proper names. If you are interested in foreign literary anecdotes, book history, or British culture, this book offers plenty of light conversational material and leads for further exploration.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in foreign literary anecdotes and book history
Readers with good English proficiency who enjoy short essays
Writers or teachers who need background material on English literature
Readers who like free public-domain ebooks and fragmented reading

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic study of literary history or academic conclusions
Those with weak English who find nineteenth-century English style difficult
Readers who prefer tightly plotted novels or strongly narrative works

Reading tips

Begin by reading the table of contents and choosing pieces connected to familiar authors or places; there is no need to read straight through in order.
After each piece, note the core anecdote in one or two sentences for later reference or citation.
Mark unfamiliar names of people and books and look them up in batches, so as not to break the reading rhythm.
Best suited as bedtime or commute reading; one or two pieces at a time is enough.

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 a novel or a literary history?

Neither. It belongs to the category of literary essays and anecdotes, centered on writers' anecdotes, book curiosities, and memories of literary places. It is more recreational than systematic and should not be used as a literary history textbook.

How difficult is the English?

The original is nineteenth- to early twentieth-century English prose, with fairly long sentences and many proper names and historical figures. It suits readers with upper-intermediate to advanced English reading ability; beginners may need a dictionary or an annotated edition.

Where can I get the electronic edition?

The book is published by Project Gutenberg as a free public-domain ebook. You can search for the title or author name on the Project Gutenberg website and download it; common formats include plain text and ebook formats.

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About the author

Andrews, William, 1848-1908 Author

Andrews, William (1848–1908) was an English popular writer known for his works on folklore, local history and curious antiquarian lore; public information about him is limited, and many details of his life remain obscure. Seven of his books are held here, all centring on old English customs and historical miscellany: he examines the origins of barbers' signs and hair-related customs, describes bygone punishments, church lore and old graveyard epitaphs, and recounts famous frosts and frost fairs in British history. His style is entertaining and informative, drawing curious anecdotes from everyday objects and the margins of written records; his titles usually state their themes directly, and his work reflects the Victorian taste for antiquarian collecting and popular instruction. These books are still consulted by readers interested in English folklore and local memory.