Mary

Bjørnson, Bjørnstjerne, 1832-1910Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.7

Word count: 267K words
Chapters: 27

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.Mary by Bjørnstjerne BjørnsonAuthor: Bjørnson, Bjørnstjerne, 1832-1910,Language: English, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Jul 31, 2010

Editor's review

"Mary" is a work by the Norwegian author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, made available through Project Gutenberg in English. Bjørnson is a major figure in Norwegian literature, and his works often engage with social realities and the human condition; this novel likewise examines the relationship between individual destiny and the surrounding environment. As a public-domain ebook, its value lies first in accessibility: readers can encounter an English translation of nineteenth-century Nordic literature at no cost and gain a sense of the literary context shared by writers of Ibsen and Bjørnson's generation. It is best read not with the expectations of a modern novel's pacing but as a literary-historical document, observing how narrative, characterization, and moral questions were handled at the time. Suitable for readers interested in Nordic literature, translated texts, or nineteenth-century European fiction to dip into when they have time, and also useful as supplementary reading in comparative literature courses. Because it is a Project Gutenberg electronic text, the formatting and notes are plain; readers are advised to prepare their own background materials to enter the work's context more easily.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in nineteenth-century Nordic literature and Norwegian authors
Students who need free public-domain English novels as supplementary reading
Enthusiasts studying Bjørnson's works or translations of Nordic literature
Readers accustomed to electronic texts who can supply their own background information

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting modern fast-paced plotting and strong suspense
Beginning readers of foreign literature who need detailed notes and introductions
Readers who prefer Chinese translations and are unwilling to read the English original

Reading tips

Learn about Bjørnson's life and the Norwegian literary background before starting the text.
Take brief notes on character relationships by chapter to help clarify the narrative threads of a nineteenth-century novel.
Read it alongside other Nordic realist works to observe similarities and differences in themes and methods.
Mark difficult sentences as you read the electronic edition, then look up background materials afterward.

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 Project Gutenberg's record, the language of "Mary" is English; it is the English version of the work, not a Chinese translation. Readers need some English reading ability or should use a dictionary and other aids.

What are the characteristics of the Project Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free ebooks, mostly public-domain works, with plain formatting and limited notes, prioritizing accessibility of the text. It suits readers who can read independently and supply their own background, not beginners who rely on detailed introductions.

Do I need to know Norwegian literature before reading this book?

You do not need to study Norwegian literature systematically first, but some familiarity with the general background of nineteenth-century Nordic realism will make it easier to understand the social and human issues the work addresses. If time is limited, look up a basic introduction to the author Bjørnson before reading.

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About the author

Bjørnson, Bjørnstjerne, 1832-1910 Author

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832–1910) was a Norwegian writer, with 35 works held in this collection. As public information is limited, the details of his life are not expanded here, but his works show that he was skilled in fiction, drama, and poetry alike. Representative works such as Synnöve Solbakken and A Happy Boy draw largely on Norwegian rural life, written in a plain style rich in human feeling; Three Dramas, Three Comedies, and Maria Stuart Skotlannissa show his sustained engagement with the theatre; In God's Way: A Novel deals with questions of faith and morality; and Poems and Songs, together with the five-volume Gesammelte Werke, reflects his poetic output and the collected form of his writings. These works cover a variety of subjects and combine realism with lyricism, exerting a fairly broad influence on Norwegian literature.