Precipitations

Evelyn Scott (born Elsie Dunn)Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 45K words
Chapters: 5

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.Precipitations by Evelyn ScottAuthor: Scott, Evelyn, 1893-1963,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Oct 1, 2003

Editor's review

Evelyn Scott's Precipitations is a public-domain work that deserves renewed attention. The available information places it in the category of American and Canadian literature, and the author lived from 1893 to 1963, suggesting a connection to the modernist literary currents of the early twentieth century. The title itself points to imagery of condensation, falling, and sedimentation; as you read, notice how the text organizes experience through fragments, atmosphere, and sensory description rather than relying on a strong plot. For readers familiar with the experimental writing of the period, this work offers a sample of how a woman writer engaged with modernist formal exploration; for general readers, it is better approached slowly, with attention to texture of language and layers of mood. Since the available information provides no detailed plot, do not expect a traditional novel; treat it as a work that asks for patience and responsiveness. The electronic edition is easy to search and compare, making it suitable for classroom selections or segmented reading-group discussion.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in American modernist literature of the early twentieth century
Researchers focused on women writers' experimental writing and stylistic exploration
Organizers who need public-domain English texts for classroom selections or reading groups
Literary enthusiasts accustomed to slow reading and willing to savor language and atmosphere

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a strong plot, a clear storyline, and a definite ending
Beginners who need extensive author biography and background notes to enter the text
Casual readers who only want to skim quickly and are unwilling to linger over language

Reading tips

Read through once to take in the overall atmosphere without rushing to summarize the plot; on a second pass, mark recurring images.
Divide the reading into sections by length, and after each section write two or three sentences about your impressions to help build a grasp of the text's moods.
If using it in class, select passages dense with imagery for close reading, and compare their similarities and differences with modernist works of the same period.
Read alongside historical background on the author's era, but avoid using biography to explain the text directly.

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, a poetry collection, or a collection of essays?

The available information only indicates that it belongs to the category of American and Canadian literature and does not specify the genre. Judging from the title and the author's creative context, it shows features of modernist literary experimentation; readers should not assume it is a traditional novel and are advised to approach the text with an open mind, first sensing its language and structure.

With no detailed plot summary, how can I tell whether it suits me?

Try reading the first few pages to see whether you adapt to its rhythm of language and its creation of atmosphere. If you enjoy fragmentary, image-driven writing, this work may appeal to you; if you depend more on plot momentum, you may find it slow to enter. Trying a sample is the most direct way to judge.

What other works by Evelyn Scott can I read for comparison?

The available information does not provide a list of her works, so they cannot be listed here. Search the author's name through library catalogs or public-domain ebook platforms, and choose works from the same period for comparison in light of this book's style; you may also consult chapters in literary histories on American modernist women writers of the early twentieth century.

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About the author

Evelyn Scott (born Elsie Dunn) Author · American · 1893–1963

Evelyn Scott (1893–1963) was an American novelist, poet, and playwright, born Elsie Dunn in Clarksville, Tennessee. In 1913 she eloped to Brazil with a Tulane University professor and thereafter wrote under a pen name. She published her first poetry collection, Precipitations, in 1920, and her novels The Narrow House and Narcissus are noted for their modernist experimental style and psychological insight. A significant figure in American letters in the 1920s and 1930s, she died in New York in 1963. Three of her works are held in the collection; common classification information is currently unavailable, and public materials are limited, so details of her life and the full range of her work remain to be further studied.