Red Nails

Howard, Robert E. (Robert Ervin), 1906-1936Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.2

Word count: 178K words
Chapters: 18

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.Red Nails by Robert E. HowardAuthor: Howard, Robert E. (Robert Ervin), 1906-1936,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jun 9, 2010

Editor's review

Red Nails is a fantasy novella by Robert E. Howard and one of the longer, more fully structured entries in his Conan the Barbarian series. The story takes readers into an ancient city surrounded by jungle, where a closed setting, a decaying civilization, and personal conflict intertwine as suspense builds layer by layer, carrying Howard's signature fast-paced action and bleak atmosphere. A representative work of sword and sorcery, it is moderate in length: readers can both experience the narrative appeal of early popular fantasy and use it as an accessible introduction to Howard's style. While reading, note how the enclosed environment creates a sense of pressure and how the characters' choices under extreme circumstances drive the plot. For readers studying the evolution of early twentieth-century American popular literature and genre fiction, the book also offers a valuable specimen.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Genre readers who enjoy sword and sorcery and savage adventure
Researchers interested in early fantasy literature and the Conan series
Language learners who need an English original of novella length for reading practice
Writers interested in closed-space narrative and the building of suspense

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer gentle subject matter or are sensitive to violent description
Readers expecting modern narrative pacing and complex character psychology
Beginners unused to the English style of early popular literature

Reading tips

Begin with the opening environmental description and note how the enclosed ancient city builds a sense of pressure before entering the character conflicts.
While reading, mark shifts in the rhythm of action scenes and dialogue to appreciate how Howard moves the plot forward.
After finishing, compare it with other Conan stories in the series to see differences in length and structure.
For language study, read through once for the plot, then return to unfamiliar words and long sentences.

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 suitable for fantasy beginners?

Yes. It is not long, the plot moves directly, and action and suspense are dense; no prior knowledge of the full Conan series is needed. Note, however, that it is early popular literature whose language differs from modern fantasy, so readers should have some foundation in English reading.

What are the main settings of the story like?

The story takes place mainly in a closed ancient city surrounded by jungle, with limited space and no clear way out; this setting intensifies the tension among characters and the pressure of unknown threats. While reading, pay attention to how the environmental description sustains unease.

What English level is needed to read the original?

An intermediate English reading ability is enough to attempt it. Early popular literature tends to have long sentences and dense description; read through first for the plot, then deal with vocabulary and details, and avoid checking every word so as not to break the rhythm.

Comments

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About the author

Howard, Robert E. (Robert Ervin), 1906-1936 Author

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) was an American writer of popular fiction, best known for his sword-and-sorcery and historical adventure tales. Nine of his works are held in this collection, including The People of the Black Circle, The Hour of the Dragon, Beyond the Black River, Red Nails, Jewels of Gwahlur, A Witch Shall Be Born, Shadows in Zamboula, and Gods of the North. These stories generally center on formidable warriors, wild lands, and supernatural threats, with tight plotting, brisk pacing, dense action, and a grim atmosphere tinged with fatalism. Howard excels at creating a raw, rough-hewn sense of place within fast-moving adventure narratives, and his characters often face danger through courage and will. Because public information is limited, a full account of his life and complete body of work is difficult to provide, yet these works clearly display his distinctive storytelling style and have had a lasting influence on later fantasy and adventure literature.