Silverthorns

Mary Louisa MolesworthProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 310K words
Chapters: 31

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.Silverthorns by Mrs. MolesworthAuthor: Molesworth, Mrs., 1839-1921,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Jul 7, 2013

Editor's review

Silverthorns comes from Mrs. Molesworth, a nineteenth-century British writer of children's literature, and is likewise a public-domain juvenile novel released by Project Gutenberg. Molesworth's works are known for family life, child psychology, and everyday moral education. The title "Silverthorns" itself carries symbolic suggestion, alerting readers to a narrative likely centered on family relationships, the trials of growing up, and character. The book's value lies not in thrilling plot but in showing how children's literature of the time conveyed values through family scenes and dialogue; the language is gentle, the scenes finely observed, and the period atmosphere distinct. For readers studying Victorian children's literature, family narratives, or wishing to know early English juvenile fiction in its original form, this is a usable free text. General readers seeking light stories may also find a nostalgic reading experience, but must adjust to a slower pace and old-fashioned expression. The electronic edition makes it easy to search characters and themes and is suitable for thematic reading or supplementary course material.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying Victorian children's literature and family narratives
English readers who enjoy gentle family stories and do not seek strong plot
English literature students needing public-domain texts as course supplements
Readers interested in Project Gutenberg ebook resources

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer modern fast-paced, high-conflict narratives
Beginners whose English reading ability cannot yet handle old-fashioned expression
Readers seeking modern annotations and detailed introductions

Reading tips

Skim the table of contents and opening first to judge whether the narrative pace suits you before planning your reading.
Take brief notes tracing family relationships and character as threads to help organize the themes.
For course use, read key chapters closely and skim the rest to grasp the whole.
Compare with other works by the same author or family novels of the same period to observe common narrative patterns.

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

Does this book have annotations and an introduction from a modern publisher?

Project Gutenberg editions usually provide only the public-domain original text and generally contain no modern annotations, introductions, or scholarly appendices. If detailed annotations are needed, consult related research materials or read alongside an edition with an introduction.

Is it suitable to read to children?

The content belongs to early children's literature; thematically it is usually suitable for young readers, but the language bears period features and children may need companionship or simplified explanation. Whether it suits a particular age should be judged by the child's English level and reading interest.

Why is the book titled Silverthorns?

The available materials do not establish the title's specific meaning within the book. While reading, note whether "silver" and "thorns" form symbols or metaphors in the text, and understand the title's possible intent in light of the characters' situations, avoiding over-interpretation detached from the text.

Comments

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About the author

Mary Louisa Molesworth Author · British · 1839–1921

Mrs. Molesworth (1839–1921), born Mary Louisa Molesworth, was an English writer of children's literature in the Victorian era. She was born in Rotterdam in 1839 and died in London in 1921, and was a prolific author; this site holds 57 of her works. Her representative books include The Cuckoo Clock, The Tapestry Room: A Child's Romance, Four Ghost Stories, The Carved Lions, Grandmother Dear: A Book for Boys and Girls, Christmas-Tree Land, and The Palace in the Garden. Her works are often classed as inspirational coming-of-age stories, usually centering on children and unfolding in settings where domestic life and fantasy intertwine. Her warm, delicate style combines imagination with a sense of everyday reality, and she has been called "the Jane Austen of the nursery." Public information is limited, but the sheer number of her works shows her lasting influence on child readers of her time.