Soap-Bubble Stories

Barry, FannyProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 270K words
Chapters: 28

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.Soap-Bubble Stories by Fanny BarryAuthor: Barry, Fanny,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Mar 6, 2009

Editor's review

This is a public-domain e-book from Project Gutenberg in the children's literature category, titled Soap-Bubble Stories. Its value lies first in the convenience of access: as one of the texts made available early by Project Gutenberg, it lets readers freely and legally read early twentieth-century English children's stories and experience the pacing and language of children's books of that era. The title itself carries a light metaphorical quality, suggesting the stories are perhaps short and fanciful, suited to easy entry. For readers studying the history of children's literature, changes in the English language, or the history of public-domain digitization, this book offers a concrete, small-scale sample. As a reading setting, it is better suited to extensive English reading or as a bedtime collection of short stories than to those seeking strong plot or modern narrative technique. Note that the book is in the original English, and the year in the publication information refers to the e-book release, not the original first edition; readers should approach it as a historical text.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers wanting free public-domain English children's stories
Scholars of children's-literature history or changes in the English language
English learners needing short texts for extensive reading
Readers interested in Project Gutenberg and e-book history

Not a good fit for

Readers wanting modern-style children's stories with strong plots
Readers not used to English originals who need a Chinese translation
Parents seeking illustrated picture books or books for very young children

Reading tips

Use it as a bedtime collection, reading one or two stories a day rather than straight through.
English learners can read once for plot, then choose a passage for close reading and vocabulary work.
Note period diction and values as you read, keeping brief notes to compare with today's children's literature.

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?

It is in the original English, by Fanny Barry, released as an e-book by Project Gutenberg. There is no Chinese translation, so it suits readers with some English reading ability. Those with weaker English can use a dictionary or read bilingually.

Is the publication year 2019 the original first publication date?

No. The 2019 in the data corresponds to publication information for this electronic text on Project Gutenberg, while the summary shows a Release Date of March 6, 2009. The original work was first published earlier; the data does not give that date, and readers should not treat 2019 as the year the work first appeared.

Is this book suitable for children?

It is classified as children's literature, but the text is in English and carries the language style of early children's books, which may be difficult for young children to read directly. It is better suited to reading with a parent, to older children with good English, or to adults as material on children's stories of the past.

Comments

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About the author

Barry, Fanny Author

Fanny Barry is an author about whom very little public information is available; the only confirmed detail is that one work, Soap-Bubble Stories, is attributed to her name. Since her dates of birth and death, nationality, and writing background are all unrecorded, it is difficult to trace the outline of her life or to place this work within the arc of her career. Judging from the title, the book appears to belong to the category of story writing, using soap bubbles as an image that may point to a light, fanciful, or childlike narrative style suited to short stories told in an easy tone. On the available evidence, this work is the main entry point for understanding the author and the only textual clue on which to rely. Readers interested in her and her writing may begin with Soap-Bubble Stories and, through reading, appreciate its thematic orientation and verbal appeal; as for the rest of her experience and the full picture of her writing, further public information will be needed before anything more can be added.