Talbot's Angles

Blanchard, Amy Ella, 1856-1926Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 348K words
Chapters: 35

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.Talbot's Angles by Amy Ella BlanchardAuthor: Blanchard, Amy Ella, 1856-1926,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jul 22, 2014

Editor's review

Blanchard was an American author of children’s and young-adult literature from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. In the English title Talbot’s Angles, “Angles” carries a pun: it means “angles” while also echoing “angels,” signaling that readers should note how the characters view things. Digitized and released free by Project Gutenberg under American and Canadian literature, the book is a useful sample of English-language young-adult fiction of its time. Its value lies less in dramatic plot than in everyday observation within family and coming-of-age scenes: how characters understand the same event from their own standpoints is a thread worth following. The English is generally plain and suited to extensive reading, though the work carries marked period language habits, and some expressions now feel dated. Read it lightly, as an older work to set against contemporary young-adult fiction, not as a classic requiring chapter-by-chapter analysis.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Intermediate English learners who want young-adult fiction for extensive reading practice
Readers interested in late nineteenth-century American young-adult literature
Specialist readers studying the history of children’s literature or family narratives
Readers who enjoy gentle everyday stories without strong conflict

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting adventure, suspense, or strong plotting
Young readers used to the pace and themes of contemporary young-adult fiction
Beginners who need a Chinese translation or detailed annotations

Reading tips

Read the first two chapters to become familiar with the characters and family relationships, then decide whether to read closely or extensively.
Note how “angles” is used in dialogue and consider the title’s pun.
After each chapter, write a three-sentence summary in English as practice in comprehension and expression.
Read alongside contemporary coming-of-age fiction to compare themes and methods.

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

What does “Angles” in the title mean?

Angles literally means “angles,” and it also sounds close to the English word “angel,” creating a pun. Readers may note how characters see the same event from different standpoints; the title points to this question of perspective, not merely to geometry.

What English level is the book suited to?

As an older work written for young readers, it generally uses short sentences and everyday vocabulary, so intermediate English readers can try reading it extensively. Some expressions reflect period habits; unfamiliar usage can be skipped rather than checked word by word, so as not to disrupt the reading rhythm.

Is this book suitable for children to read on their own?

The work is young-adult material, but it was written long ago and its language habits differ from today’s, which may feel remote to younger readers. Parents or teachers with English reading ability should look through it first before deciding whether a child reads it independently or together with an adult.

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About the author

Blanchard, Amy Ella, 1856-1926 Author

Amy Ella Blanchard (1856–1926) was an American writer of children's literature. Public information about her life and nationality is limited, but the library holds thirteen of her works, suggesting she was fairly active in the children's book field of her day. Her writing centers on family life, holidays, and travel experiences of young readers. Representative works include The Four Corners Abroad and The Four Corners in Japan, which follow four siblings on overseas journeys, as well as A Dear Little Girl, A Dear Little Girl's Thanksgiving Holidays, and Kittyboy's Christmas, stories built around holidays and everyday adventures. An Everyday Girl: A Story, Talbot's Angles, and Little Maid Marian further show her skill at portraying ordinary girls' growth and family relationships. Her gentle, warm style, attentive to small domestic details and childlike humor, suits younger readers.