Tarry thou till I come or, Salathiel, the wandering Jew.

Croly, George, 1780-1860Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.3
Word count
1.3M words
Chapters
129

Tags

English Originals Historical FictionReligion Adventure JourneyFate and FortuneEternal LifeMoral Cultivation19th CenturyGothic StyleReligious AllegoryWandering Legend

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.Tarry thou till I come; or, Salathiel, the wandering Jew. by George CrolyAuthor: Croly, George, 1780-1860,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Mar 15, 2018

Editor's review

George Croly's historical novel takes the legend of the Wandering Jew as its framework, using the figure of Salathiel to unfold a narrative spanning vast stretches of time. A classic of English literature, it is steeped in religious, historical, and legendary atmosphere, written in a nineteenth-century style with ample elaboration and a solemn tone. Its value lies in offering readers a literary treatment of the Western cultural motif of eternal wandering, and in showing how the author interweaves historical events with fictional characters. For readers who enjoy classical fiction, religious legend, and slow-paced narrative, it is a substantial work that rewards patience; for those seeking brisk plotting, it may feel heavy.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. Familiarize yourself with the outline of the Wandering Jew legend before starting the text.
  2. Proceed chapter by chapter and keep brief character notes to track the narrative across time and space.
  3. Skim lengthy historical digressions at first, then return to them after grasping character actions and key turns.
  4. Read alongside concise reference material on the relevant history or religion to lower the barrier to understanding.

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.

Contents

  1. 1
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FAQ

What is this book mainly about? The title points to the legend of the Wandering Jew: the protagonist Salathiel is condemned to wander for a long time until a appointed hour arrives. The novel follows this figure through experiences across vast spans of time, interwoven with historical and religious themes; for specific plot details, refer to the text itself.
Can I understand it without religious background knowledge? You can read it, but understanding will be reduced. It is advisable to learn the basic outline of the legend and the general historical background first; look up unfamiliar allusions as you go, and do not feel obliged to grasp everything at once.
Is the original English difficult? The work dates from the nineteenth century, with long sentences and considerable discussion, making the English fairly difficult. Try the first few chapters; if it proves hard going, use an annotated edition or compare with a translation before deciding whether to read it through.
Is this suitable as casual reading? Not really suited for light entertainment. It is long, slow-paced, and heavy with religious and historical content, better suited to readers willing to invest time in slow reading; if you want short-term relaxation, choose a lighter work.

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About the author

Croly, George, 1780-1860 Author

George Croly (1780–1860) was a nineteenth-century English writer whose life and education are poorly documented in readily available sources, making it difficult to establish the details of his career. Only one of his works is held in this collection: Tarry thou till I come; or, Salathiel, the wandering Jew. This novel draws on the legend of the Wandering Jew, telling how Salathiel is condemned to roam the earth until the Last Day. Croly expands this ancient motif with imagination, in a style marked by strong religious coloring and a Gothic atmosphere, with close attention to his characters' inner lives and their fate. The work is a notable nineteenth-century English retelling of the Wandering Jew theme and reflects the period's interest in religious legend and romantic narrative. Given the limited sources, no further biographical details are supplied here; the discussion is confined to what is known of this work.