The Associate Hermits

Stockton, Frank Richard, 1834-1902Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 363K words
Chapters: 37

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.The Associate Hermits by Frank Richard StocktonAuthor: Stockton, Frank Richard, 1834-1902,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Oct 12, 2008

Editor's review

The Associate Hermits is a novel by Frank Richard Stockton. Stockton was known for his humor, whimsy, and light satire, and this work continues in his vein of social comedy: characters are brought by chance into a semi-reclusive arrangement of living, which sets off a series of clashes of temperament and misunderstandings. The novel's readability comes mainly from the wit of its dialogue, the mismatched relations among the characters, and its gentle mockery of the social customs of the time, rather than from tension-driven plotting. For readers who enjoy late nineteenth-century American fiction, especially the humorous comedy of manners, this book offers a suitable sample of Stockton's narrative interests. While reading, it is worth noting how the characters use language to disguise their true intentions, and how the author uses the "reclusion" premise to set off the absurdities of social life. Because the language and pacing bear the marks of their era, modern readers may find the early going heavy with setup, but once they enter into the relationships among the characters, they can appreciate the lightness of the satirical touch.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy late nineteenth-century American humorous fiction
Literature lovers interested in comedy of manners and character dialogue
Scholars studying Stockton's works and the popular literature of his time
Readers who wish to observe social customs through light narrative

Not a good fit for

Modern genre-fiction readers who prefer strong plots and fast pacing
Readers impatient with nineteenth-century English expression and slow-burn setup
Readers expecting serious social critique or deep psychological portrayal

Reading tips

Read a few chapters first to get used to the rhythm of the dialogue and the period feel, then move into the main line of the characters' relationships.
Note how the "reclusion" premise creates mismatches among the characters, and treat the misunderstandings and satire as the focus of the reading.
Reading it alongside Stockton's other short works can help convey the continuity of his humorous touch.
Do not pause too long over unfamiliar cultural background; first grasp the tone and direction of the characters' relationships.

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 as an introduction to Stockton?

It can serve as one of the introductions, though not necessarily the most typical first choice. It shows Stockton's humor and his interest in social manners, with a slower pace and dense dialogue. To get a first feel for his style, one might begin with his short works and then return to this novel, which makes the narrative mode easier to get used to.

Is the novel a serious social critique or a light comedy?

On the whole it is closer to a light comedy of manners. It offers gentle mockery of social customs, but its focus is not on proposing serious criticism or offering social solutions; it lies in creating interest through mismatched characters and witty dialogue. Readers who come to it expecting comedy will have a smoother reading experience.

How can I keep track of the characters' relationships when reading the electronic edition?

In the early stages of reading, it is advisable to make brief notes on the identity, relationships, and order of appearance of the main characters, since the period background and forms of address may cause confusion. Using the search function of the electronic edition to look back at the passages where characters first appear can help clarify references in the dialogue and the sources of misunderstandings.

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About the author

Stockton, Frank Richard, 1834-1902 Author

Frank Richard Stockton (1834–1902) was an American writer known for humorous and fanciful short stories and novels. This collection holds 33 of his works, spanning a variety of genres: the short story “The Lady, or the Tiger?”, famous for its dilemma ending; the whimsical tales of “The Bee-Man of Orn and Other Fanciful Tales”; light, comic travel and domestic stories such as “The Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine”, “The Associate Hermits” and “The Squirrel Inn”; and adventure and exotic settings in “Kate Bonnet: The Romance of a Pirate‘s Daughter” and “A Bicycle of Cathay”. His writing is marked by witty dialogue, absurd premises and gentle satire, with brisk plots and surprising turns, making him a distinctive figure in late nineteenth-century American popular literature. Public information is limited, so details of his life beyond his dates are omitted.