The Brownie of Bodsbeck, and Other Tales

Hogg, James, 1770-1835Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.8

Word count: 277K 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.The Brownie of Bodsbeck, and Other Tales (Vol. 1 of 2) by James HoggAuthor: Hogg, James, 1770-1835,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Oct 6, 2012

Editor's review

The Brownie of Bodsbeck, and Other Tales is the first volume of a collection of tales and stories by the Scottish writer James Hogg, released as an English eBook by Project Gutenberg. Hogg was steeped in the folklore and rural life of the Scottish Borders, and this work, led by the title story, interweaves supernatural lore with human affairs set against a historical backdrop, carrying both the eerie atmosphere of folk tale and a concern for the circumstances of ordinary people. The narrative bears a clear mark of oral literature, with much dialect and regional expression, and reading it conveys the distinctive texture of nineteenth-century Scottish prose. As a first volume, it serves better as an entry point for understanding Hogg's creative range and the tradition of Scottish folk narrative than as a work of strong plot momentum. Readers are advised to slow down, attend to how legend and reality mirror each other in the stories, and note the narrator's attitude toward folk belief.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Scottish literature and folklore
Scholars and students of nineteenth-century British fiction and regional narrative
Readers who enjoy slow-paced story collections and savoring the texture of language
Literature enthusiasts who wish to understand Hogg's creative range

Not a good fit for

Readers of genre fiction seeking tight plotting and strong dramatic conflict
Those with little patience for Scottish dialect and regional expression
Readers who want to read both volumes complete in one sitting and prefer not to read in separate volumes

Reading tips

Read the title story first, then pick the remaining pieces according to interest, without strictly following the order
Mark dialect and regional expressions as you go, and look up background after finishing each piece
Read alongside materials on Scottish Borders history and folklore to understand the context
After each piece, note your impressions of the relationship between legend and reality for easier overall review

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 a complete work or only part of one?

What Project Gutenberg contains is the first volume of the book, as the title also indicates, the first of a two-volume work. Readers can read its stories independently, but to grasp the whole book they would need to find the second volume separately.

Is the language difficult? Is there much dialect?

As the work of a nineteenth-century Scottish writer, the text carries regional language coloring and traces of oral narrative, and some dialogue and expression may challenge non-native readers. A good foundation in English reading is recommended, along with notes or background materials for understanding dialect and customs.

What does Brownie in the title refer to?

The Brownie is a supernatural figure in Scottish folklore often associated with household chores and farm work. Hogg uses it as his title, placing folkloric elements within specific places and human affairs; readers may note how the stories use legend to reflect real relationships.

Is it suitable as an introductory read for understanding Hogg?

It can serve as an entry point for understanding Hogg's folk narrative style, but it consists of multiple stories, moves at a slow pace, and is only the first of two volumes. For a systematic understanding of Hogg, it is advisable to consult his major works and related literary histories as well.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Hogg, James, 1770-1835 Author

James Hogg (1770–1835) was a Scottish writer known in his lifetime chiefly as "the Ettrick Shepherd." Public information about his life is limited, so biographical details are not elaborated here; nevertheless, the seven works held in this collection are enough to indicate the character of his writing. The novel The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner explores psychological and religious guilt and has been regarded by later readers as a work of distinctive style in Scottish literature, while The Brownie of Bodsbeck, and Other Tales draws on the folklore and supernatural themes of the Scottish Borders. The Three Perils of Man, in three volumes, combines war, women, and witchcraft, and the first volume of The Shepherd's Calendar interweaves pastoral and narrative writing. Hogg's works are largely rooted in Scottish local tradition and combine Gothic atmosphere with folk narrative.