The Convert

Elizabeth RobinsProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 635K words
Chapters: 64

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 Convert by Elizabeth RobinsAuthor: Robins, Elizabeth, 1862-1952,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Aug 24, 2008

Editor's review

The Convert is a novel by the British-born American writer Elizabeth Robins (1862–1952), released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain English-language eBook. Robins herself was in close contact with the Women's Social and Political Union, and her work often centers on women's circumstances and social issues; this book likewise takes a female character's experience in a social movement as its core thread, with a strong sense of its era and vivid psychological portrayal. As a public-domain text, it is easy to obtain and moderate in length, making it a suitable introductory read for understanding early twentieth-century Anglo-American women's narrative and social-issue fiction. Readers may compare the characters' choices with the social background of the time to better appreciate the text's tension. The electronic edition has no annotations or introduction, so readers are advised to supplement historical background materials themselves. Overall, this is a public-domain novel worth reading for those interested in women's writing and social-issue literature.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early twentieth-century women's writing and social-issue fiction
Literature enthusiasts who want to understand the historical background of the Anglo-American women's movement
Students who need free English public-domain novels as extensive reading material
Readers who enjoy psychological characterization and novels with a strong period atmosphere

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strong plot, fast-paced suspense, or fantasy stories
Researchers who need detailed annotations and scholarly introductions
Beginners with weaker English reading skills who want simplified reading material

Reading tips

First learn about the early twentieth-century Anglo-American background of women's struggle for suffrage, then read the main text.
Pay attention to the protagonist's psychological changes and dialogue, and trace the clues of her shifting stance.
Read alongside other works by Robins to appreciate her narrative characteristics.
After finishing, write a character analysis to test your understanding of the themes.

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 related to the women's suffrage movement?

The author Robins was in close contact with the Women's Social and Political Union, and the book takes a female character's experience in a social movement as its core thread, bearing clear markers of the era's issues. For specific plot details, refer to the original text; readers may understand the characters' choices in light of the social background of the time.

How difficult is the English? Is it suitable for beginners?

This is an early twentieth-century English novel, and its syntax and vocabulary pose some difficulty for beginners; it is better suited to readers with intermediate reading ability. Beginners may first read a simplified version or an annotated edition before attempting the original.

Does the Gutenberg edition include an introduction or annotations?

Project Gutenberg mainly provides public-domain electronic texts, and this edition usually contains no introduction, annotations, or scholarly analysis. Readers who need background material may look up the author's biography and related historical materials to read alongside.

Comments

Find this book

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

Elizabeth Robins Author · American · 1862–1952

Elizabeth Robins (1862–1952) was an American-born actress, playwright, novelist and suffragist, who often wrote under the pen name C. E. Raimond. She brought Ibsen's plays to the British stage and became widely known for starring in Hedda Gabler, gaining significant standing in the theatre. Her writing spans fiction and drama: her novels include The Magnetic North, The Convert, The Messenger, My Little Sister, The Open Question: A Tale of Two Temperaments and Under the Southern Cross, often focusing on social realities and women's circumstances with a nuanced, critical touch; in drama, her suffrage play Votes for Women: A Play in Three Acts is especially pioneering, directly echoing the contemporary movement for women's right to vote. Seven of her works are held in the collection; public information is limited and no more detailed biographical record is available.