The Criminal

Ellis, Havelock, 1859-1939Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 587K words
Chapters: 59

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 Criminal by Havelock EllisAuthor: Ellis, Havelock, 1859-1939,Language: English, Class: HV: Social sciences: Social pathology, Social and Public Welfare, Release Date: Dec 24, 2013

Editor's review

The Criminal is a work of social pathology by the British thinker Havelock Ellis, available as a free public-domain eBook from Project Gutenberg. Ellis examines criminal behavior from an interdisciplinary perspective, discussing crime within social, psychological, and physiological contexts, reflecting the typical approach of criminological research from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. The book's value lies not in offering contemporary legal conclusions, but in showing how an era understood the concept of "the criminal"; it is of documentary significance to readers studying the history of criminology, the history of social thought, and the early dissemination of psychology. The book is in the original English, is fairly long, and its argument bears clear marks of its era; readers should maintain a critical eye, distinguishing historical context from present-day knowledge. It is suitable as academic supplementary material or for thematic reading in intellectual history, rather than as casual popular reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Academic readers studying the history of criminology and social thought
Readers interested in late nineteenth-century psychology and social pathology
University teachers and students needing English public-domain texts as course supplementary materials
Readers accustomed to critically reading historical texts and able to discern the limitations of their era

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking contemporary criminological conclusions or knowledge of judicial practice
General readers who prefer light narrative and smooth reading
Readers with limited English proficiency unaccustomed to academic argumentation

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and introduction first to grasp the author's problematic and argumentative framework before entering the main text.
Read alongside background materials on the history of criminology or social thought to avoid understanding it in isolation.
Mark statements bearing the prejudices of the era as you read, and reflect on their historical causes afterward.
Schedule progress by chapter, and after each chapter summarize the core points in your own words before continuing.

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 a contemporary work of criminology?

No. The author Ellis lived from 1859 to 1939, and the book reflects criminological thinking from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century; it is a historical document. Its classifications and judgments carry clear limitations of their era and should be read as material for intellectual history rather than used directly as contemporary conclusions.

How difficult is the English? Can non-native readers read it?

The book is in the original English, its argumentation is fairly academic, with long sentences and many technical terms, posing a certain barrier for non-native readers. Those with a university-level English reading foundation who are willing to use dictionaries and background materials can attempt it; starting with the introduction and gradually adapting to the author's rhythm of writing is recommended.

Is this book suitable as a course reference?

It can serve as supplementary literature for courses on the history of criminology, the history of social thought, or the early dissemination of psychology. It is better suited for discussing "how an era understood crime" than for providing empirical data. Teachers are advised to provide guided reading and critical questions to help students discern the text's historical context.

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About the author

Ellis, Havelock, 1859-1939 Author

Havelock Ellis (1859–1939) was an English writer and social reformer, and an important pioneer in the study of sexual psychology. The library holds 14 of his works, including the multi-volume Studies in the Psychology of Sex, as well as The Task of Social Hygiene, Essays in War-Time: Further Studies in the Task of Social Hygiene, Little Essays of Love and Virtue, and The New Spirit. His writing is chiefly in a plain essayistic style, combining case observation with synthesis of the literature, and bringing issues of sexual psychology, social hygiene, war, and ethics into public discussion. His works on sexual psychology were widely influential in the English-speaking world, helping to move such topics from taboo toward academic and public dialogue, while his writings on social hygiene reflect a sustained concern for individual well-being and social reform. Public information is limited, so specific biographical details are not elaborated here.