The Desert Drum

Hichens, Robert, 1864-1950Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 25K words
Chapters: 3

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 Desert Drum by Robert HichensAuthor: Hichens, Robert, 1864-1950,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Nov 8, 2007

Editor's review

The Desert Drum is likewise by Robert Hichens, released by Project Gutenberg as a free eBook and belonging to the English literature public-domain catalogue. The “drum” in the title carries associations of sound and exotic distance, and together with Hichens’s habitual far-off settings it readily suggests a psychology drawn along by some rhythm or rumour met on a journey. The value of such a work lies not in intricate structure but in atmosphere and in the subtle reactions of characters placed in unfamiliar surroundings; it serves well as a sample of the thematic preferences of early twentieth-century English popular fiction. While reading, note the links between sound, landscape and the characters’ moods, and observe how the author builds suspense through brief scenes. Because the electronic edition lacks notes and an introduction, background information must be supplied by the reader; those who prefer a fully worked-out plot or a modern narrative pace may find the experience less satisfying. On the whole it suits light supplementary reading rather than systematic study.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in exotic settings and atmospheric short fiction
Learners who want public-domain English eBooks for extensive reading practice
Readers who like to finish a complete scene in a short sitting
Enthusiasts of early twentieth-century English popular fiction themes

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking tight reasoning or complex plotting
Beginners who need detailed notes and author background
Readers used to contemporary pacing who have little patience for older prose styles

Reading tips

Read it through in one go to take in the overall atmosphere, then go back to the foreshadowing in the descriptions of sound and scenery.
Read aloud the passages describing the drumbeat or the setting to feel how rhythm shapes mood.
After finishing, summarise the scene and the characters’ psychology in a few sentences to check whether you have grasped the essentials.
Compare it with another work by the same author to observe his habitual handling of exotic material.

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

How is this book related to Desert Air?

Both were written by Robert Hichens and both are included by Project Gutenberg as English public-domain eBooks, and both tend toward desert and exotic settings. They are, however, separate works, and the available information shows no sequel or collection relationship between them. Readers may read them separately or compare how the same author handles similar material.

Is the “drum” in the title a central plot clue?

The available information gives only the title and the literary classification, with no plot summary, so the drum’s specific role in the story cannot be confirmed. Judging by the title, it is likely connected with atmosphere or some image of sound, but no inference about the plot should be drawn from it. Readers are advised to read the opening of the text and judge for themselves how much weight the image carries in the narrative.

Does reading the electronic edition require payment or registration?

Project Gutenberg is known for providing free eBooks, and its public-domain texts are generally available at no cost. The exact means of downloading or reading online depends on the platform you use, and some mirror sites may require registration. If you encounter a charge, try the official Project Gutenberg channels to look up the same title, where a free version can usually be found.

Do I need to know the author’s life before reading this book?

Not necessarily. This is a standalone literary work, and the story can be entered directly through the text. The author’s life and background can help explain his preference for exotic material, but the available information provides no detailed biographical data; interested readers may consult reliable sources themselves. Reading the work first and filling in the background afterwards is often easier than starting with a biography.

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

Hichens, Robert, 1864-1950 Author

Robert Hichens (1864–1950) was a British novelist, with 28 of his works held in this collection. Public information about him is limited, and details of his life are difficult to verify, but his writings offer a sense of his literary range. His best-known novel, The Garden of Allah, is set against an exotic desert landscape and blends romance with religious reflection; The Green Carnation became known for its thinly veiled portrayal of Oscar Wilde and the aestheticist circle around him. He also wrote novels such as The Woman with the Fan, The Dweller on the Threshold, Bella Donna, The Figure in the Mirage and The Call of the Blood, as well as a travel book on the Near East, The Near East: Dalmatia, Greece and Constantinople. His work often draws on foreign settings, social manners and psychological suspense, with carefully developed plots that combine popular readability with the tastes of their time, earning him a place in early twentieth-century British popular fiction.