The Happy End

Joseph HergesheimerProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 432K words
Chapters: 44

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 Happy End by Joseph HergesheimerAuthor: Hergesheimer, Joseph, 1880-1954,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 1, 2005

Editor's review

The Happy End is a novel by Joseph Hergesheimer, a work of early twentieth-century American literature. Hergesheimer was a popular writer of his day, known for his polished style and his depiction of social life. Through its narrative, the book explores the various fortunes of characters in pursuit of a happy ending, and it bears the typical marks of American fiction of its era: an attention to the tension between characters' inner lives and their real circumstances. As a free Project Gutenberg eBook, its value lies in giving readers low-cost access to a writer now less often mentioned but once a presence in early twentieth-century American letters; it is well suited to understanding the subjects and narrative methods of American fiction of that period. Readers are advised to consider the cultural background of early twentieth-century American society in order to understand the characters' choices and fates, and to treat the book as a sample of the borderland between American popular and serious fiction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early twentieth-century American literature who wish to broaden their reading
Literature students studying the history of American fiction or Hergesheimer's work
Readers who enjoy slow-paced character-driven narratives and psychological portraiture
Learners who wish to use public-domain eBooks to practise reading English originals

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking strong plots, fast pacing, or suspenseful twists
Readers who prefer contemporary literature or nonfiction
Beginners whose English reading ability is not yet equal to early twentieth-century literary style

Reading tips

Learn a little about early twentieth-century American society first; the character-driven narrative will then read more smoothly
Read alongside other works by Hergesheimer to observe the continuity of his style and themes
When reading the English original, read through a chapter before looking up unfamiliar words, so as not to break the narrative rhythm
After finishing, note the characters' different understandings of a happy ending as material for discussion or notes

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 for English beginners?

Not really. It is an early twentieth-century American novel, and its sentence structures and vocabulary carry the literary style of that era, so it makes certain demands on English reading ability. Intermediate-level readers or above are advised, or else read a Chinese introduction and background material first before attempting the original.

Why is this book free on Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg is a free eBook project founded by Michael Hart in 1971, dedicated to providing eBooks whose copyright has entered the public domain. The Happy End is included as a work in the public domain, so readers can obtain and read it free of charge.

Do I need to know the author's other works to read this book?

No. The book can be read on its own and does not depend on prior knowledge of the author's other works. That said, some familiarity with the overall landscape of early twentieth-century American literature will help if you wish to understand Hergesheimer's style and place in his era more deeply.

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About the author

Joseph Hergesheimer Author · American · 1880–1954

Joseph Hergesheimer (1880–1954) was an American novelist born in Philadelphia. He first studied painting and later turned to writing. He is known for depicting the lives of the wealthy and for an ornate, decorative prose style. His representative works include The Three Black Pennys, Java Head, Linda Condon, and Cytherea. In 1922, critics rated him 'the most important American writer,' though his reputation declined in the 1930s. The collection here holds 12 of his works, including the novels Mountain Blood, Wild Oranges, and Tubal Cain. His fiction often focuses on upper-class life, with carefully wrought prose and atmosphere, giving him a distinctive place in early twentieth-century American fiction. Publicly available information on his life and work is limited, and this note relies only on verified facts and widely accepted records.