The Jamesons

Freeman, Mary Eleanor Wilkins, 1852-1930Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 157K words
Chapters: 16

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 Jamesons by Mary Eleanor Wilkins FreemanAuthor: Freeman, Mary Eleanor Wilkins, 1852-1930,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 19, 2006

Editor's review

The Jamesons is a work by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman, available in the Project Gutenberg public-domain ebook collection. Freeman is known for her New England rural life fiction; her prose is delicate and often focuses on the everyday circumstances and family relationships of ordinary women. This book centers on the Jameson family and continues the author's observation of local manners and human affairs, with plain language rich in the texture of daily life. As a public-domain ebook, it gives readers low-cost access to late nineteenth-century American local color literature and serves as one of the introductory works for understanding Freeman's writing. While reading, note how the narrator handles power and emotional tension within the family, and how the rural community forms the background for the characters' behavior. Because it is an original English text from an early period, readers need some English reading ability and basic patience with the social customs of the time.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-speaking readers interested in late nineteenth-century New England rural fiction
Literature lovers interested in Mary E. W. Freeman's works who wish to expand their reading
Students and researchers studying American local color literature who need a public-domain text for reference
Readers who enjoy a leisurely pace and narratives centered on family and community relationships

Not a good fit for

Beginners with weak English reading ability who need a Chinese translation
Readers of genre fiction who prefer strong plots and fast-paced narratives
Readers seeking a detailed biography or scholarly annotations of the author

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to become familiar with the characters' relationships and the narrative tone, then decide on a reading pace
Keep pen and paper handy to note family titles and key events to avoid confusing the characters
Read alongside Freeman's other rural short stories for comparison to appreciate her writing characteristics
After each chapter, briefly retell the content to help absorb the expressions of early English

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 in Chinese or English?

This is the original English ebook released by Project Gutenberg; the text is in English and no Chinese translation is included. Readers need some English reading ability.

Do I need to know Freeman's biography before reading?

Not necessarily. Reading the text first is enough to get a feel for her narrative style; for deeper understanding, consult reliable biographical material separately, as this book itself does not provide a detailed biographical introduction.

Is this book suitable for learning English?

It can be used as extensive reading material, but because it was written long ago, some expressions and vocabulary differ from modern English; it is better suited to readers who already have some foundation and want to encounter literary English.

What should I keep in mind when using the ebook edition?

Project Gutenberg provides public-domain electronic texts, mainly in plain text, which may lack the layout and annotations of a printed edition; readers need to adapt to how paragraphs and chapters are presented.

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About the author

Freeman, Mary Eleanor Wilkins, 1852-1930 Author

Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman (1852–1930) was an American writer, with 23 works held in this collection. Public information is limited, but her works show that she wrote novels, short stories, and plays, often focusing on New England village life and the fates of ordinary people. Representative works include The Pot of Gold, and Other Stories, Young Lucretia and Other Stories, Pembroke: A Novel, Jane Field: A Novel, and The Butterfly House, as well as the play Giles Corey, Yeoman. She also wrote supernatural tales such as The Wind in the Rose-Bush, and Other Stories of the Supernatural, showing a range that spans realism and the eerie. Her writing is known for close observation and a plain style, often depicting everyday life, family ties, and inner turmoil, with particular concision in the short-story form.