The Nabob cover

The Nabob

Rating 4.0
Word count
870K words
Chapters
88

Tags

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 Nabob by Alphonse DaudetAuthor: Daudet, Alphonse, 1840-1897,Language: English, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Mar 22, 2006

Editor's review

The Nabob is an English translation of a novel by the French writer Alphonse Daudet, a public-domain eBook from Project Gutenberg. Daudet was known for observing social customs and human fates; this book revolves around wealth, ambition, and Parisian social circles, bearing the satirical and manners-novel qualities of nineteenth-century French fiction. The English translation gives readers unfamiliar with French an entry point into Daudet's narrative, making it a useful supplementary read for understanding the French realist and manners-novel tradition. As a public-domain electronic edition, it contains no modern annotations or introduction, so readers must adapt to the nineteenth-century narrative pace and historical context on their own. Overall, it suits readers interested in French literature, social-manners fiction, and public-domain classics rather than those seeking strong plot or contemporary themes.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Literary readers interested in nineteenth-century French fiction and Daudet's works
  • General readers who want to encounter French manners fiction through an English translation
  • Students who need a public-domain text for comparative literature or translation practice

Not a good fit for

  • Readers expecting modern annotations, a detailed introduction, or scholarly commentary
  • Popular fiction readers who prefer fast-paced plots and strong suspense
  • Readers completely unfamiliar with nineteenth-century French social background who are unwilling to consult supplementary materials

Reading tips

  1. Learn the basics of Daudet's background and nineteenth-century French society before starting the text.
  2. As you read, note the satirical relationships among wealth, social circles, and characters' ambitions.
  3. Compare the book with Daudet's other short works to see differences in narrative style.
  4. If the English translation is difficult, read a Chinese summary first, then return to the original to follow the main character lines.

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.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46
  47. 47
  48. 48
  49. 49
  50. 50
  51. 51
  52. 52
  53. 53
  54. 54
  55. 55
  56. 56
  57. 57
  58. 58
  59. 59
  60. 60
  61. 61
  62. 62
  63. 63
  64. 64
  65. 65
  66. 66
  67. 67
  68. 68
  69. 69
  70. 70
  71. 71
  72. 72
  73. 73
  74. 74
  75. 75
  76. 76
  77. 77
  78. 78
  79. 79
  80. 80
  81. 81
  82. 82
  83. 83
  84. 84
  85. 85
  86. 86
  87. 87
  88. 88

FAQ

Is this book Daudet's original or an English translation?
According to the information, this is an English eBook released by Project Gutenberg, authored by Alphonse Daudet, in English, and it is an English translation of a French original. Readers encounter the language of a translation, not Daudet's original French.
Without an introduction, how can I grasp the novel's social background?
Public-domain eBooks usually come without a modern introduction. It is advisable to consult brief materials on Daudet's life and nineteenth-century French social customs before reading the text, focusing on the relationships among wealth, social circles, and characters' ambitions, which makes the novel's satire and social observation easier to understand.
Is it suitable as an introduction to French literature?
It can serve as supplementary reading, but the information provides no annotations or introduction, and it is an English translation. If you are entirely new to French literature, it is advisable to start with an annotated anthology or short works before taking on this long novel, so that unfamiliar historical context does not diminish your interest in reading.

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About the author

Alphonse Daudet (1840–1897) was a French writer known for clear, brisk storytelling in a warm and slightly melancholy style. Forty of his works are held in this collection, including Lettres de mon moulin, Le petit chose, Tartarin de Tarascon and Le nabab. His writing often draws on the landscapes and customs of southern France, combining lively narration with concern for the fate of ordinary people, which gives it both readability and emotional depth. His works are categorized here as inspirational and coming-of-age, reflecting the lasting appeal of their themes of growth and struggle. Public information on the details of his life is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

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