The New Optimism

Stacpoole, H. De Vere (Henry De Vere), 1863-1951Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 117K words
Chapters: 12

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 New Optimism by H. De Vere StacpooleAuthor: Stacpoole, H. De Vere (Henry De Vere), 1863-1951,Language: English, Class: HN: Social sciences: Social history and conditions, Social problems, Release Date: Jun 3, 2017

Editor's review

The New Optimism is a collection of social essays by the English author H. De Vere Stacpoole, falling under the social sciences category of social history and social problems. Turning his novelist's eye to social issues, the author builds his discussion around the attitude of "optimism," exploring how people can rebuild confidence and a positive outlook when facing social conditions and the troubles of the age. The book is short, written in English, and its argument carries the unhurried, reflective tone of early twentieth-century essays, aiming to inspire ideas rather than prove them with data. For today's readers it is more like a mirror of its era: it shows how one generation of intellectuals responded to social anxiety, and its line of thinking can also prompt us to reconsider our own attitude toward the future. It suits casual English essay reading, or brief reading sessions on the commute or before bed for a little mental lift; for readers studying early twentieth-century English social commentary, it also offers a lightweight sample.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers seeking a shift in mindset through English essays
Students interested in early twentieth-century social commentary writing
English learners who need short English texts for extensive reading practice
Readers who enjoy reflective texts and do not require data-driven argument

Not a good fit for

Academic readers expecting a systematic theoretical framework or empirical research
Readers who need a Chinese translation to grasp the ideas quickly
Readers of fiction who prefer strong plots or storytelling

Reading tips

Read through once for the gist, then read again to mark turns in the argument and key attitude words.
Read one or two sections at a time, then write two or three sentences on where you disagree or resonate.
Read it alongside social commentary from other periods to compare how optimism is argued.
Don't look up unfamiliar expressions at first; keep your reading rhythm and deal with them together after finishing a chapter.

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 novel or social commentary?

Judging by the category listed in the source data, it belongs to the social sciences under social history and social problems; it is commentary writing built around "optimism," not a plot-driven novel, so expect essays and argument rather than story.

How difficult is the English, and is it suitable for beginners?

The book dates from the early twentieth century, with fairly long sentences and formal wording, placing it at an upper-intermediate level or above. It suits readers with some English reading ability who can accept an old-fashioned essay style; beginners can start with short passages and need not understand every word.

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

No. The book can be read on its own; its core is a discussion of optimism and social conditions and does not depend on knowledge of the author's novels, so you can go straight into the text.

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

Stacpoole, H. De Vere (Henry De Vere), 1863-1951 Author

Henry De Vere Stacpoole (H. De Vere Stacpoole, 1863–1951) was an English-language novelist active in the early twentieth century, with twenty-one of his works held in this collection. Public information about his life is limited, but his works reveal his inclinations: he favored romantic adventure and maritime themes, as in The Beach of Dreams: A Romance, Sea Plunder, and Vanderdecken, blending seafaring, exotic settings, and legendary plots. He also wrote ghost and mystery stories, such as Death, the Knight, and the Lady: A Ghost Story and The Ghost Girl, along with fantasy-tinged novels including The Garden of God and The Crimson Azaleas. His style emphasizes atmosphere and narrative interest, and his works circulated among popular-fiction readers of his day, remaining a reference point for the study of English popular fiction and maritime adventure literature of the period.