The Orchid

Grant, Robert, 1852-1940Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 178K words
Chapters: 18

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 Orchid by Robert GrantAuthor: Grant, Robert, 1852-1940,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Dec 11, 2016

Editor's review

The Orchid is by the American author Robert Grant and is classified under American and Canadian literature; Project Gutenberg publishes the public-domain electronic edition. The available information is limited, but the book's value lies mainly in two areas: literary history and reading experience. It offers a sample of American fiction from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, with language and narrative manner marked by that era, making it useful for observing how writers of the time handled character, social life, and plot. For general readers, it is a relatively approachable public-domain work suitable for leisure reading; for researchers, it can serve as a supplementary text in the context of American literary history. Note that the information provides no specific plot or thematic details, so readers should not assume in advance that it is a gardening or botanical work. Overall, it is an older work that can be read casually or consulted as a reference in literary history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in American fiction of the late nineteenth to early twentieth century
English learners who need public-domain English literature for extracurricular extensive reading
Students and teachers studying American literary history who are interested in works by non-canonical writers
Readers who enjoy old-fashioned narrative style and are willing to enter the context of the era patiently

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking horticultural cultivation or botanical knowledge about orchids
Readers who prefer contemporary fast-paced narrative and have little patience for old-fashioned prose
Beginners who need detailed annotations and introductions to read English originals

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to gauge the narrative pace, then decide whether to read through or selectively.
Pay attention to character dialogue and social scenes while reading to experience the language habits of the era.
Read in comparison with American fiction of the same period to observe similarities and differences in subject matter and technique.
Slow-read the English original with a dictionary; do not chase speed—focus on language feel.

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 botanical work about orchids?

No. According to the information, the author is Robert Grant and the book is classified under American and Canadian literature; it is a literary work, not a gardening or botanical monograph. Although the title is The Orchid, the information provides no plot details, so readers should not approach it expecting a plant-cultivation book.

How difficult is the English?

The information does not give language-difficulty details, but as an American literary work of the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, its sentence patterns and vocabulary carry period features and differ from modern English. Readers with intermediate or higher English reading ability can slow-read with a dictionary; beginners may need an annotated edition or introductory guide.

Is the electronic edition reliable and complete?

This electronic edition is published by Project Gutenberg, a platform known for curating public-domain ebooks, so the source is relatively standard. The information shows a release year of 2019. Readers should still check whether the layout and paragraphing are clear; if anomalies appear, compare with other public-domain sources.

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

Grant, Robert, 1852-1940 Author

Robert Grant (1852–1940) was an American writer about whom few details of his life and education are publicly available; eight of his works are held in this collection. Taken together, they show a broad range. Novels such as Unleavened Bread, The Undercurrent and The Orchid turn largely to social questions—marriage, gender roles and social mobility—with a tone of moral observation and irony. The Art of Living, The Opinions of a Philosopher and Search-Light Letters lean toward essays and reflection, plain in style and clear in argument, while The Law-Breakers and Other Stories and A Romantic Young Lady show that he also wrote short fiction and character sketches. His work is marked by realistic subjects and gentle satire.