The Philanderers

Alfred Edward Woodley MasonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 312K words
Chapters: 32

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 Philanderers by A. E. W. Mason. Author: Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley), 1865-1948. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Jul 30, 2004

Editor's review

Mason was a popular early twentieth-century British writer of popular fiction, and this work continues the narrative line he excelled at, interweaving suspense and romance. The title's "philanderers" suggests characters maneuvering between affection and advantage; the story usually revolves around misunderstandings,试探, and mysteries of identity, with a brisk pace, witty dialogue, and the flavor of an Edwardian social novel. Mason later became known for detective fiction; although this book is not his most famous detective series, it shows his early grasp of character motivation and scene management. For readers who want to understand the transition of British popular literature from sentimental fiction to modern suspense, this is a work of reference value. The public-domain e-book is easy to obtain, but the edition has no modern annotations, so readers must adapt on their own to the period language and social background.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy British Edwardian popular fiction
Literature lovers interested in narratives interweaving suspense and romance
Students studying Mason's creative development or the transition of British popular literature
Intermediate and advanced English readers who need a public-domain English novel for extensive reading practice

Not a good fit for

Detective fans expecting rigorous fair-play puzzles with fair clues
Readers who prefer contemporary fast-paced suspense and lack patience for old-fashioned social description
Academic researchers who need detailed author chronologies or bibliographic data

Reading tips

Read the first two chapters first to establish the main character relationships, then proceed chapter by chapter
Pay attention to double meanings and social implications in dialogue; this is key to understanding character motivation
After finishing, compare with other works by Mason to observe the evolution of his suspense techniques

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 detective mystery?

It is closer to popular romance fiction with suspense elements than to a strict fair-play puzzle. Mason later became known for detective works, but this book focuses on character relationships and social maneuvering, with relatively limited detective content.

What does "Philanderers" in the title mean?

The word usually refers to people who trifle in love and are inconstant in affection. The title suggests the characters'试探 and maneuvering between emotion and advantage; the specific reference needs to be understood in light of the character relationships in the text.

With no modern annotations, what should I pay attention to while reading?

The text retains early twentieth-century English usage and social customs, some expressions no longer common today. When you encounter dialogue you do not understand, first infer from context, then consult a dictionary, so that individual words do not stall your overall reading rhythm.

Comments

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About the author

Alfred Edward Woodley Mason Author · British · 1865–1948

A. E. W. Mason (Alfred Edward Woodley Mason, 1865–1948) was a British novelist and playwright born in Camberwell, London, and educated at Trinity College, Oxford. His work spans adventure, detective fiction, and romance; his best-known novel, The Four Feathers, is celebrated for its conflict between battlefield duty and honour. His French detective Inspector Hanaud is regarded as one of the prototypes for Hercule Poirot, and such mystery works as At the Villa Rose and The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel also drew readers' attention. Mason served as a Liberal MP in the House of Commons and worked in naval intelligence during the First World War, experiences that lent a realistic texture to his narratives. Twenty of his works are held in the collection; public information is limited, yet his writing retains a place in the history of popular and detective fiction.