The Presentation

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

2.7

Word count: 435K words
Chapters: 44

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 Presentation by H. De Vere StacpooleAuthor: Stacpoole, H. De Vere (Henry De Vere), 1863-1951,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: May 29, 2017

Editor's review

The Presentation is an English-language short story by the British writer H. De Vere Stacpoole, made available as a public-domain eBook by Project Gutenberg. Stacpoole was known for romantic narratives set against the sea and exotic locales; this short work centers on a social turning point brought about by a "presentation" or introduction, bearing his usual dramatic and emotional tension. As a public-domain literary text, its value lies in giving readers low-threshold access to the narrative pacing and character crafting of early twentieth-century popular English fiction, making it suitable as short reading material for observing how fiction of that era handled coincidence, identity, and emotional choice. It need not be read for heavy themes; it works better read in segments on a commute or before bed, savoring its plot momentum and lively dialogue.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to practice English reading with short public-domain fiction
Enthusiasts of early twentieth-century popular English literature
Light readers who enjoy plot twists and relationship-driven drama

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting deep social critique or modernist experimental writing
Beginners who need a Chinese translation or detailed annotated edition
Heavy novel readers who prefer long epics and complex multi-threaded structures

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot, then revisit key dialogue and the foreshadowing at turning points.
Note how characters are related when they first appear, and watch how the act of "presentation" shifts their positions toward one another.
Treat it as short English extensive reading material; after each section, retell the gist in one or two sentences.

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

What is this story mainly about?

It revolves around the interpersonal changes set off by a "presentation" or introduction, in the kind of popular narrative Stacpoole excelled at: characters enter new emotional situations and circumstances because of a meeting or introduction at an occasion. The specific plot should be judged from the text itself; as you read, watch how dialogue and coincidence drive the turning points.

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

No. This is a standalone story; you can read it directly. If you enjoy its romantic tone of the sea and exotic settings, it would then be natural to go on to Stacpoole's other public-domain works.

What reading settings does its length suit?

It is not long, so it suits segmented reading on a commute, before bed, or in an English extensive reading class. Reading one or two scenes at a time and briefly retelling the plot afterward keeps the sense of continuity without losing track of character relationships when you pause.

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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.