The Prisoner

Alice BrownProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 745K words
Chapters: 75

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 Prisoner by Alice BrownAuthor: Brown, Alice, 1857-1948,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jul 10, 2009

Editor's review

Alice Brown's The Prisoner is a short novel, and this public-domain electronic edition offers readers a low-cost way into the fiction of this American author. Classified under American and Canadian literature, it is best read in the context of American fiction from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. For readers new to the author, the book serves as an entry point to her narrative style and character portrayal, and to the way she handles situation and emotional tension. The electronic text is convenient for excerpting and comparative reading, and works well as a short selection for book-club discussion. It should be noted that public-domain editions usually lack a modern introduction or detailed notes, so readers are advised to supplement the author's life and historical background on their own. Overall, it suits readers willing to look up context and interested in American fiction of this period.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers seeking American fiction from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century
Book-club members looking for a discussion text of moderate length
English literature students seeking supplementary reading on the author
General readers who enjoy fiction centered on character situation and emotion

Not a good fit for

Readers of genre fiction who prefer strong plotting and fast pacing
Beginners who need a modern editor's introduction and detailed notes
Readers looking for a Chinese translation

Reading tips

Before reading, look up Alice Brown's life and the period of her work to establish a basic historical frame.
It can be read in one sitting; then revisit the key character relationships to trace plot development and emotional turns.
If used for a book club, prepare two or three discussion questions about character motivation in advance.
After reading, compare it with other American fiction of the same period to note differences in narrative perspective and subject matter.

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 suitable for English beginners?

The language belongs to early twentieth-century English fiction, and the sentence patterns and vocabulary pose some challenge for beginners. Readers with intermediate English or above, willing to look up words and background, will find it smoother going.

Does the public-domain electronic edition include notes?

Such public-domain electronic editions usually provide only the text, generally without a modern introduction or detailed notes. Readers who need background can look up the author's life, the period of the work, and related literary history on their own.

How long will it take to read?

Judging by its type, it is a short novel; readers with intermediate English can finish it in two or three sessions. Actual time varies with individual reading speed and how often one looks up words.

Comments

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About the author

Alice Brown Author · American · 1857–1948

Alice Brown (1857–1948) was an American novelist, poet, and playwright, and one of the representative writers of New England local color literature. Born in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, she is known for works including Meadow Grass: Tales of New England Life, Tiverton Tales, Rose MacLeod, Old Crow, Country Neighbors, The Day of His Youth, and The Prisoner. Her writing is mostly set in rural New England and portrays the daily lives, social relations, and local scenery of ordinary residents, with delicate prose and a strong sense of place. Public information is limited, so beyond the biographical and bibliographic details given here, her specific experiences and literary standing cannot be described in detail; nine of her works are held in this collection, allowing readers to learn more about her writing.