The Prodigal Returns

Lilian Louise Staveley (née Bowdoin)Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 203K words
Chapters: 21

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 Prodigal Returns by Lilian StaveleyAuthor: Staveley, Lilian, 1878?-1928,Language: English, Class: BV: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Practical theology, Worship, Release Date: Jul 18, 2009

Editor's review

This work is by the English writer Lilian Staveley and is classified by Project Gutenberg under Christian practical theology and worship; it is a text with a religious and spiritual reflective cast. The title "The Prodigal Returns" signals themes of return, repentance and a spiritual homecoming, and readers may regard it as a reflective work written from a perspective of faith. Its value lies not in intricate plotting but in offering an inward reading experience oriented toward spiritual order: it is suited to slow reading in a quiet setting, measuring the text against one's own circumstances and choices. The language is English and the work is short, suitable as devotional reading or as an introduction to English religious texts. Note that it has an explicitly Christian context, and readers without a faith background may find some expressions remote; read it with the aim of understanding a spiritual tradition rather than forcing agreement.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Christian spirituality and reflective texts of faith
Readers looking for a quiet short work for morning reading or devotion
Readers who want to understand early twentieth-century English religious writing
Advanced learners needing short English texts for close reading

Not a good fit for

Readers who want strongly plotted, story-driven works
Readers entirely unfamiliar with religious contexts and unwilling to explore them
Readers who prefer contemporary colloquial English and dislike the older religious style

Reading tips

Read slowly at a quiet time, pausing after each passage to note one sentence that speaks to you.
First learn the background of the prodigal son parable, then read the text; the thematic direction is easier to grasp.
Read it as a sample of a spiritual tradition; do not rush to judge or agree, but focus on understanding its perspective.

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?

According to Project Gutenberg's classification, it falls under Christian practical theology and worship and is closer to religious writing with a reflective spiritual cast than to a plot-driven novel. Read it reflectively.

Can I read it without a Christian background?

You can, but adjust your expectations. The text has an explicitly Christian context; readers without faith can treat it as material for understanding a spiritual tradition, and need not agree with unfamiliar expressions but should try to follow the thinking.

When is the best time to read it?

It suits quiet, uninterrupted times such as early morning or before sleep. Such texts have a slower pace and are best read passage by passage with pauses for thought, not in noisy surroundings or when rushed.

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About the author

Lilian Louise Staveley (née Bowdoin) Author · British · 1871–1928

Lilian Staveley (1871–1928) was a British Christian mystical writer, née Bowdoin, who married Brigadier General William Cathcart Staveley. She published three spiritual autobiographies anonymously—The Romance of the Soul, The Golden Fountain, and The Prodigal Returns—which recount the journey of the soul toward God. These works appeared without her real name during her lifetime, and her authorship was confirmed only after her death. She is regarded as a “hidden saint” who maintained a contemplative life amid ordinary worldly circumstances. The library holds three of her works; common classification information is currently unavailable. Public information about the details of her life is limited, and what can be confirmed centers mainly on her marriage, her devotional writing, and the circulation of her works. Her writing focuses on inner experience and the spiritual journey and has exercised a certain influence within Christian devotional literature.