The Quickening

Lynde, Francis, 1856-1930Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 597K words
Chapters: 60

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 Quickening by Francis Lynde. Author: Lynde, Francis, 1856–1930. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Dec 19, 2005

Editor's review

The Quickening is a novel by Francis Lynde (1856–1930), now available as a free ebook from Project Gutenberg. Lynde was an American writer of popular fiction whose works often involve engineering, railways, and the opening of the West; this book falls under American and Canadian literature (Class PS). For Chinese readers its value lies mainly in two things: as a sample of American popular fiction from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, showing how plots were structured and characters drawn at the time; and as a public-domain English original suitable for English reading practice and close textual study. Note that it is an English original, and the Project Gutenberg edition is an early electronic text without modern editing, so some English proficiency is required. It is not a literary classic with a modern introduction, and it offers no Chinese notes or background commentary; readers wanting in-depth historical research or a scholarly introduction must look elsewhere. Overall, it works well as extensive reading material in English and as supporting evidence for the history of popular fiction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with intermediate English or above who want to practice extensive reading with an original novel
Literature enthusiasts interested in American popular fiction from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century
Teachers and students who need a public-domain English text for classroom excerpts or translation practice
Researchers who want to understand Lynde's style and compare his works with those of his contemporaries

Not a good fit for

Beginners with weak English who need a Chinese translation or notes
Research-oriented readers expecting in-depth contemporary literary analysis and a scholarly introduction
Readers who prefer fast-paced modern storytelling and have little patience for early popular fiction

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to get used to Lynde's narrative pace and character relationships, then decide whether to read closely or extensively.
Jot down place names, occupations, and engineering terms as you read; this helps with the period background.
Read alongside other American public-domain popular novels to observe the plot patterns of the same period.
If using it for English study, retell each chapter's key points in English after finishing it to check your understanding.

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 in Chinese or English? What English level do I need?

It is an English original; the Project Gutenberg public-domain ebook contains no Chinese translation or notes. An intermediate level or above—enough to read an English novel comfortably—is recommended; use a dictionary for unfamiliar words without letting them block overall comprehension.

Is there anything to watch out for in the Project Gutenberg edition?

The Project Gutenberg edition is a free electronic text prepared by volunteers and is an early digitization; it may retain the original book's spelling and layout conventions and has not necessarily been modernized. Focus on understanding the content rather than worrying about individual typographical differences.

Can I read this novel without knowing the author Lynde?

Yes, you can read it directly. Lynde's works are mostly popular narratives with relatively clear plotlines and do not depend on prior knowledge. For deeper understanding, you can look up public information on his life and writing background first, then return to the text.

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

Lynde, Francis, 1856-1930 Author

Francis Lynde (1856–1930) is a writer about whom little biographical information is publicly available; only his name and dates can be confirmed. The library holds 17 of his works, including The City of Numbered Days, The Grafters, A Romance in Transit, The King of Arcadia, The Wreckers, A Fool for Love, The Price, and Branded. Judging from these titles, his fiction tends to center on engineering projects, business dealings, travel, and emotional entanglements, with a flavor of social realism and adventure narrative, often placing characters in conflicts of interest and moral dilemmas. Given the limited public record, his nationality, education, and personal history cannot be reliably established, and scholarly discussion of his literary standing is sparse. Nevertheless, his substantial output of popular fiction offers useful material for studying the reading tastes of the English-speaking world in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and some of his works remain in print and retain interest for readers today.