The Second Latchkey

Williamson, C. N. (Charles Norris), 1859-1920Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 484K words
Chapters: 49

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 Second Latchkey by A. M. Williamson and C. N. Williamson. Author: Williamson, C. N. (Charles Norris), 1859-1920. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: May 29, 2006.

Editor's review

The Second Latchkey is an English novel by C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson, released as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg, the first provider of free electronic books, founded by Michael Hart in 1971. This edition continues that open-access tradition. The book is well suited as reading material in the original English, especially for readers who enjoy early popular fiction, plot-driven narrative, and a period flavor in the prose. While reading, one may follow the unfolding story and the relationships among characters, and also note the narrative rhythm and word choices of early twentieth-century English fiction. As a public-domain eBook, its version information is fairly brief; readers may wish to gain some background on the work before entering the text, so that differences in period context do not hinder understanding. Overall, it is better suited to reading for literary interest or as extensive reading material in English than as a scholarly base text.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers who enjoy novels in the original English
Learners who use public-domain eBooks for extensive reading in English
Readers interested in early popular narrative and a period flavor in prose
People who need free eBook resources for leisure reading

Not a good fit for

Researchers who need detailed annotations or scholarly introductions
Readers who prefer fast-paced contemporary suspense fiction
Beginners who are not used to reading English originals

Reading tips

Read through the chapter titles and opening first to grasp the tone of the story, then read continuously.
When you meet unfamiliar words, first guess from context, and look them up together after finishing the chapter.
Keep brief notes on character relationships and key plot points to avoid confusion over the threads.
If using it for English study, read one or two chapters at a fixed time each day and retell the main idea.

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?

According to the information, this is an English-language work, marked as English and released as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg. Reading it requires some ability in English.

What is Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg is the earliest project providing free electronic books, founded by Michael Hart in 1971. It produces and distributes public-domain eBooks, and this book is one of the resources it has released.

Is this book suitable for English beginners?

Not very suitable for complete beginners or elementary learners. It is a novel in the original English, and its narrative style and word choices carry period features; it is better suited to readers with some foundation in English reading who can do extensive reading practice.

Do I need to know the author's background before reading?

No extensive preparation is necessary. The information only identifies the author as C. N. Williamson and provides no detailed biography. Readers can begin directly with the text and, if interested in the period context, look up commonly available public-domain information on their own.

Comments

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About the author

Williamson, C. N. (Charles Norris), 1859-1920 Author

Charles Norris Williamson (1859–1920) was a British writer who often collaborated with his wife, Alice Williamson. The library holds thirty-one of his works, mostly popular novels from the early twentieth century centred on motoring travel, cross-border adventure and romantic intrigue. The Lightning Conductor series follows a car and its chauffeur through a series of comic and picaresque episodes, while books such as It Happened in Egypt combine exotic settings with suspense. His fast-paced, accessible style catered to the emerging craze for automobile tourism and to popular reading tastes, giving him a modest place in early motoring-travel literature. Public information is limited, and details of his life and exact nationality remain to be confirmed.