The Temptress

Le Queux, William, 1864-1927Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 516K words
Chapters: 52

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 Temptress by William Le QueuxAuthor: Le Queux, William, 1864-1927,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Sep 22, 2012

Editor's review

The Temptress is an English novel by William Le Queux and a public-domain literary resource in the free eBook collection of Project Gutenberg. Le Queux was known for plot-driven popular fiction full of twists and suspense, and this book likewise revolves around a seductive and mysterious woman, with the plot advancing through probing, misunderstandings and undercurrents between characters, bearing clear hallmarks of popular narrative of its era. For readers who want a sense of early twentieth-century English popular fiction, or who hope to access original English works at little cost, this is an easily obtainable electronic text. Readers should not expect deep psychological portrayal or literary experimentation; it is better read as a period story with a suspenseful atmosphere. Reading on an electronic device is recommended, with dictionary tools at hand for unfamiliar expressions; if used for English learning, read through the plot first, then return to sort out character relationships and key dialogue. Note that this is the original English text and was written long ago, so some social attitudes and expressions carry the limitations of their time, and readers should keep a critical eye.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy English popular fiction and prefer plots of suspense and emotional entanglement
Readers who want low-cost access to original English works through public-domain eBooks
Enthusiasts studying early twentieth-century English popular literature and serialized fiction style
Learners with intermediate English reading ability who hope to expand vocabulary through fiction

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting serious literary depth or modern narrative techniques
Beginners with weak English who need Chinese annotations or introductory guidance
Readers sensitive to outdated gender attitudes and popular-fiction formulas

Reading tips

Read a chapter first to grasp the character relationships, then go back and organize the main characters and plot threads.
Use the dictionary function of an e-reader, and take notes on expressions that recur.
After finishing, compare it with similar popular fiction of the same period, comparing suspense design and character portrayal.
If used for English learning, select dialogue-heavy passages for close reading and retelling practice.

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? How difficult is it to read?

This is the original English text and a public-domain eBook. The language is generally the popular-fiction style of the early twentieth century; sentences are not especially difficult, but there are period expressions and longer narrative sentences. Readers with intermediate English reading ability can finish it with dictionary tools, while beginners may find it challenging.

Why can this book be obtained free from Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg is an early project providing free eBooks, mainly collecting works that have entered the public domain. The author, William Le Queux, died in 1927, and his works are in the public domain in most regions, so the platform can provide the electronic text free of charge.

Do I need to know the author or historical background before reading this book?

Not necessarily. You can start directly with the story and first get a feel for the plot and character relationships. If you want to read more deeply, a brief understanding of the serialization tradition and suspense formulas of early twentieth-century English popular fiction will help you understand the narrative rhythm and plot devices of this book.

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About the author

Le Queux, William, 1864-1927 Author

William Le Queux (1864–1927) was a British writer of popular fiction, with 74 of his works held in this collection. He is best known for invasion-scare and spy-adventure stories; The Invasion of 1910, which depicts a German invasion of Britain and the siege of London, drew considerable attention in its day, and The Great War in England in 1897 belongs to the same vein. His other works centre on mystery, intrigue and international espionage, such as The Zeppelin Destroyer, The Secrets of Potsdam, The Closed Book: Concerning the Secret of the Borgias and The Golden Face: A Great ‘Crook’ Romance, all marked by tight plotting and dense suspense. Le Queux often set fictional crises against real places to create a sense of urgency, and his work had some influence on the development of early spy fiction and thrillers. Public information is limited, so biographical details are not elaborated here.