The Uttermost Farthing

Lowndes, Marie Belloc, 1868-1947Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 209K 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 Uttermost Farthing by Marie Belloc LowndesAuthor: Lowndes, Marie Belloc, 1868-1947,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jul 28, 2006

Editor's review

The Uttermost Farthing is an English novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes, released as a public-domain eBook by Project Gutenberg. Lowndes is known for suspense and psychological portrayal, and this work likewise revolves around crime, suspicion, and character psychology. Its pacing leans toward slow, deliberate buildup, valuing atmosphere and the gradual revelation of motives over fast-paced action. For readers familiar with the Anglo-American detective fiction tradition, it can serve as supplementary reading for understanding the creative landscape of early twentieth-century women suspense writers. The electronic edition is convenient for consultation at any time and suits segmented reading during commutes or short intervals. Note that the available information does not provide more detailed plot information, so readers should not enter with fixed expectations; a more suitable approach is to treat it as a psychological suspense work and focus on how the narrative creates uncertainty. If used for a course or book club, discussions can center on themes such as "crime and evidence" and "narrative reliability."

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy classic Anglo-American suspense fiction
Literary readers interested in early twentieth-century women writers
People who need English public-domain eBooks for reading practice
Book club members who prefer psychological suspense

Not a good fit for

Suspense readers seeking fast-paced action and strong twists
General readers hoping to read a Chinese translation
Readers impatient with slow buildup and psychological description

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to establish character relationships, then decide your reading pace.
Note key clues and character doubts to help map the suspense structure.
Read alongside short works by other early twentieth-century women suspense writers for comparison.
If used for a book club, design discussion questions around narrative reliability.

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 detective novel or psychological suspense?

Judging from Lowndes's style and the suspenseful tone suggested by the title, it is closer to psychological suspense than to a fair-play puzzle. The available information does not provide detailed plot information, so readers can regard it as a suspense work that values atmosphere and character motivation.

How difficult is the English, and is it suitable for language learners?

This is an early twentieth-century English novel, so its sentence patterns and vocabulary carry period features. It is not overly difficult overall but requires a certain vocabulary. It suits intermediate to advanced English learners for extensive reading; beginners may find the narrative pace slow.

Is this electronic edition available for free?

Yes. This book is released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain eBook and is generally available for free download and reading. The specific method of access depends on its publishing platform.

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About the author

Lowndes, Marie Belloc, 1868-1947 Author

Marie Belloc Lowndes (1868–1947) was a British novelist known for psychological suspense and crime fiction. The collection includes sixteen of her works, among them The Lodger, The End of Her Honeymoon, Studies in Love and in Terror, What Timmy Did, The Uttermost Farthing, Jane Oglander and Studies in Wives. Her fiction often draws on hidden fears within ordinary domestic settings; her restrained, deliberate prose builds tension layer by layer and reveals her characters' inner suspicion and unease. The Lodger is her best-known work and has been adapted for film and television several times, leaving a mark on later suspense narrative. Public information on her early education and private life is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.