True Tilda

Quiller-Couch, Arthur, 1863-1944Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.7

Word count: 507K words
Chapters: 51

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.True Tilda by Arthur Quiller-CouchAuthor: Quiller-Couch, Arthur, 1863-1944,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: May 1, 2004

Editor's review

True Tilda is a novel by Arthur Quiller-Couch, an English literature professor and writer whose polished prose and classical storytelling give the work a period charm. The novel follows the experiences of a girl named Tilda, with a plot that moves through travel and shifting circumstances, and characters shaped by the spirit of their age. As a public-domain eBook, it suits readers who wish to encounter the English literary tradition and enjoy an unhurried narrative pace. Its dialogue and scene descriptions are finely wrought, offering a view of English prose style in the early twentieth century. It is best read slowly, chapter by chapter, in a quiet setting. Students and scholars of English literature or English rhetoric may also use it as a text for analysis. Note that its pacing differs considerably from contemporary fiction, and readers should adjust their expectations accordingly.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy classic English novels and an unhurried narrative pace
Literature lovers who wish to explore public-domain English literature and broaden their reading
Students and teachers studying English literary language and narrative tradition
Readers who can accept a slower plot and value linguistic interest

Not a good fit for

Readers of contemporary fiction who prefer strong conflict and fast pacing
Beginners with limited English reading experience who need easy texts
Readers impatient with early twentieth-century English novel style

Reading tips

Read the first two chapters to get used to the narrative pace, then plan one chapter a day
Pay attention to dialogue and scene descriptions to appreciate the author's rhetorical artistry
Use histories of English literature to understand the period background
Note unfamiliar expressions while reading and look them up in batches for efficiency

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

How difficult is the language of this book?

Quiller-Couch had an academic background, and his language is polished, with long sentences and rich vocabulary. Readers with upper-intermediate English and familiarity with classic literary style will find it easier to enter; beginners may need aids or a guide.

Is the story suitable for young readers?

The novel centers on the experiences of a girl named Tilda, with a plot involving travel and changing circumstances, so young readers can try it. But its pacing and style differ from contemporary young adult fiction; it is better suited to readers with some experience of classics, or read with guidance from a teacher or parent.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

This is a public-domain eBook offering the full text free of charge and preserving the original text. Readers can read it online or download it; it suits those who need the original text for study or research and includes no modern annotations or introduction.

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About the author

Quiller-Couch, Arthur, 1863-1944 Author

Arthur Quiller-Couch (1863–1944) was an English writer with a substantial body of work, of which 41 titles are held in this collection. His writing covers a wide range: essays on the craft of reading and writing such as On the Art of Reading and On the Art of Writing, and narrative works set against the sea, winter, and the fireside, including The Roll-Call of the Reef, I Saw Three Ships and Other Winter Tales, Two Sides of the Face: Midwinter Tales, and The Laird's Luck and Other Fireside Tales. He also retold fairy tales from the Old French in The Sleeping Beauty and other fairy tales from the Old French, and wrote From a Cornish Window, a book that reflects his attention to the Cornish landscape and local life. Public information is limited and biographical details are hard to verify, but the surviving works show a graceful, unhurried prose that combines the reflective habits of an essayist with a storyteller's pleasure in narrative, leaving its mark on English prose and short fiction.