Two Mothers

John Gneisenau NeihardtProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 55K words
Chapters: 6

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.Two Mothers by John G. NeihardtAuthor: Neihardt, John G., 1881-1973,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Dec 1, 2016

Editor's review

Two Mothers is a work by the American poet and novelist John G. Neihardt (1881–1973), made available as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg. Neihardt is known for writing about the American West and Native American subjects, and his narratives often carry a strong epic quality and humanistic concern. The book is short and centers on two mothers, making it a suitable introductory text for understanding early twentieth-century American literary treatments of family, motherhood, and frontier life. The Gutenberg edition is a public-domain eBook, mainly plain text without modern annotations or an introduction, so readers must grasp the historical context on their own. When reading, pay attention to how the author handles characters' psychology and the natural environment, and appreciate the style of early American literature, in which lyricism and realism intertwine. For readers studying American literature or interested in public-domain eBooks, this is an easily accessible primary text suitable for short reading sessions; those expecting a full-length narrative or modern editorial notes should choose another edition.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to learn about early twentieth-century American literature and Western subjects
Learners who need a short public-domain English text for reading practice
Readers interested in works by minor figures in American literary history
People who want free eBooks and are used to reading on screens

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting modern annotations, introductions, or scholarly translations
Those who prefer full-length complete narratives and have little interest in short texts
People unaccustomed to reading English originals or plain-text public-domain layouts

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot and character relationships, then return to passages about the mother figures and nature descriptions.
Consider the historical background of Neihardt's time and note how the text treats family and frontier life.
Read it alongside other short works on the American West to observe different emphases in writing about motherhood.
Keep a vocabulary notebook while reading the English original, recording expressions related to emotion and nature.

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 a complete full-length novel?

Judging from the length and classification in the Gutenberg record, it is closer to a short narrative work than a thick novel. The exact chapter structure should be based on the actual electronic text; readers can browse the table of contents first and then decide their reading pace.

Does the Gutenberg edition have annotations or an introduction?

Project Gutenberg provides public-domain electronic texts, which usually do not include modern scholarly annotations, introductions, or translations. Readers who need background analysis should consult American literary history materials or relevant research literature separately.

What English level is needed to read it?

The text is literary English from the early twentieth century, with sentence structures and wording that feel somewhat dated. It is more suitable for readers with upper-intermediate English reading ability who can use a dictionary to handle unfamiliar words; beginners may read a Chinese introduction first and then attempt the original.

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About the author

John Gneisenau Neihardt Author · American · 1881–1973

John Gneisenau Neihardt (1881–1973) was an American poet and writer. He was born near Sharpsburg, Illinois, and died in Missouri. In 1921 he became Poet Laureate of Nebraska and taught poetry at the University of Nebraska. His work drew heavily on the life of the American West and on Native American culture. His representative works include The Song of Hugh Glass, The River and I, The Lonesome Trail, and Two Mothers, which often use narrative poetry and prose to depict frontier landscapes and human fates. Published in 1932, Black Elk Speaks recounts the visions of the Lakota holy man Black Elk and brought him wide recognition. Public information is limited; his plain style, attentive to oral tradition and local experience, has influenced later Native American literary writing.