Unicorns

James Gibbons HunekerProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 490K 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.Unicorns by James HunekerAuthor: Huneker, James, 1857-1921,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 12, 2012

Editor's review

Unicorns is a work by James Huneker, available through Project Gutenberg and classified under American literature (PS). Huneker was an American critic and writer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and his style tends to be critical and literary in flavor. The title "Unicorns" may lead readers to think of art, imagination, and symbolic themes, but note that it is not a collection of fairy tales; it is Huneker's own kind of literary writing. For readers who want to understand the American literary scene at the turn of the century, or who are interested in how the unicorn image has been used in literature, this book offers a less common case for study. As a public-domain eBook, its main barrier is the English original and the period context. It is suitable as supplementary material for literary history or image studies, and also for readers who enjoy short literary essays and commentaries to dip into in spare moments. It is advisable to learn about the author's background first, then enter the text with the question of "the unicorn as a literary symbol," which will make the reading experience more focused.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in American literature of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
Readers who want to study how the "unicorn" image is used in literature
English readers who enjoy literary essays and critical writing
Students or researchers who need public-domain English texts for literary analysis

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting fairy tales or children's fantasy stories
Readers with limited English reading ability who need a Chinese translation
Readers seeking systematic knowledge of unicorn mythology

Reading tips

First look up Huneker's life and critical style, then enter the text to understand its writing context.
Treat "unicorn" as a clue and note its symbolic meanings as they appear in the text.
Read it alongside other public-domain American short works to observe differences in style of the same period.
When reading the English original, skip period expressions at first and return to them after finishing the whole piece.

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 about unicorn myths and legends?

No. This is a literary work by James Huneker, classified under American literature. The unicorn is more likely an image or thematic clue in the title rather than a systematic account of myths and legends. If you want a scholarly work on mythology, this book is not the right fit.

What language level is needed to read this book?

This book is in the original English, available through Project Gutenberg. Readers need some English reading ability and the capacity to understand literary language of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. If your English is weak, it is advisable to find a Chinese introduction or background material on the author for support.

Is this book suitable for academic citation?

As a public-domain electronic text, it can be used as primary material for studying Huneker or related literary images. When citing, however, pay attention to version information and verify specific pages or paragraphs. It is advisable to cross-reference authoritative literary histories.

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About the author

James Gibbons Huneker Author · American · 1857–1921

James Gibbons Huneker (1857–1921) was an American critic of art, literature, music, and drama. Born in Philadelphia, he went to Paris in his early years to study piano and later settled in New York, where he wrote reviews for The New York Sun and other periodicals over many years. His writing ranged across music, painting, and drama. His representative works include Chopin: The Man and His Music, Promenades of an Impressionist, Old Fogy: His Musical Opinions and Grotesques, Unicorns, Iconoclasts: A Book of Dramatists, Ivory, Apes and Peacocks, Franz Liszt, and Melomaniacs; eleven of his works are held in this collection. He was an important figure in introducing European modern art to American readers, and his style is perceptive and full of personality. Public information is limited, and many details of his life cannot be verified; readers may come to know his critical vision and tastes through the works listed above.