Vagaries

Munthe, Axel, 1857-1949Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 280K words
Chapters: 28

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.Vagaries by Axel MuntheAuthor: Munthe, Axel, 1857-1949,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Feb 15, 2012

Editor's review

Vagaries is an English essay collection by the Swedish physician and writer Axel Munthe, distributed free of charge as an e-book by Project Gutenberg. Drawing on Munthe's medical practice and travels, the prose has a reflective and lyrical quality; this small book serves as a light introduction to early twentieth-century English essays. Its value lies not in systematic argument but in one physician-writer's observations and reflections on fragments of life. The language is English and the length modest, making it suitable for reading in sections on a commute or before sleep. Note that the Gutenberg edition is a public-domain e-book arranged for readability, without modern annotation; the contents are literary essays, not medical or historical monographs. Readers interested in Nordic writers, travel literature, or early English essays may find it a worthwhile stop for further reading, but should not expect a complete autobiography or rigorous argument.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early twentieth-century English essays and travel literature
Intermediate and advanced English learners seeking short English texts for extensive reading practice
Readers who enjoy reflective writing by authors who were both physicians and writers

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic account of Munthe's life or medical thought
Beginner English readers who need modern annotation and introductions

Reading tips

Read through once to get a feel for the style, then select passages of interest for close reading and vocabulary work.
Treat it as a short bedside or commute read, taking one or two sections at a time.
While reading, note the author's perspective as a physician and jot down passages that leave an impression.

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 novel or a collection of essays?

According to Gutenberg, it is classified under English language and literature and is a collection of Munthe's English essays, not a novel. It consists mainly of fragmentary observations and reflections, suited to reading in sections rather than to being approached as a plot-driven novel.

How difficult is the English, and what level is it for?

The original is in English with a literary style and sentences of some length. Intermediate to advanced readers are advised to attempt it; beginners may read through with a dictionary or work through it paragraph by paragraph, without feeling obliged to finish it in one go.

What are the features of the Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free electronic texts; this edition prioritizes readability and generally lacks modern annotation or introductions. Readers may supplement it with background materials and should note that the electronic layout may differ from a printed book.

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About the author

Munthe, Axel, 1857-1949 Author · Swedish · 1857–1949

Axel Munthe (1857–1949) was a Swedish physician and writer, best known for The Story of San Michele, with another work, Vagaries, also recorded in our holdings. Public information about his early education and medical career is limited, so no conjecture is offered here. Judging from the works known to us, his writing draws largely on his own experiences and observations, combining the calm eye of a physician with a literary, lyrical narrative voice; he favors essay-like chapters that record people, landscapes, and inner feeling. The Story of San Michele circulated widely and made him known to literary readers, allowing his identities as doctor and writer to illuminate each other. On the whole, he belongs among authors who write from personal experience and bridge medicine and literature, and his works carry the temper of memoir and essay.