What Necessity Knows

Dougall, L. (Lily), 1858-1923Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 848K words
Chapters: 85

Summary

This novel comes from the Canadian writer L. Dougall and belongs to early twentieth-century North American literature; it is now available again as a free e-book through Project Gutenberg. The title itself is a thought-provoking proposition—"what necessity knows"—suggesting that the work may explore the tension between everyday circumstance and fateful choice. For readers familiar with English fiction of the period, it can serve as supplementary reading for understanding the social attitudes and narrative style of the time; for those studying women's writing or Canadian literature in English, it also has some documentary value. As a public-domain electronic edition, the text preserves the original appearance and is suitable for reading in the original. Note that this edition has no modern editor's notes or introduction, so readers new to late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century English prose may need a dictionary and background material. Overall, this is an old work suited to quiet, careful reading that focuses on the text itself, rather than a popular novel that pursues exciting plot.

Editor's review

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early twentieth-century English fiction
Readers studying Canadian literature in English or women's writing
Readers who want to read public-domain works free in the original
Readers used to slow reading of old novels who can accept unannotated texts

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast-paced plots and strong conflict
Beginners with little English reading experience who need annotations
Readers hoping for a modern editor's introduction and background interpretation

Reading tips

Read a chapter or two first to get the rhythm of the language, then decide whether to read closely or skim.
Keep an English-Chinese dictionary or an electronic lookup tool at hand and check unfamiliar expressions as you go.
Learn a little about early twentieth-century Canadian society before starting the text.
Take simple notes on character relationships to help keep the narrative threads clear.

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 in Chinese or English?

The text is in English. It is a public-domain e-book released by Project Gutenberg, preserving the original language, with no Chinese translation; reading it requires some English reading ability.

Do I need to know the author's background before reading?

Not necessarily. The author, L. Dougall, was born in the mid-to-late nineteenth century, and the work belongs to the English-language literary context of the time. Some sense of the period helps in understanding the characters' words and actions, but it does not prevent reading the novel as a story in its own right.

Does this edition have notes or an introduction?

This is a public-domain electronic text and usually does not include a modern editor's notes, introduction, or translator's note. For historical terms or unusual usage, readers need to consult reference materials or a dictionary themselves.

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About the author

Dougall, L. (Lily), 1858-1923 Author

Lily Dougall (L. Dougall, 1858–1923) was a British novelist. Public information about her life is limited; what is currently known is chiefly her six published works from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Among them, The Mormon Prophet takes religion and community as its theme, The Zeit-Geist explores the spirit of the age and the inner life, and The Mermaid: A Love Tale has a legendary quality. Her other works include A Dozen Ways of Love, The Summit House Mystery Or, The Earthly Purgatory, and What Necessity Knows. These titles show that her writing ranged across love stories, mystery and detection, and religious and social themes, often driven by ethical conflict and the tension of her characters' situations. Her style is plain and plot-centred, reflecting the late Victorian and Edwardian popular novel's interest in faith, feeling, and moral choice.