When the Cock Crows

Baily, Waldron, 1871-1953Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 296K words
Chapters: 30

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.When the Cock Crows by Waldron BailyAuthor: Baily, Waldron, 1871-1953,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 24, 2010

Editor's review

This novel comes from the American author Waldron Bailey. It survives in the public domain in its original English and is distributed free of charge through Project Gutenberg, giving readers barrier-free access to early twentieth-century North American narrative prose. The title, taken from a rooster's crow, suggests a story likely centered on rural mornings, daily labor, or a turning point, written in the plain, direct style of its era. For readers studying the lineage of American literature or interested in the landscape of early popular fiction, it is a worthwhile primary source; for those simply reading for diversion, its pacing is steady and its length short, making it suitable for reading in installments during a commute or before bed. Note that this is the original English edition and an early popular work, so its plotting and characterization may not suit contemporary reading habits; readers may treat it as a window onto an older way of life rather than a work of strong dramatic drive.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English readers new to early American popular fiction
Readers studying early twentieth-century American literature and publishing history
Learners seeking short original English texts for extensive reading practice

Not a good fit for

Readers who need a Chinese translation or a bilingual edition
Contemporary fiction fans who want strong plotting and fast pacing

Reading tips

Read the first two chapters to get a feel for the rhythm and narrative voice before deciding whether to continue.
Keep a simple English dictionary on hand and jot down old-fashioned expressions as you go; there is no need to look up every word.
Use it as bedtime short reading, one or two chapters at a time, to keep the thread.

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 there a Chinese translation of this book?

According to the available information, this is the original English e-book released by Project Gutenberg, with no Chinese translation mentioned. Readers will need some English reading ability or the help of translation tools.

Are Project Gutenberg books free to read?

Yes. Project Gutenberg is the earliest institution to offer free e-books, and the public-domain books it releases are generally available at no cost. This book is one of its e-book releases; see its official channels for details on access.

Is this book suitable for English beginners?

Not for complete beginners. The work dates from an early period, and its somewhat old-fashioned style, sentence structures, and vocabulary may pose obstacles for beginners; it is better suited to learners with intermediate English reading ability who are willing to engage with an old original text.

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About the author

Baily, Waldron, 1871-1953 Author · American · 1871–1953

Waldron Baily (1871–1953) was an American writer known for his fiction and popular reading matter. His works appeared mostly in magazines aimed at a general readership, and he wrote for the tastes of ordinary readers, with plain and fluent storytelling that values completeness and readability rather than difficult literary experiment. Two of his works are held here: Heart of the Blue Ridge, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and When the Cock Crows, whose title already suggests its everyday subject matter. Public information about the details of his life is limited, and his education, career, and critical reception cannot be reliably established; any judgment of his literary standing must therefore rest on the works at hand. He belongs among the diligent writers of popular fiction in the first half of twentieth-century America who wrote for magazines and the general public, and his work offers a useful sample for the study of American popular fiction of that period.