Without Prejudice

Zangwill, Israel, 1864-1926Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 770K words
Chapters: 77

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.Without Prejudice by Israel ZangwillAuthor: Zangwill, Israel, 1864-1926,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Aug 1, 2004

Editor's review

Without Prejudice is a collection of essays and short pieces by the British-Jewish writer Israel Zangwill; the title itself announces its stance: observing society and human nature with an eye free of preconceptions. Zangwill is best known for his novel Children of the Ghetto, and his essays combine a novelist's insight with a debater's wit, revolving around prejudice, identity, ethnic relations, and the ways of British society. For Chinese readers, the value of this book lies not in systematic theory but in showing how a late-nineteenth-century British intellectual handled the enduring theme of prejudice and tolerance in literary prose. The writing is playful and satirical, suited to reading piece by piece in spare moments, and also serves as an introduction for readers interested in the English essay tradition and Jewish-English writing. Note that this is a public-domain English original, with no Chinese translation or notes, so readers need adequate language ability.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers with English reading ability who enjoy the essay form
Readers in the social sciences concerned with prejudice, identity, and ethnic issues
Students of late-nineteenth-century English literature and Jewish writing
Self-learners who wish to practice close reading in English through short pieces

Not a good fit for

Readers with weak English foundations who need a Chinese translation
Readers expecting systematic theory or historical monographs
Readers who prefer long continuous narratives and dislike jumping between short pieces

Reading tips

Start by scanning the contents and picking three to five titles that appeal most, then read through after getting a feel for the style
After each piece, note in one or two sentences the type of prejudice the author addresses, to facilitate cross-comparison
Do not stop at allusions or contemporary names; read the whole piece first and look up background later
Read alongside Zangwill's major novels to appreciate the continuity of his literary technique

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 an essay collection?

The materials indicate it belongs to Zangwill's prose essays, catalogued under English language and literature. The pieces are relatively independent and do not rely on continuous plot, so it is better read piece by piece than straight through; treat it as a window onto British social commentary at the end of the nineteenth century.

There is no Chinese translation; how difficult is the English?

This is a public-domain English original, with the rhetorical habits of late-nineteenth-century essays: long sentences and occasional allusions and irony. Readers at college English level can get through it with a dictionary; beginners should start with the shorter pieces, not look up every word, and first grasp the gist and the author's attitude.

How should the title 'Without Prejudice' be understood?

Literally it means 'without preconceptions,' and can also be read as the author's stated position: to discuss people and things while setting aside preconceptions as far as possible. Yet the book deals extensively with prejudice itself, so the title carries irony and self-examination; watch whether the author himself fully escapes prejudice.

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About the author

Zangwill, Israel, 1864-1926 Author

Israel Zangwill (1864–1926) was a writer in modern English literature whose work drew heavily on life in London's Jewish community. Sixteen of his works are included here, spanning novels, short-story collections and plays. His representative Children of the Ghetto examines the customs and spirit of a Jewish immigrant quarter in a realistic manner, a vein continued in Ghetto Tragedies, Ghetto Comedies and The Grandchildren of the Ghetto, while The King of Schnorrers and The Grey Wig are notable for grotesque and humorous storytelling. The Big Bow Mystery shows his attempt at detective fiction, and The Melting-Pot uses drama to discuss immigrant assimilation. His writing combines social observation with satirical wit; public information is limited, so biographical details are omitted.