A Gentleman's Gentleman

Smith, Francis Hopkinson, 1838-1915Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 26K words
Chapters: 3

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.A Gentleman's Gentleman by Francis Hopkinson SmithAuthor: Smith, Francis Hopkinson, 1838-1915,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Dec 3, 2007

Editor's review

A Gentleman's Gentleman is a full-length work by Francis Hopkinson Smith, belonging to the category of American and Canadian literature. Smith's writing often focuses on human temperament and everyday circumstances, and this work, titled "A Gentleman's Gentleman," readily prompts readers to reflect on identity, service relationships, and personal dignity. As a free Project Gutenberg eBook, it is easily accessible and serves as a supplementary read for understanding the landscape of American literature from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. While reading, pay attention to the narrative perspective and character dialogue, and observe how the author shapes characters through details of daily life. Because the original is in English and was written long ago, some expressions differ from contemporary English; readers are advised to consult notes or a dictionary. Overall, this book is better suited to readers interested in public-domain American literature who are willing to read slowly and savor the text, rather than those seeking strong plot.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in American public-domain literature who wish to broaden their reading
Readers who enjoy observing social life through everyday character relationships
Readers who need free English eBooks for extensive reading or language learning
Readers curious about themes such as gentlemanly culture and service relationships

Not a good fit for

Contemporary fiction readers who prefer strong plots and fast-paced narratives
Beginners with weak English reading skills who want simple reading materials
Readers expecting systematic literary criticism or detailed background notes

Reading tips

Read through the first chapter to gauge language difficulty and narrative pace before deciding whether to read closely
When encountering unfamiliar expressions, first guess from context, then consult a dictionary, to avoid frequently interrupting the reading
Record character relationships and key dialogue to help understand the meaning of the title "A Gentleman's Gentleman"
If used for language learning, after each chapter, retell the main idea in a few sentences to check comprehension

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 suitable for English beginners?

Not very suitable. The book was written long ago, and its English differs from contemporary common English; sentence structures may also be long. English beginners are likely to stumble frequently when reading it. It is advisable to start with adapted versions or graded readers, and attempt the original after acquiring a certain vocabulary.

What type of work is this book?

The information shows it belongs to the category of American and Canadian literature and is a work by Francis Hopkinson Smith. Judging from the title and the author's creative orientation, it is closer to a full-length narrative centered on characters and life relationships than to a plot-driven adventure or mystery novel.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg version?

Project Gutenberg provides free eBooks, and this book is one of them. Its advantages are convenient access and no cost, making it suitable for extensive reading and language learning; however, public-domain eBooks usually lack detailed notes or introductions added by modern editors, so readers need to supplement background knowledge themselves.

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About the author

Smith, Francis Hopkinson, 1838-1915 Author

Francis Hopkinson Smith (1838–1915) was an American author whose biographical details are only sparsely documented in public sources. The library holds twenty-six of his works, including novels and short stories, with representative titles such as Colonel Carter's Christmas, Forty Minutes Late, Felix O'Day, The Tides of Barnegat, and A Gentleman's Gentleman. These works show that he excelled at depicting, in a gentle and humorous vein, the daily life of upper-class English and American society and the Southern gentlemanly class, with plots often revolving around etiquette, family relations, and character, conveying both the warmth and the irony of an old-fashioned genteel world. His writings occupy a place in early twentieth-century American popular literature, and some of his stories were widely read.