At the Time Appointed

Anna Maynard BarbourProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 605K words
Chapters: 61

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.At the Time Appointed by A. Maynard BarbourAuthor: Barbour, A. Maynard (Anna Maynard), -1941,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jun 21, 2007

Editor's review

At the Time Appointed is a novel by A. Maynard Barbour, listed in the American and Canadian literature category and available as a public-domain ebook. Information from the available sources is limited, but it can be confirmed as a complete English narrative work, suitable as a reading sample for understanding the landscape of early twentieth-century popular fiction. Such works are typically plot-driven, with character relationships and suspense as the main reading hooks. For Chinese readers, its main value lies in language learning and observing literary history: it can be used to practice long-form English reading, and compared with works of the same era for narrative rhythm and thematic preferences. As there is no detailed content summary, readers are advised to first browse the opening and chapter structure before deciding whether to read closely or extensively. When reading, focus on character motivations and event turns rather than pursuing word-by-word, sentence-by-sentence scholarly understanding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Intermediate learners looking to expand their reading of English public-domain novels
Readers interested in early twentieth-century American popular fiction
Enthusiasts needing light literary-history samples for comparative reading
Readers who enjoy plot-driven narratives and can accept older prose styles

Not a good fit for

Beginners who need detailed introductions or annotations to enter the text
Readers who prefer contemporary fast-paced narratives and strong immersion
Readers seeking clear thematic analysis and teaching plans

Reading tips

Read the first three chapters and the final chapter first to gauge the narrative rhythm before planning a full read.
Summarize each chapter's core event in one sentence to avoid getting lost in details and losing the main thread.
Mark old-fashioned expressions and revisit them later rather than stopping to look up every word.
Compare with public-domain novels of the same era and note similarities and differences in themes and character setup.

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

Without a detailed synopsis, how do I judge whether it suits me?

Try reading the first two or three chapters first and observe the narrative perspective, dialogue density, and plot pace. If you can accept the old-fashioned English and are willing to follow the event thread, it is suitable to continue; if you still find it hard to get into after a few pages, you can switch to a more contemporary work.

Is this book suitable for preparing for English exams?

It can serve as extensive reading material to expand reading volume, but it is not an exam-focused textbook. The sentence patterns and vocabulary of old novels differ from modern exam texts, so it is best used for interest reading alongside contemporary past-paper materials for training, not as the main exam-prep resource.

What should I pay attention to when reading old public-domain novels?

Two points: first, the language and ideas bear the marks of their time and should be understood in historical context; second, electronic editions may lack modern annotations. When reading, prioritize grasping the main plot and character relationships; if you encounter something puzzling, skip it first and revisit it after finishing the chapter.

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About the author

Anna Maynard Barbour Author · American

Anna Maynard Barbour (died 1941) was a bestselling American novelist. She was born in Mansfield, New York, worked for the U.S. government in Helena, Montana, married in 1893, and became an Episcopal deaconess in Boston in 1907. Three of her works are held here: The Award of Justice, At the Time Appointed, and That Mainwaring Affair. The Award of Justice is set in the Rockies and paints a picture of the West. In 1903 The Atlantic Monthly praised her as the most successful American writer of detective fiction. Public information on her life is limited, but her works, blending Western settings with mystery and detection, had a notable influence on popular American fiction of her time.