Calvary: A Novel

Mirbeau, Octave, 1848-1917Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 446K words
Chapters: 45

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.Calvary: A Novel by Octave MirbeauAuthor: Mirbeau, Octave, 1848-1917,Language: English, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Apr 24, 2015

Editor's review

Calvary is a novel by French writer Octave Mirbeau, released as a free public-domain English-language eBook by Project Gutenberg. Mirbeau was active in late nineteenth-century French literary and art criticism, and his writing is often marked by sharp social critique and probing of human nature; the title borrows a religious image to point toward a spiritual ordeal. It works well as supplementary reading for understanding the transitional period between French naturalism and symbolism. The value of the electronic edition lies in its complete text, free access, and ease of searching and comparative reading—especially useful for students of French literature, translation practice, or late nineteenth-century European intellectual history as extended material. Readers should place it in the context of the author's era and pay attention to the narrator's attitude toward faith, suffering, and social hypocrisy; those seeking light entertainment may find its heavy tone unappealing. As a public-domain eBook, it lacks a modern introduction and notes, so readers must supply background themselves.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of late nineteenth-century French literature who need a sample of Mirbeau's work
Deep readers interested in novels of religious imagery and spiritual suffering
Translation or French literature students who need an English public-domain text for comparative reading
Self-learners accustomed to free eBooks who can supply their own background material

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer light entertainment and have low tolerance for heavy themes
Beginners who need modern notes and introductions to understand classics
Genre-fiction readers uninterested in religious and moral critique

Reading tips

Look up Mirbeau's biography and the late nineteenth-century French literary context before starting the text.
Read slowly chapter by chapter, noting shifts in the narrator's attitude toward faith and suffering.
Compare with French naturalist novels of the same period to observe similarities and differences in theme and technique.
After finishing, revisit the religious metaphor of the title and trace the book's structure of spiritual ordeal.

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 English or French?

According to the available information, the Project Gutenberg release of Calvary is in English and is a free eBook; the original is a novel by the French writer Mirbeau, so what readers get is an English translation rather than the French original.

Is it hard to read without notes or an introduction?

Public-domain eBooks usually contain no modern notes or introduction. This book involves religious imagery and the late nineteenth-century French social context, so it may be somewhat challenging at first. Supplementing the author's biography and the historical background before reading chapter by chapter will make it much smoother.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to French literature?

Not really. Mirbeau is not the most common introductory author, and the book has a heavy theme and lacks supporting material. If you are new to French literature, start with classic anthologies that have reliable translation and notes, then use this book as topical extended reading.

Can the electronic edition be obtained for free?

Yes. The information shows that the book is released by Project Gutenberg, a platform known for providing free eBooks. Readers can legally obtain the English electronic text for free; the specific formats depend on what the platform offers.

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About the author

Mirbeau, Octave, 1848-1917 Author

Octave Mirbeau (1848–1917) was a French writer known for his novels and sharp social criticism. The library holds six of his works, including Le Journal d'une Femme de Chambre (A Chambermaid's Diary), Le jardin des supplices (The Torture Garden), Le Calvaire (Calvary), and La 628-E8. His novels often expose, in a cold and unsparing style, the hypocrisy of high society, class oppression, and the darker sides of human nature, with subjects ranging from servants' lives to colonial violence and bourgeois decadence; his style blends naturalism with satire. Public information is limited, and details of his life and honors are unknown. Mirbeau is noted in French literature for his critical, caustic voice, and his work has influenced later social satire.