Christopher and Columbus

Von Arnim, Elizabeth, 1866-1941Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 669K words
Chapters: 67

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.Christopher and Columbus by Elizabeth Von ArnimAuthor: Von Arnim, Elizabeth, 1866-1941,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jan 10, 2005

Editor's review

Christopher and Columbus, by Elizabeth von Arnim, best known for works such as Elizabeth and Her German Garden, is written in a style marked by gentle humor and finely observed human nature. Classified as English literature, it follows two young people—Christopher and Columbus of the title—through travels and encounters, with light comic misunderstandings and warmth. Like her other works, it offers engaging portrayals of character and social custom, suited to readers who enjoy British humor and group portraits. As a public-domain ebook, it also gives readers convenient access to early twentieth-century popular English fiction. Note that its language and some social attitudes reflect their era; read with historical and aesthetic awareness rather than judging by contemporary standards alone.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy British humor and light comic narrative
Foreign-literature fans interested in early twentieth-century English fiction
Those who want to expand their reading of English originals through public-domain ebooks
Readers studying von Arnim's works and period customs

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking strong plot, fast-paced suspense, or action
Beginners who need modern notes and introductions to read the original smoothly
Readers sensitive to old-era social attitudes and unwilling to examine them

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to get familiar with the characters and narrative tone before picking up speed.
Watch for humor and irony in dialogue, and note passages you like.
Use biographical and period background material to understand the depiction of social customs.
After finishing, write a short review comparing its humor with works of the same period.

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 close in style to the author's famous works?

The available information only confirms that the author is Elizabeth von Arnim and that the work is classified as English literature. Her writing is known for character observation and gentle humor, and this book shares that quality; but specific differences require actual reading and comparison, and should not be judged from a summary alone.

Is it suitable as English-learning material?

It can serve as advanced extensive reading. As an early twentieth-century English novel, its sentence structure and vocabulary feel more dated than modern popular fiction, so it is best used after building some reading proficiency; tracking character relationships and excerpting passages will make the gains clearer.

What should I keep in mind while reading?

Keep the period context in mind: the social roles, manners, and attitudes depicted belong to their time. Understand them from historical and aesthetic perspectives, keep your own judgment, and do not equate what the book describes with the author's or the work's entire stance.

Comments

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About the author

Von Arnim, Elizabeth, 1866-1941 Author

Elizabeth von Arnim (1866–1941) was a British-born writer who lived for much of her life in Europe. Drawing frequently on her own experiences, she wrote in a light, humorous style and was skilled at capturing subtle shifts of feeling within domestic life and travel. Her best-known novel, The Enchanted April, portrays several women whose moods are transformed during an Italian holiday, in prose that is bright and engaging; Elizabeth and Her German Garden uses garden life as its thread to display a delight in nature and a female perspective. Her works often centre on women and explore marriage, solitude, and self-discovery, with a gentle style that is nonetheless sharp. Public information is limited, yet her books are still read and regarded as a charming voice in early twentieth-century English women's literature.