Dorothy's Double. Volume 3

Henty, G. A. (George Alfred), 1832-1902Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 214K words
Chapters: 22

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.Dorothy's Double. Volume 3 (of 3) by G. A. HentyAuthor: Henty, G. A. (George Alfred), 1832-1902,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jun 8, 2011

Editor's review

This is the third volume of G. A. Henty's three-volume novel Dorothy's Double, belonging to the tradition of historical adventure narrative in English literature. Henty is known for historical fiction for young readers; his works typically move at a brisk pace, feature active protagonists, and weave in period background and moral instruction. As the final volume, this book gathers the threads and resolves the conflicts; the first two volumes should be read first, or character relationships and the causes of events will be hard to follow. For readers studying Henty's narrative technique or Victorian juvenile literature, this volume offers a complete ending; for general readers, it is more like the endpoint of a long journey that must be entered in order. The text is a public-domain English ebook with no modern notes, so background knowledge must be supplied by the reader. It is best evaluated as part of a series read rather than as a standalone work.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers working systematically through Henty's works, volume by volume
Students and enthusiasts studying Victorian historical fiction for young readers
English-language readers who enjoy traditional adventure narrative and accept series reading
Learners who need public-domain English texts for long-form reading practice

Not a good fit for

Readers who have not read the first two volumes and hope to start directly with this one
Readers who prefer standalone works and dislike continuous series reading
Beginners who need modern annotations and introductory historical background

Reading tips

Be sure to finish Volumes One and Two before starting this one, to keep the character threads coherent
Briefly learn about the historical period of the story beforehand to reduce barriers to understanding the background
As you read, track the main characters' goals and conflicts to help follow the final volume's logic of resolution
After finishing the set, revisit this volume's ending to check whether the threads echo back and forth

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

Can I start reading from Volume Three directly?

Not recommended. This is the final volume of a three-volume work; character relationships and the main conflicts are laid out in the first two volumes, so reading it directly leaves out the causes and makes the motives of events and the meaning of the ending hard to understand. Please read Volumes One, Two, and Three in order.

What age group is Henty's fiction suitable for?

Henty's historical adventure fiction is traditionally aimed at young readers; its language and plot intensity suit young people and adults with some foundation in English reading. Whether it suits younger readers in particular depends on the period attitudes in the text and parents' judgment.

The Gutenberg edition lacks notes. How can I fill in the background knowledge?

First look up general information about the historical period of the story, then read the main text; when questions arise about names, places, or events, note them down and look them up together afterward. You can also consult library editions of Henty's works with introductions for comparison.

Comments

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About the author

Henty, G. A. (George Alfred), 1832-1902 Author

George Alfred Henty (1832–1902) was a well-known British writer of historical adventure novels for young readers in the nineteenth century. The collection here contains 107 of his works, most of them drawn from major historical events in Europe and the Americas: By Right of Conquest is set during Cortez's conquest of Mexico, Under Wellington's Command takes the Peninsular War as its background, and For the Temple deals with the fall of Jerusalem. He typically placed a young hero at the centre of real historical scenes, weaving military campaigns and political struggles together with personal adventure. The plots are tightly paced and rich in detail, and they reflect a distinctly British outlook and the moral tastes of the Victorian age. His output was considerable, and his books had a lasting influence on later historical adventure fiction. Public information about his family, education and career is limited, so no speculation is offered here.