Dreams and Dust

Marquis, Don, 1878-1937Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 99K words
Chapters: 10

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.Dreams and Dust by Don MarquisAuthor: Marquis, Don, 1878-1937,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 1, 1996

Editor's review

"Dreams and Dust" is a work by the American writer Don Marquis, included in the Project Gutenberg eBook library. Marquis was active in the American literary world of the early twentieth century, known for humor, satire, and a light, deft style; this book likewise carries his characteristic lightness of touch and observation of the world. The value of the Gutenberg edition lies in its easy access to the text and its original English language, making it a suitable introductory read for understanding the prose and essay style of early twentieth-century America. When reading, pay attention to how it handles the tension between everyday life and dreams; that slightly teasing yet warm tone is where the book's interest lies. As a public-domain eBook, it has no modern annotations or introduction, so readers need a certain ability to read English and to grasp the text's historical context on their own. Overall, this is a small book suited to casual reading, to dipping into on a commute or in spare moments, rather than a classic work requiring systematic study.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to encounter early twentieth-century American essays in the original English
Casual readers who enjoy a humorous, satirical tone and prefer light short pieces
Learners who need public-domain English texts as language-learning material
Readers interested in Project Gutenberg and early eBook culture

Not a good fit for

Beginning English readers hoping for detailed annotations and an introduction
Readers who prefer long plot-driven novels or systematic literary study
Readers who face major obstacles reading English originals

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the overall tone, then return to memorable passages for excerpting.
Don't stop to look up every unfamiliar expression; keep the reading flowing first, then read closely on a second pass.
Read alongside background material on American society in the author's era for fuller understanding.
Read one short piece a day as light bedtime or commute reading.

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 a novel or an essay collection?

The available information places it in American literature as a work by Marquis, but the specific genre is not detailed. Read it as essays or short pieces, focusing on its language style and humorous tone rather than a continuous long narrative.

Can I read this book if my English isn't good?

This is an English original, and the Gutenberg edition has no annotations or translation. Readers with weak English will find it difficult; use a dictionary or a parallel translation first, or start with easier introductory reading.

What are the features of the Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free electronic texts, and this is one of its public-domain eBooks. The advantage is easy access with no copyright barriers; the drawback is that it usually lacks a modern editor's introduction, annotations, or optimized layout, so readers must fill in background knowledge themselves.

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About the author

Marquis, Don, 1878-1937 Author

Don Marquis (1878–1937) was an American writer, with nine works held in this collection. Public information is limited, and details of his life are difficult to establish with certainty; yet the surviving works show him to be skilled in humorous essays and light narrative. His subjects range from seafaring adventure and empty talkers in fashionable circles to a revolt of oysters and the confessions of a drinker, written in a witty, playful style that often carries a gentle irony. He also wrote stories from a child's perspective and poetry, indicating a fairly broad range. Drawing on everyday life and human weaknesses, these works generate humor through exaggeration and irony, and hold a place in early twentieth-century American humor writing.