Far Above Rubies

MacDonald, George, 1824-1905Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 124K words
Chapters: 13

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.Far Above Rubies by George MacDonaldAuthor: MacDonald, George, 1824-1905,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Sep 1, 2005

Editor's review

This work is a novel by George MacDonald. It is short, yet it continues the author's characteristic concern with faith, duty, and family ethics. Facing poverty, illness, and disappointment, the characters show inner resilience and mutual support; the narrative pace is unhurried, and the language carries the quiet quality peculiar to nineteenth-century English literature. For readers new to MacDonald, this book serves as an introduction to his moral concerns and narrative style; for lovers of classic literature, it offers the interest of Victorian domestic fiction interwoven with spiritual writing. Note that this is a public-domain ebook edition: before reading, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with its English expression and historical background, and not to rush—read it chapter by chapter in quiet hours, attending to the value judgments that emerge naturally in the characters' dialogue.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who love nineteenth-century British fiction and wish to broaden their classic reading
Readers interested in themes of faith and family ethics who are willing to read slowly and attentively
Readers who want a shorter work through which to understand George MacDonald's narrative style
Students who need an English public-domain text for reading practice or course reference

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting strong plot conflict or fast-paced narration
Readers unaccustomed to nineteenth-century English expression who want easy reading
Beginners who need detailed annotations or introductory guidance

Reading tips

Read the first two chapters first to get a feel for the narrative tone and character relationships, then decide your reading pace.
Keep a pen handy to note the characters' choices in hardship, and look back at these passages after finishing.
If the English is difficult, first learn some general background on the Victorian domestic novel.

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

What kind of readers is the English difficulty of this book suitable for?

The text is a nineteenth-century English novel, with sentence structures and vocabulary characteristic of its era. It suits readers with intermediate or higher English reading ability who are willing to read slowly with a dictionary. If you only want the gist of the story, read the opening and closing paragraphs of each chapter first, then gradually move into the details.

Does this edition include annotations or an introduction?

According to the available information, this is a Project Gutenberg public-domain ebook that mainly provides the original text; it is not stated to include annotations or an introduction. Readers who need background material should consult relevant literary histories or studies of the author separately.

What should I pay attention to while reading?

Notice how the characters' attitudes change amid poverty and disappointment, and the ideas of family duty and faith expressed in their dialogue. These are common concerns in MacDonald's work and help in understanding the novel's narrative focus.

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About the author

MacDonald, George, 1824-1905 Author

George MacDonald (1824–1905) was a Scottish author known for his fairy tales, fantasy novels and religious sermons. This library holds 68 of his works, including The Princess and the Goblin, The Princess and Curdie, At the Back of the North Wind, Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women, Sir Gibbie and the three series of Unspoken Sermons. His fairy tales often centre on children, weaving adventure with questions of morality and faith in plain, imaginative prose, while his fantasy works are regarded as forerunners of modern fantasy literature and have influenced later writers of the genre. Public information is limited, so no biographical details are speculated here; his works alone show him to be skilled in both storytelling and spiritual reflection, writing for children and adults alike.