Francezka

Seawell, Molly Elliot, 1860-1916Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 706K words
Chapters: 71

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.Francezka by Molly Elliot SeawellAuthor: Seawell, Molly Elliot, 1860-1916,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 28, 2010

Editor's review

This work comes from the pen of the late nineteenth-century American writer Molly Elliot Seawell and belongs to the historical romance vein she excelled in. Set against the Napoleonic era, the novel revolves around a vividly drawn female protagonist, its plot carrying the unhurried pace and dramatic quality of old-fashioned adventure narrative, while the dialogue and scene-setting retain the distinctive flavor of fiction from that period. As a free eBook from Project Gutenberg, its value lies not only in the story itself but also in offering readers a sample of how American popular historical fiction was written in the late nineteenth century: how real historical events were turned into the backdrop for characters' fates, and how a balance was kept between romance and fact. The interwoven depiction of diplomacy, war and family life also lets today's readers feel the narrative rhythm favored by readers of that era. It suits reading a whole chapter at a quiet time, and also serves as supplementary material for studying nineteenth-century American women writers and historical fiction. Because the original is in English and the book dates from an early period, some expressions and narrative habits differ from contemporary fiction, requiring a little patience in reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy nineteenth-century British and American historical fiction
Those interested in stories set against the Napoleonic era
Literature enthusiasts studying the works of early American women writers
Learners who wish to practice reading long English texts through public-domain eBooks

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast-paced modern suspense or urban fiction
Those who need a Chinese translation and are unwilling to read the English original
Readers impatient with the slow buildup and old-fashioned syntax of early fiction

Reading tips

Begin with the preface or publishing note to understand the background before entering the main text, which reduces the sense of historical distance.
Proceed chapter by chapter, and after each chapter note the character relationships and key events in one or two sentences to keep track of the threads.
When encountering unfamiliar historical terms, skip them first and look them up after finishing the chapter, so as not to interrupt the reading rhythm.
For research purposes, consult the author's biography and materials on the late nineteenth-century American historical fiction trend for comparison.

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 Chinese or English?

The original is in English, published by Project Gutenberg. The book includes no Chinese translation, so readers need some English reading ability or the aid of a dictionary and translation tools.

In what period is the story set?

The work is a historical romance set in Napoleonic-era Europe. The plot unfolds around the protagonist's experiences in turbulent times; historical events provide the stage for the characters' fates rather than serving as strict history.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free electronic texts; this edition was released in March 2010 and is a digitized public-domain work. The text is presented in the original, without modern publishers' annotations or introductions, and suits readers able to read the original on their own.

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About the author

Seawell, Molly Elliot, 1860-1916 Author

Molly Elliot Seawell (1860–1916) was an American writer. Public information about her life is limited, but her six works in the collection give a glimpse of her writing. Her subjects range from history to fiction: The Rock of the Lion and Twelve Naval Captains show her interest in naval history and historical figures, while novels such as Francezka and Throckmorton: A Novel display her skill in fictional narrative. Two further books, Betty at Fort Blizzard and Betty's Virginia Christmas, center on a character named Betty and have a lighter tone with a strong sense of local life. Overall, her writing stands between historical reportage and popular fiction, often concerned with military and maritime matters and with American regional life, in clear and readable prose suited to a general audience.