Frivolous Cupid

Hope, Anthony, 1863-1933Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 171K words
Chapters: 18

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. Frivolous Cupid by Anthony Hope. Author: Hope, Anthony, 1863-1933. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Feb 1, 1996

Editor's review

Frivolous Cupid is a light comedy by the English writer Anthony Hope (author of The Prisoner of Zenda), built around misunderstandings, scheming, and chance in love and courtship. Hope's narration is brisk and witty, with dialogue full of sharp exchanges; the characters usually believe they are in control, only to be carried along by feeling and coincidence, making for an easy read that still shows an observant eye. Compared with his adventure novels, this work is closer to the social comedy of manners and serves as a good entry point into the humorous side of late nineteenth-century British popular fiction. As a Project Gutenberg public-domain ebook, this edition is easy to access at any time and is also suited to close reading of excerpts or dramatic reading aloud in English classes. Note that the courtship attitudes and social context belong to their era; modern readers may find some characters' logic somewhat remote, so it is best read as a smiling slice of its time rather than judged point by point against present-day emotional standards.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy British light comedy and sharp dialogue and want an easy English novel
Literature lovers interested in late nineteenth-century British social customs and courtship themes
English majors or learners who need short excerpts for close reading and reading-aloud practice
Readers who have read The Prisoner of Zenda and want to see Hope in another style

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer serious, profound themes or strong plot conflict
Readers who find old-fashioned courtship attitudes and social context hard to relate to
Beginners with little English reading experience who want detailed notes for support

Reading tips

Read the first few chapters first to sort out the characters and the threads of misunderstanding, then follow the rhythm of the dialogue.
Watch for dialogue in which characters do not say what they mean, and mark sentences that show wit or irony.
Pick dialogue-heavy passages for role-play reading aloud to feel Hope's comic timing.
After finishing, compare the courtship attitudes with those of today and write down a few points you found most remote or most amusing.

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 very different in style from The Prisoner of Zenda?

The difference is fairly clear. The Prisoner of Zenda leans toward adventure and identity puzzles, with a tense plot; Frivolous Cupid is closer to a social comedy of manners, centered on courtship misunderstandings and the sharpness of its characters' dialogue. If you expect an adventure story, it may feel light in pace; if you enjoy British humor and characters maneuvering around one another, you will likely read it happily.

How much British historical background do I need to understand this book?

You can follow the plot without special historical knowledge, but knowing something about late nineteenth-century British upper-middle-class social life and courtship etiquette will make the characters' worries and calculations easier to understand. When you meet an unfamiliar social convention, try to infer it from context rather than stopping to verify every point, so as not to interrupt the book's brisk pace.

As a public-domain ebook, does it include an introduction or notes?

Project Gutenberg editions usually provide only the text and basic publication information, without modern scholarly introductions, footnotes, or glossaries. Readers who want background can look up Hope's life and materials on late nineteenth-century British fiction; it also helps to keep a dictionary at hand for unusual usage and period vocabulary.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Hope, Anthony, 1863-1933 Author

Anthony Hope (1863–1933) was an English novelist best known for his adventure romances. The library holds 36 of his works, including his代表作 The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau, as well as The King's Mirror, Mr. Witt's Widow, Half a Hero, Frivolous Cupid, and The Heart of Princess Osra. His fiction is typically set in the courts of invented Central European states, blending mistaken identity, political intrigue, and romantic entanglement in tightly paced, entertaining plots that combine legend with popular appeal. The Prisoner of Zenda established the classic "substitute king" motif and has exerted a lasting influence on later adventure narratives, frequently adapted for stage and screen. Public information about his life is limited, but these works clearly show his gift for weaving suspense and romance within imaginary historical settings.