Gerfaut — Volume 1

Bernard, Charles de, 1804-1850Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 126K 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.Gerfaut — Volume 1 by Charles de BernardAuthor: Bernard, Charles de, 1804-1850,Language: English, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Apr 1, 2003

Editor's review

Gerfaut, Volume 1 is an English translation of a nineteenth-century novel by the French writer Charles de Bernard, released as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg. As a work of French Romanticism buried by time, its value lies not in a thrilling plot but in offering readers a glimpse of a narrative style in nineteenth-century French literature beyond the major figures such as Balzac and Stendhal. Bernard excels at depicting characters' psychology and social scenes; this volume consists largely of story setup and the establishment of character relationships, with a relatively unhurried pace, suited to readers motivated by research or literary interest. Read it as a kind of literary archaeology: sense the tone of old French narrative, the methods of characterization, and the publishing habit of serialized novels in that era. As a public-domain eBook, the text has no modern annotations; reading it alongside background material on nineteenth-century French literature will give a more complete experience.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University students and scholars interested in nineteenth-century French literature
Readers who enjoy slow-paced classical narrative and are willing to enter the characters patiently
Collectors of Project Gutenberg public-domain eBooks and readers interested in literary archaeology

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strong plotting and fast-paced modern novels
Beginning students of foreign literature who need detailed annotations and introductions
Readers with limited stamina for English reading who are unaccustomed to old-fashioned English expression

Reading tips

Read the translator's preface or look up the author and work's background before starting the main text.
Proceed chapter by chapter, briefly summarizing character relationships after each chapter to avoid confusion.
Read alongside French novels of the same period to appreciate differences in narrative style.
Don't agonize over old-fashioned expressions word by word; grasp the characters and scenes.

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 a complete novel or part of a multi-volume work?

It is Volume 1 of Gerfaut, published in multiple volumes; the story does not conclude in this volume and must be read with Volume 2 to grasp the whole. Readers should regard it as the first half of a long novel, not a standalone work.

Can I read this public-domain eBook if my English is not good?

This is an English translation of a nineteenth-century French novel, with old-fashioned expressions and no modern annotations. Readers with average English proficiency will find it demanding; try one or two chapters first, or use an edition with an introduction and annotations for support.

What are the characteristics of the Project Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free public-domain eBooks, focusing on text availability and ease of distribution; it usually lacks modern scholarly annotations, introductions, or detailed publication information. It suits researchers checking the original text and readers seeking low-cost access to classical works.

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About the author

Bernard, Charles de, 1804-1850 Author

Charles de Bernard (1804–1850) was a nineteenth-century French writer known chiefly for his novels. Public information about him is limited, and reliable details of his life, exact nationality, and education are not available; his works nevertheless suggest that he was active in the literary milieu where French Romanticism and realism overlapped. The library holds seven of his works, all centering on the novel Gerfaut, including the complete edition, individual volumes, and a collection of quotes and images compiled by Widger. The novel is notable for its delicate portrayal of character psychology and social scenes, showing the observant and satirical quality typical of French fiction of manners; its circulation in separate volumes also indicates a readership at the time. Overall, Bernard's writing emphasizes character depiction and plot development, with a composed yet pointed style that offers some reference value for understanding the development of the nineteenth-century French novel.