Heart's Desire

Hough, Emerson, 1857-1923Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 482K words
Chapters: 49

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.Heart's Desire by Emerson HoughAuthor: Hough, Emerson, 1857-1923,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 24, 2005

Editor's review

Heart's Desire is an English-language novel by Emerson Hough, available in the Project Gutenberg collection under the category of American and Canadian literature. Hough was active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and his work often carries the flavor of Western and frontier narrative; this book is no exception, centering on the choices and fates of characters within a particular regional setting. As a public-domain eBook, its value lies more in accessibility and as a specimen of literary history: readers can observe the narrative pacing, character construction, and regional writing conventions of popular American fiction of the period. It is best approached not with expectations of modern structural sophistication but as a story bearing the marks of its era. Suitable for slow reading in the original English during spare moments, or as an introductory text for those exploring American Western popular fiction; for research purposes, it is best read alongside the author's biography and contemporary works.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who wish to encounter early American popular fiction in the original English
General readers interested in American Western and frontier stories
Those who need public-domain English texts for reading or translation practice
University students studying American literary history and popular fiction specimens

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking tightly structured, fast-paced modern fiction
Beginners with limited English reading ability who need annotations and guided introductions
Rigorous researchers expecting systematic historical verification or scholarly annotated editions

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to grasp character relationships and regional background before deciding whether to read through.
Note unfamiliar place names and period expressions as you go, then look them up together after finishing.
Read alongside contemporary American Western works to appreciate narrative conventions.
For language learning, read a fixed short section each day and retell the plot points.

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? How difficult is it to read?

This is the original English edition, a public-domain eBook. The language reflects late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century expression, with longer sentences and a slower narrative pace, posing some challenge to readers accustomed to modern English. Intermediate or higher English reading ability is recommended.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg was the first project to offer free eBooks, and this book is its public-domain text. The edition is presented in plain text, easy to download and search, but typically lacks modern editorial introductions, detailed annotations, or scholarly appendices; readers must supply background information themselves.

Can I understand it without relevant historical background?

You can follow the main storyline, but some regional descriptions and social context may require supplementation. Briefly familiarizing yourself with the social conditions of the American Westward expansion period beforehand, or looking up place names and personal names as you read, can noticeably improve comprehension.

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About the author

Hough, Emerson, 1857-1923 Author

Emerson Hough (1857-1923) was an American writer whose biographical details remain limited in publicly available sources. The collection here includes 26 of his works, most of them novels and historical narratives set against the backdrop of the American frontier. Representative titles include The Passing of the Frontier: A Chronicle of the Old West, The Covered Wagon, and The Story of the Outlaw: A Study of the Western Desperado. His subjects center on westward expansion, Western outlaws, and historical episodes such as the Mississippi Bubble, as well as life in the West. His writing blends fiction with documentary observation, combining authentic historical atmosphere with adventure plots in a plain yet vivid style. His works offer readable and lively portraits of America's westward development and hold a place in Western-themed literature.