Holland, Volume 1

De Amicis, Edmondo, 1846-1908Project Gutenberg · United StatesMar 2023

3.8

Word count: 365K words
Chapters: 37

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.Holland, v. 1 (of 2) by Edmondo De AmicisAuthor: De Amicis, Edmondo, 1846-1908,Language: English, Class: DJ: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Netherlands, Release Date: Jan 13, 2009

Editor's review

Holland, v. 1 is the first volume of Italian author Edmondo De Amicis's travelogue on the Netherlands, released free in English by Project Gutenberg. De Amicis is best known for Cuore (Heart), and this travelogue shows another side of him: meticulous observation of cityscapes, canal life, and travel impressions, written with the lyricism and curiosity of nineteenth-century travel literature. The book belongs to the history and geography public-domain category; it is not a practical guidebook and lacks updated modern geographical data. Its value lies in offering everyday slices of old Holland through a foreigner's eyes, suited to readers interested in travel literature, nineteenth-century European social life, or De Amicis's wider body of work. Read it slowly, focusing on the observing eye and the period tone rather than expecting practical information. The English translation is relatively plain and the vocabulary not too difficult, though place names and historical background may call for occasional reference.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy nineteenth-century travel literature and scenic description
Readers interested in Dutch history and city life
Readers curious about De Amicis's nonfiction
Readers comfortable with English who are willing to savor an old travelogue's tone

Not a good fit for

Practical travelers needing current transport and accommodation information
Readers who prefer fast-paced plots or fiction
Readers with no interest in nineteenth-century settings or place names

Reading tips

Proceed chapter by chapter and note the most memorable scene after each one
Keep a map or gazetteer at hand to locate places as you read
Compare this book with De Amicis's fiction to observe the difference in tone
Don't rush; it works well as slow bedtime or travel reading

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 a travel guide?

No. It is a nineteenth-century literary travelogue centered on observation and description, with no modern transport, accommodation, or fare information. If you need a practical guide, look for a contemporary one.

Is this by the author of Cuore (Heart)?

Yes. Edmondo De Amicis wrote Cuore (Heart), and this is the English translation of the first volume of his Dutch travelogue. The two books are very different in genre, so adjust your expectations accordingly.

What does "v. 1" in the title mean?

This is the first of a two-volume Dutch travelogue, not the complete account. Don't worry about the lack of resolution; treat it as a self-contained stretch of travel observation, with later volumes to be read separately.

Is the English hard to read? What should I watch for?

The translation is generally plain, but a nineteenth-century travelogue will include old place names, historical figures, and local terms that may cause pauses. Try skipping unfamiliar place names at first and looking them up after finishing a chapter.

Comments

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About the author

De Amicis, Edmondo, 1846-1908 Author

Edmondo De Amicis (1846-1908) was an Italian writer best known to Chinese readers for his children's book Cuore (often translated as The Heart), subtitled "An Italian Schoolboy's Journal." The library holds 19 of his works, including, besides Cuore, the travel books Morocco, Its People and Places, Spain, v. 1, Constantinople, v. 1, Constantinople, v. 2 and Holland, v. 1, as well as the military sketches La vita militare: bozzetti and the Finnish translation Sydän: Kirja nuorisolle. These works draw on school, family, army life and foreign travel, written in a warm, realistic style that stresses feeling and moral education; Cuore is the most widely read and has had a lasting influence among inspirational coming-of-age books. Public information on his life dates and nationality is limited, so such details are omitted here.