Idle Hours in a Library

Hudson, William Henry, 1862-1918Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 299K words
Chapters: 30

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. Idle Hours in a Library by William Henry Hudson. Author: Hudson, William Henry, 1862-1918. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Feb 28, 2018

Editor's review

This is a collection of essays by William Henry Hudson, released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain English-language ebook and classified under English language and literature (PR). The title points to idle hours spent in a library, and the book belongs to the tradition of literary essays: it talks about books, reading, and everyday impressions in an unhurried tone, with a leisurely pace that values pleasure and mood over density of information. Its value for readers lies in experiencing the feel and flavor of English essays from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century; it suits light reading before bed or in spare moments, and is also worth dipping into for readers studying the essay as a form. Note that this is an English original with an older style, full of long sentences and allusions; new readers may start with the shorter, more clearly focused pieces rather than reading straight through, and those who wish to go deeper can consider the author's literary era to understand his choice of topics.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy English prose essays and seek a slow-reading experience
Literature lovers studying English essays of the late nineteenth to early twentieth century
Upper-intermediate and advanced learners who want short English texts for reading practice
Readers used to bedtime or commute reading in spare moments

Not a good fit for

Readers of genre fiction who prefer strong plots and fast-paced narrative
Beginners with weak English who need sentence-by-sentence translation support
Readers looking for systematic knowledge or practical-skills books

Reading tips

Start with the shortest pieces in the table of contents to test the style before expanding
Read one essay per sitting and, afterward, retell its gist and your impressions in your own words
Mark old-fashioned expressions and allusions first, then look them up together after finishing
Read alongside other English essays to sense differences in style and period

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 novel or a collection of essays?

Judging by the title and classification, it is a collection of essays in English literature, centered on books and the leisure of reading rather than a novel with a continuous plot. Readers should not expect a story to advance; it is better read piece by piece to savor the author's tone and interests. For the contents of specific pieces, consult the original table of contents.

There are many old-fashioned English expressions; what can I do if I can't get through it?

Start with short pieces to reduce the amount you read at one time; when you meet long sentences, grasp the main structure first rather than clinging to every word. Note recurring old-fashioned expressions and look them up together later; this is smoother than pausing to check as you read. If it is still hard, warm up with Chinese introductory materials on English essays before returning to the original.

Can I get this book for free?

Yes. It is released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain free ebook and can be downloaded and read legally at no cost. Since it is the English original with no official Chinese translation, after getting it you may wish to look over the table of contents and the length of the pieces before deciding whether to read it through or select from it.

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About the author

Hudson, William Henry, 1862-1918 Author

William Henry Hudson (1862–1918) was a writer active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, though public information about his life is limited, and his nationality, education, and specific experiences cannot be reliably confirmed. Two of his works are held in this collection: Idle Hours in a Library and The Famous Missions of California. The first is a set of leisurely essays on books and reading, written in an easy, bookish manner akin to a man of letters' notes; the second turns to a historical account of the California missions, focusing on early missionary activity and local scenery, combining historical narrative with observation. Together they reflect his broad interests and his habit of treating reading and history in an essayistic style, plain yet attentive. Given the limited sources, no further biographical inferences are made here.