In Direst Peril

David Christie MurrayProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 467K words
Chapters: 47

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.In Direst Peril by David Christie MurrayAuthor: Murray, David Christie, 1847-1907,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Aug 1, 2007

Editor's review

In Direst Peril is a novel by David Christie Murray, belonging to the late nineteenth-century English popular narrative tradition. Judging from the title and the author's usual approach, the work emphasizes tense situations and plot momentum, making it a suitable sample for understanding English popular fiction of the period. Its reading value lies not in modern psychological depth or experimental form, but in presenting the narrative pleasures of adventure, crisis, and moral testing familiar to late Victorian readers. For readers studying popular literature, serialized fiction, or late nineteenth-century reading culture, this book can serve as a primary text reference; for general readers, it is more of an old-fashioned story with a distinct period flavor. Since the public-domain electronic edition lacks an introduction and notes, it is advisable to first learn about the author's life and the era of composition before entering the text, so as not to lose patience due to differences in narrative pace and language habits.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in late nineteenth-century English popular fiction
Students studying serialized fiction and Victorian reading culture
Readers who enjoy old-style adventure and crisis narratives and can accept a slow-building pace
Those who need public-domain English novel texts for research or teaching materials

Not a good fit for

Readers of genre fiction who prefer modern fast-paced narratives with strong twists
Beginners who need detailed notes and introductions to enter the text
Readers impatient with nineteenth-century English expression habits

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to gauge the narrative pace and language difficulty, then decide whether to read through or selectively.
While reading, note changes in the main characters' situations to help grasp how old-style narratives unfold.
Supplement with overview materials on late nineteenth-century English popular fiction to understand its plot patterns.

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 suitable as an introductory English novel?

Not really as a first choice for beginners. It is a late nineteenth-century English novel, and its language habits and narrative pace are distant from modern works; the public-domain electronic edition also lacks notes. If your English reading foundation is average, it is better to start with an edition that has an introduction or with more accessible texts.

What does peril in the title refer to?

The title literally means "the most critical danger," suggesting the story revolves around extreme danger or crisis situations. Specific plot details should be based on the main text; do not infer details from the title alone. While reading, pay attention to how characters are pushed into danger and how they respond.

Does the public-domain electronic edition have notes and an introduction?

Usually it has no modern editor's notes, detailed introduction, or chronology, and the text layout is plain. Readers need to supplement the author's background and period materials on their own; for unfamiliar expressions, use a dictionary or related literary history materials.

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About the author

David Christie Murray Author · British · 1847–1907

David Christie Murray (1847–1907) was a British novelist and journalist born in West Bromwich in 1847. He reported on the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 for The Daily News and The Times, an experience that provided material for his later writing. He then turned to fiction, authoring works such as Joseph's Coat, Aunt Rachel and My Contemporaries in Fiction; the collection holds 14 of his works, including The Making of a Novelist, a chronicle of the Crimea, Cruel Barbara Allen and In Direst Peril. His novels often draw on real-life observations and figures, with solid narration and attention to plot and character, while his critical and recollective writings are plain in style and possess documentary value. Public information is limited, and details of his life remain largely unknown. He died in London in 1907.