In the Quarter

Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William), 1865-1933Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 300K 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.In the Quarter by Robert W. ChambersAuthor: Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William), 1865-1933,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 1, 2004

Editor's review

In the Quarter is a novel by the American writer Robert W. Chambers, set around an artists' quarter and continuing his interest in urban life and the group portrait of artistic circles. Chambers is best known for weird fiction such as The King in Yellow, but this book leans toward realistic social comedy of manners, showing artists' struggles, emotions and ideals colliding in the city. The text is in English, with delicate narration and lively dialogue, suited to readers who want to understand late nineteenth-century American urban literature and the ecology of artistic circles. As a public-domain ebook it has no modern introduction; readers may compare it with Chambers's other works to observe the diversity of his style. Attending to the character relationships and the atmosphere of the quarter will deepen appreciation of the author's observation and reflection on Bohemian life.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers interested in late nineteenth-century American urban literature
Literature lovers who want to know Chambers's non-weird works
Students and researchers studying novels about artists
Readers who enjoy group portraits and social comedy of manners

Not a good fit for

Readers with limited English who need a translation
Chambers fans expecting weird or supernatural plots
Readers who prefer strong plots and fast-paced narration

Reading tips

Learn about the phases of Chambers's career first, to distinguish this book from his weird fiction.
Map the characters while reading to grasp the group portrait of the artists' quarter.
Combine it with materials on late nineteenth-century American urban culture to understand its social background.
After finishing, compare it with The King in Yellow to appreciate the diversity of the author's style.

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 written in the same style as The King in Yellow?

No. In the Quarter leans toward realistic urban comedy of manners and a group portrait of artists, rather than the weird and supernatural style of The King in Yellow; the two show different sides of Chambers's work.

What English level is needed to read this book?

As an original English novel, the text contains literary description and period usage; intermediate to advanced English reading ability is recommended, or reading with a dictionary or annotated edition.

Does this edition include an introduction or annotations?

As a Project Gutenberg public-domain ebook, this edition generally provides only the original text, without a modern introduction or annotations; readers may supplement it with relevant literary-historical materials.

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About the author

Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William), 1865-1933 Author

Robert W. Chambers (1865–1933) was an American novelist active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His birth and death years and nationality are relatively clear in public sources, though detailed biographical information and educational background remain limited. He was a prolific writer, with 38 works held in the collection. He is best known for the short-story collection The King in Yellow, which blends weird, horror, and supernatural elements and became an important early work of weird fiction, exerting a certain influence on later horror and fantasy writing. Beyond weird fiction, his works also span romance, historical, and popular fiction, including Athalie, The Mystery of Choice, The Hidden Children, The Common Law, The Dark Star, In Search of the Unknown, and The Slayer of Souls, demonstrating a diversity of subjects and styles. Overall, his writing is notable for atmospheric construction and narrative tension, securing him a place in popular literature and the weird tradition.