Irresolute Catherine

Jacob, Violet, 1863-1946Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 135K words
Chapters: 14

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.Irresolute Catherine by Violet JacobAuthor: Jacob, Violet, 1863-1946,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jul 14, 2018

Editor's review

Irresolute Catherine is a novel by the Scottish writer Violet Jacob (1863–1946), now released as an English e-book by Project Gutenberg. Jacob was known for depicting Scottish rural life and manners, and this work continues her fine-grained portrayal of character psychology, telling the story of a woman who wavers between feeling and decision; the word “irresolute” in the title captures the book's central temperament. The language has the elegant style of English fiction from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with dialogue and descriptions of scenery given equal weight, letting readers sense the subtle tensions of women's circumstances in that era. As a public-domain e-book, it works well as supplementary reading in English literature and as casual reading for those interested in Scottish themes or women's writing of the transitional period. Being a free e-book, it is text-focused and lacks an introduction or notes, so readers may wish to consult background materials alongside it. Overall, it is a novel with an unhurried pace that excels in inner characterization, suited to slow rather than quick reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy English fiction of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
Those interested in Scottish rural themes and the portrayal of women's psychology
Learners who want to expand their reading of English originals through public-domain e-books
Literature enthusiasts studying the depiction of women in a transitional period

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strong plots and fast-paced narratives
Beginners who need detailed notes and introductory guides
Modern readers unaccustomed to late nineteenth-century English prose

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first and watch how “irresolute,” the word in the title, shows itself in the heroine.
Keep pen and paper to record relationships and key decision points so as to follow the shifts in psychology.
Consult background material on Scottish geography and customs to deepen your understanding of the scenic descriptions.
Read one or two chapters a day to keep up the pace and avoid setting the book aside because of its leisurely 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

What English level is this book suitable for?

The original is an English novel of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with sentence patterns and vocabulary more elaborate than modern written English. It suits readers with university-level English reading ability who are used to long literary works. Beginners might start with a Chinese translation or read the two side by side before tackling the original.

What is the difference between the Project Gutenberg edition and a print edition?

The Project Gutenberg edition is a free electronic text that mainly presents the original faithfully and usually has no publisher's introduction, notes or illustrations. A print edition may include an editor's introduction and explanatory notes. If you need background knowledge while reading, look up information on the author and the period yourself.

How should “Irresolute” in the title be understood?

“Irresolute” means hesitant and wavering, pointing to the heroine's indecisive character in matters of feeling and life choices. As you read, note how this trait drives the plot and how the author conveys it through dialogue and inner description.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Jacob, Violet, 1863-1946 Author

Violet Jacob (1863–1946) was a writer rooted in the soil of Scotland, though public information about her is limited and many details of her life remain little known to Chinese readers. Four of her works are held in the collection: the novels Flemington, Irresolute Catherine and The Sheep-Stealers, and the poetry collection Songs of Angus and More Songs of Angus. These works show that her writing drew largely on the rural life and history of eastern Scotland, with a plain and richly local tone, and that she excelled at portraying the fates and feelings of country people through delicate narrative. Her poems have a ballad-like rhythm and clear language, revealing a deep affection for the land and its scenery. Her writing holds a place in the tradition of Scottish regional literature, and through her novels and poetry readers can sense the life and historical resonance of that region.