Majesty: A Novel

Couperus, Louis, 1863-1923Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 497K words
Chapters: 50

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.Majesty: A Novel by Louis CouperusAuthor: Couperus, Louis, 1863-1923,Language: English, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Sep 20, 2010

Editor's review

Majesty: A Novel is an English translation of a novel by the Dutch writer Louis Couperus, included in the Project Gutenberg public-domain ebook series. Couperus is known for his delicate psychological portraiture and his depiction of aristocratic life, and this book continues in that vein, with a narrative centered on the court and the field of power, carrying the decadent and restrained temperament characteristic of European fin-de-siècle literature. For readers unfamiliar with Dutch literature, it is a window onto late nineteenth-century European novels about royalty; for those who have already read Couperus, it offers a chance to appreciate the layers of his narrative rhythm and character psychology. It should be noted that this is an English-translation ebook without a modern editor's introduction or notes; readers must work out the character relationships and court background themselves, and may find the opening somewhat slow. Overall, it suits readers willing to sink into the text and enjoy psychological portraiture and period atmosphere rather than those seeking strong plot momentum. As a public-domain resource, it is cheaply available and makes a good supplementary title for thematic reading in European literature.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in late nineteenth-century European literature and royal-themed fiction
Literature lovers who have encountered Couperus's work and wish to read further
Students taking foreign literature courses who need public-domain English texts
Readers who prefer psychological description and period atmosphere and are not impatient for plot development

Not a good fit for

Readers of popular fiction who want fast pacing, strong plot, and a clear ending
Beginning readers with limited English proficiency who need annotations
Readers with no interest in court politics or psychological narrative

Reading tips

Before reading, learn something about Couperus's life and creative background to grasp the work's tone.
Sort out the character relationships and court power structure as you read; brief notes can help.
Slow down and savor the psychological description and environmental rendering; there is no need to race through.
Read alongside other works by the author to observe continuity and change in his narrative technique.

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 is the Chinese title of this book?

The material provides only the English title Majesty: A Novel and gives no standard Chinese title; different translations or studies may render it differently. Readers are advised to search for related material under the original English title, and to look separately for information on Chinese translations of Couperus's works if they need a Chinese version.

I haven't read any other works by Couperus. Can I read this one directly?

Yes, it can be read independently. The story is relatively self-contained and does not depend on earlier works. However, Couperus's narrative emphasizes psychology and setting and moves at a slower pace; knowing his style and the late nineteenth-century European literary background in advance will make it easier to enter the text and appreciate its period atmosphere.

Is this the original English edition or a translation?

Couperus was a Dutch writer, and this book is an English translation of his novel, released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook. Readers therefore encounter an English-translated text whose language carries the period features of a translation and may differ slightly from modern English fiction in expression.

What background knowledge is needed for reading?

It helps to know the basic landscape of late nineteenth-century European royal and aristocratic society, as well as the era and literary movement of Couperus's writing. The book involves court etiquette, power relations, and character psychology; without such background the opening may feel slow, and reading alongside an introduction to the author's life and times will make it easier to enter.

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

Couperus, Louis, 1863-1923 Author

Louis Couperus (1863–1923) was a Dutch novelist whose life is little documented in the Chinese-speaking world, and public information about him is limited. He was a prolific writer, and this site holds more than twenty-three of his works, many of which deal with personal growth and life transitions and are commonly classified under inspirational growth. His representative works include The Hidden Force: A Story of Modern Java, Eline Vere, Small Souls, The Later Life, Old People and the Things That Pass, The Twilight of the Souls, Noodlot, and Travel Impressions. His writing often reveals human fate through delicate psychological portrayal and an ironic tone, combining realism with aestheticism, and has had a lasting influence on Dutch literature.