Marquise De Ganges

Dumas, Alexandre, 1802-1870Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 119K words
Chapters: 12

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.Marquise De Ganges by Alexandre DumasAuthor: Dumas, Alexandre, 1802-1870,Language: English, Class: HV: Social sciences: Social pathology, Social and Public Welfare, Release Date: Sep 22, 2004

Editor's review

Marquise De Ganges comes from the hand of Alexandre Dumas and is classified on Project Gutenberg under social sciences: social pathology and social and public welfare, indicating that it is not a mere tale of romance but a narrative text built around a social event. Dumas excelled at handling real material with a dramatic touch; this book is short and concentrated in its narrative, making it a suitable sample for understanding his non-fiction writing. While reading, pay attention to how the author selects and shapes material, how he builds suspense, and how nineteenth-century French public opinion and the judicial environment are reflected in the text. As a public-domain e-book, it is easy to obtain and suitable for reading in spare moments, as well as for reading alongside materials on French social history in order to discern the boundary between literary embellishment and historical fact.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Dumas's works and French historical narrative
Readers concerned with social cases and the history of justice
Readers who wish to encounter public-domain foreign literature in a short format
Literary enthusiasts who enjoy narratives adapted from real events

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a long Dumas-style adventure novel
Scholarly readers who require rigorous academic verification and a system of annotations
Readers wholly unfamiliar with French historical background who are unwilling to consult supplementary materials

Reading tips

First read through once to grasp the sequence of events, then return to the author's selection of material and narrative arrangement.
Read alongside materials on nineteenth-century French society and judicial background, and identify elements of literary embellishment.
After reading, write a brief retelling of the case to check whether you have clarified the relationships among the characters.
Compare with other works by Dumas to appreciate the difference between his fictional and documentary modes of writing.

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 full-length novel by Dumas?

It is not a typical full-length adventure novel. In its public-domain classification it falls under social sciences: social pathology and social and public welfare; it is fairly short and builds its narrative around a particular social event. It is best read as a documentary work rather than a long romance in the manner of The Three Musketeers.

Does the content involve real historical events?

The title points to a marquise, and the text unfolds around related social events. Dumas often gave real material a literary treatment, so the book contains both the background of events and narrative embellishment. It is advisable to read it alongside materials on French social history and to distinguish historical fact from literary dramatization.

Is it suitable for beginners reading the original English?

This is an English public-domain text. It is not long, but it involves historical figures and social background, which may feel unfamiliar on a first reading. Readers with modest English can learn the background of the events before reading the original, or use an e-reader to look up words; if the purpose is language learning, it is advisable to start with more accessible texts.

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About the author

Dumas, Alexandre, 1802-1870 Author

Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870) was a major French novelist and playwright of the nineteenth century. The collection here holds 133 of his works, including editions in several languages, which shows how widely they have circulated. His best-known works include The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, the latter often published in volumes such as Volume III, Volume II, Volume I, and Volume IV. His writing is usually set against historical backgrounds, with intricate plots and vivid characters, and he was skilled at unfolding grand narratives in serial form, combining adventure, rivalry, and legend. Both novels have been translated into many languages and frequently issued in illustrated editions, leaving a lasting influence on popular literature and on film and television adaptations. Public information is limited, so details of his life and critical assessments are not developed here; readers may discover his narrative appeal through the works themselves.