Mirk Abbey, Volume 3

James PaynProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.4

Word count: 215K words
Chapters: 22

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.Mirk Abbey, Volume 3 (of 3) by James PaynAuthor: Payn, James, 1830-1898,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Dec 24, 2014

Editor's review

Mirk Abbey, Volume 3 is the concluding part of James Payn's three-volume novel, suited to readers with a research interest in Victorian English fiction. Payn was a prolific nineteenth-century English novelist known for fine social observation and intricate plotting. As the final volume, it resolves the fates and conflicts set up in the first two volumes, and readers will sense the moral concern and narrative pace typical of Victorian fiction. As a public-domain eBook from Project Gutenberg, the text preserves the original English expression and period vocabulary, which poses some difficulty for readers accustomed to modern English. The book is better suited as supplementary material for English literature courses or special studies in Victorian fiction, and for seasoned readers who enjoy slow-paced classical narrative. Reading Volume 3 directly without the first two volumes will hinder understanding because of broken character relationships and plot threads; reading in order is recommended.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers and literature students of Victorian English fiction
Seasoned readers accustomed to classical novels in the original English
Readers interested in nineteenth-century English social customs and domestic narrative
Learners needing public-domain English texts for corpus or translation practice

Not a good fit for

Readers who have not read the first two volumes and wish to read this volume independently
Readers who prefer fast-paced, plot-driven fiction and have limited patience for classical narrative
Learners whose English reading ability is not yet sufficient for nineteenth-century English expression

Reading tips

Finish Volumes 1 and 2 before this volume to avoid disconnected characters and plot.
Keep pen and paper to note character relationships and key events, which helps follow the multi-threaded conclusion.
Mark period vocabulary or unfamiliar expressions and look them up after finishing a chapter.
Pair with introductory material on Victorian fiction to learn the publishing and narrative conventions of the three-volume novel.

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

Can I read Volume 3 without having read the first two volumes?

Not recommended. Volume 3 is the finale of a three-volume novel, and its main function is to resolve the fates and conflicts set up in the first two volumes; character relationships and the causes of events depend largely on earlier text. Reading it directly makes plot direction and character motivation hard to follow; reading the whole book in order is advised.

How difficult is the English in this book?

The text is the original nineteenth-century English novel, retaining the vocabulary, syntax, and narrative pace of its time, so it is more demanding than modern English. Readers with college-level English and prior experience of classical English fiction will adapt more easily; beginners may need notes or a guide.

What are the features of the Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides public-domain electronic texts, free to obtain, preserving the original English content for research, citation, and classroom use. It usually contains no modern editorial notes or introduction, and the layout is mainly plain text, so readers must supply background material themselves.

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

James Payn Author · British · 1830–1898

James Payn (1830–1898) was a British novelist and editor, born in Berkshire and died in London. He served as editor of Chambers's Journal in Edinburgh and of the Cornhill Magazine in London, placing him at the meeting point of Victorian periodical publishing and literary writing. Nine of his works are held here, including Bred in the Bone; or, Like Father, Like Son: A Novel, the two volumes of The Talk of the Town, the two volumes of Lost Sir Massingberd: A Romance of Real Life, and the two volumes of Mirk Abbey, mostly novels and occasional essays. His fiction is known for a humorous, gentle romantic style, with unhurried plotting and an understated wit. Public information on his early education, exact dates of appointment and sales is limited, and no inference is made here.