Molly McDonald

Parrish, Randall, 1858-1923Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 447K words
Chapters: 45

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.Molly McDonald by Randall ParrishAuthor: Parrish, Randall, 1858-1923,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 18, 2006

Editor's review

Molly McDonald is an American popular novel by Randall Parrish, made available as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg. Parrish was active from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century; his works are mostly set on the western frontier, move at a brisk pace, and keep character relationships clear, making them a good entry point for understanding the American popular-literary tradition. The book centers on the protagonist Molly McDonald; its rhythm follows the traditional adventure novel, with emphasis on scene-setting and action, plain language, and no deliberate cultivation of complex symbolism. For Chinese readers its value lies more in documentary and genre reading: first, it offers a way to observe how early American fiction handled themes of gender, the frontier, and coming of age; second, as an original English-language eBook it is convenient for parallel reading and building up language material. Because it is a public-domain electronic text, the main barrier to reading is the English original rather than the price. It is best treated as a specimen of genre fiction or as extensive reading material in English, rather than as serious literature to be read for depth; expectations will be better met that way.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy early American frontier adventure stories
Learners who want to practice extensive reading in English with public-domain eBooks
Literature enthusiasts studying the American popular novel as a genre
University students who need light English-language originals

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting complex psychological portrayal and narrative experimentation
Readers with weak English who cannot read an original novel
Those who prefer Chinese translations and do not want to read the English original

Reading tips

Read the first two chapters first to gauge the narrative pace and the difficulty of the English, then decide whether to read the whole book or selected parts.
Keep pen and paper to note character relationships, reducing confusion caused by similar original English names.
Read it alongside other American frontier novels of the same period to observe genre conventions and differences.
If using it for English study, pick one passage per chapter for close reading and sentence imitation.

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 in Chinese or English?

According to the information, this is an original English-language eBook released by Project Gutenberg, with the main text in English. Reading it therefore requires some ability to read English; the book contains no Chinese translation.

Is this book suitable as English-learning material?

It can be used as extensive reading material, but first make sure you can adapt to English usage of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Try the opening chapters first; if unfamiliar words are too dense, switch to close reading of selected passages rather than forcing your way through the whole book.

What should I note about the eBook edition?

This book was prepared and released by Project Gutenberg and is a public-domain electronic text; the formatting is mainly plain text and may lack the notes and introduction of a modern publication. It is advisable to have background material on hand and to look up historical place names or customs as you read.

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About the author

Parrish, Randall, 1858-1923 Author

Randall Parrish (1858–1923) was an American author. Public information about him is limited, and the details of his life are now difficult to trace. Judging from the sixteen works held in the collection, he was chiefly known for historical adventure novels, drawing much of his material from the early North American frontier and wilderness years, with forays into sea adventure and love stories set against wartime backgrounds. His representative works include When Wilderness Was King, set in the Illinois country; Beyond the Frontier, a romance of early days in the Middle West; Wolves of the Sea, which turns to adventure on the ocean; and Love under Fire and The Strange Case of Cavendish, which blend romance, suspense, and turbulent times. His narratives move briskly, with attention to scene-setting and dramatic turns of fortune, and his books found a popular readership in the early twentieth century, offering a useful sample of American historical adventure fiction of that era.