Not That It Matters

A. A. MilneProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 257K words
Chapters: 26

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.Not that it Matters by A. A. MilneAuthor: Milne, A. A. (Alan Alexander), 1882-1956,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jun 1, 2004

Editor's review

Not that it Matters is a collection of essays by A. A. Milne, showing the light, humorous touch of the Winnie-the-Pooh author beyond children's literature. The pieces are mostly observations and reflections on everyday life, in a friendly, unhurried style with the self-deprecation and gentle irony characteristic of the English essay. For readers familiar with Milne's children's books, it offers a window into his adult writing; for lovers of short essays, it suits fragmented reading. As a Project Gutenberg public-domain eBook, the text has no notes, and some period expressions require readers to interpret for themselves. Overall, this is an English essay collection suited to relaxed reading, valuable for its stylistic charm and the author's personal voice rather than for systematic knowledge.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like A. A. Milne's work and want to know his essays
Casual readers who prefer light, humorous English short pieces
Learners who want short materials for extensive English reading practice
Readers interested in early 20th-century English life essays

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting Winnie-the-Pooh-style children's stories
Readers seeking systematic knowledge or in-depth argument
Beginners with weak English who rely on annotations

Reading tips

Read one or two pieces a day; no need to read straight through
Read the title first and guess the content before comparing with the text
Mark sentences that show English humor and notice the tone and wording
After finishing, choose one piece and try retelling its gist in Chinese

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 the same style as Winnie-the-Pooh?

No. This is Milne's collection of adult essays, light and humorous, with personal reflections and English irony; it is not a children's story. Winnie-the-Pooh fans can see another side of the author here, but should not expect the same kind of content.

Do I need to read it in order from beginning to end?

No. The pieces are relatively independent, so you can skip around by interest or read one or two a day. Reading in order lets you feel the overall rhythm, but fragmented reading works just as well, especially for commutes or short bedtime reading.

How difficult is the English?

Moderately advanced. The sentences are not long, but there are period expressions and English humor that require some vocabulary and feel for the language. An intermediate reading level is recommended; reading with a dictionary will go more smoothly.

Comments

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About the author

A. A. Milne Author · British · 1882–1956

A. A. Milne (1882–1956) was a British writer born in London. He graduated in mathematics from Trinity College, Cambridge, and later edited the magazine Punch. He served in the First World War and afterwards made his name as a writer of comedy, with plays such as Mr. Pim Passes By. His work spans detective fiction, humorous essays, drama and children's literature; the library holds twelve of his titles, including The Red House Mystery, Happy Days, Not that it Matters, If I May, The Sunny Side and Second Plays. He is best known worldwide for his children's books Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, and for the poetry collection When We Were Very Young. His gentle, humorous writing, full of childhood charm and close observation of everyday life, continues to delight readers around the world.