Nothing But the Truth

Frederic Stewart IshamProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 407K words
Chapters: 41

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.Nothing But the Truth by Frederic Stewart IshamAuthor: Isham, Frederic Stewart, 1866-1922,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Oct 9, 2013

Editor's review

Isham's novel belongs to the vein of early twentieth-century American popular fiction, and its title names the core proposition: the tension between truth and appearance. The story turns on interpersonal misunderstandings and mistaken identity; the narration is brisk, dialogue drives the plot, and the pacing has a stage-play quality that invites reading in a single sitting. Its value lies in the narrative pleasures of popular fiction of the period: it does not aim at deep psychological analysis but generates reading pleasure through situational reversals and characters' reactions. For readers studying American popular fiction or adaptation material, it offers a sample of early twentieth-century reading tastes. As for reading situations, it suits fragmented time such as travel or commuting, and can also serve as graded extensive reading material for English learners. Note that this is a public-domain electronic edition; the text has not been modernized, and some expressions and attitudes carry the limitations of their time, so readers should approach it as both entertainment and historical material.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of English popular fiction who enjoy brisk plots and misunderstandings with reversals
Intermediate English learners who want extensive reading of original English texts
Readers interested in early twentieth-century American popular literature

Not a good fit for

Serious readers who prefer deep psychological description and literary experimentation
Academic researchers who need a modern annotated edition

Reading tips

Read through the whole book first to grasp the main line, then go back and sort out the key points of misunderstanding and truth
Note key information in characters' dialogue; this helps in understanding plot reversals
Read in segments as commuting or bedtime reading; there is no need to look up every word
After reading, compare with contemporary American popular fiction to compare narrative conventions

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 hard in English?

Overall it is in the style of popular fiction: sentences are not long, there is a lot of dialogue, and vocabulary difficulty is moderate, making it suitable for extensive reading by English readers with some foundation. A few old-fashioned expressions can be understood from context; there is no need to verify every word.

Is it suitable for studying American literature?

It is suitable as a sample of early twentieth-century American popular literature, but it is not a core text for classic literary studies. For academic use, it is best paired with literary history and publishing history materials, and note that the public-domain text has not been modernized.

Does the electronic edition have notes?

Public-domain electronic editions released by Project Gutenberg usually present the original text without modern notes or an introduction. When background information is needed, readers can consult period materials on the author and the work themselves.

Comments

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About the author

Frederic Stewart Isham Author · American · 1866–1922

Frederic Stewart Isham (1866–1922) was an American novelist, journalist and playwright, born in Detroit, Michigan. He worked for about ten years at newspapers including the Detroit Free Press before turning to writing full time. He is known for historical romances and comedies, including The Strollers, Under the Rose, Black Friday and Nothing but the Truth, whose plots often turn on mistaken identity, coincidence and romantic entanglement, combining popular storytelling with a strong sense of stagecraft. Several of his works were produced on Broadway and in London and adapted into films, showing how widely his stories reached readers and audiences of his day. Isham died in New York in 1922. Beyond these outlines, public information is limited, and a full account of his work remains to be assembled.