Opening a Chestnut Burr

Edward Payson RoeProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 730K words
Chapters: 73

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. Opening a Chestnut Burr by Edward Payson Roe. Author: Roe, Edward Payson, 1838-1888. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Jul 1, 2004

Editor's review

This work comes from the hand of Edward Payson Roe, a nineteenth-century American writer of popular fiction, and is a full-length novel among the public-domain literary resources that retains a distinct period flavor. Roe's works often take family ethics, emotional entanglement, and moral growth as their threads, with plain narration and clear character relationships, making the book a suitable sample for understanding nineteenth-century American popular reading tastes. This book has been prepared by Project Gutenberg as a free electronic edition, with a low barrier to access and convenient for reading through on electronic devices. Its value lies not in experimental literary technique but in presenting the emotional structure and value orientation of ordinary readers of an era. While reading, note how the book handles everyday scenes, interpersonal dealings, and moral choices; these details often reflect the social mentality of the time more than the plot itself. For readers studying popular literature, textual transmission, or practicing English reading, this is a usable primary source.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in nineteenth-century American popular fiction who wish to learn about public-domain literary resources
Intermediate and advanced English learners who need free English e-books for extensive reading practice
Literature or history students studying popular literature and the history of mass reading
Readers who enjoy traditional fiction with a gentle pace and stories driven by character relationships

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking intense plot conflict or a modern narrative pace
Beginners with weak English foundations who find nineteenth-century English long sentences difficult
Readers hoping for contemporary literary-critical introductions or detailed annotations

Reading tips

First read through the opening chapters to become familiar with the author's narrative rhythm and period language, then decide whether to read closely or extensively.
Keep pen and paper handy to record character relationships and key scenes, which helps in grasping multiple emotional threads.
If using the book for English study, read one or two chapters at a fixed time each day; when encountering long sentences, first grasp the main structure and then return to the modifying elements.

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

What kind of literary work is this book?

According to the materials, the book is classified under American and Canadian literature (Class PS), and the author, Edward Payson Roe, is a nineteenth-century American writer. The work is a public-domain novel distinguished by narrative and character relationships; for specific plot details, readers must rely on their own reading, as the materials provide no more detailed content summary.

Is the electronic edition free and from a reliable source?

This book is released by Project Gutenberg, a platform known for providing free e-books, founded in 1971 by Michael Hart, an early promoter in the field of e-books. Readers can obtain this edition free of charge, but should note that it is an English public-domain text without modern annotations or introductions.

How difficult is the English reading?

As a nineteenth-century English novel, its sentence structures and wording carry period features, with many long sentences and old-fashioned expressions. Readers with intermediate to advanced English reading ability will adapt relatively easily, while beginners may find it difficult; using a dictionary and slowing down is recommended.

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About the author

Edward Payson Roe Author · American · 1838–1888

Edward Payson Roe (1838–1888) was an American novelist, Presbyterian minister, and horticultural writer, born in Moodna, New York, who served as a chaplain during the Civil War. His fiction is known for its moral instruction and themes of personal growth, and his strongly moralistic works were once bestsellers in the late nineteenth century. His representative works include Barriers Burned Away, He Fell in Love with His Wife, and The Face Illumined, as well as A Knight of the Nineteenth Century, Miss Lou, Nature's Serial Story, and Success with Small Fruits. Nineteen of his works are included in the collection, commonly classified under inspirational growth. Public information is limited, and details of his life are largely unavailable; scholarship relies mainly on his novels and gardening essays to understand his ideas and style.