Phantom Wires: A Novel

Stringer, Arthur, 1874-1950Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 363K words
Chapters: 37

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.Phantom Wires: A Novel by Arthur StringerAuthor: Stringer, Arthur, 1874-1950,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 7, 2006

Editor's review

Phantom Wires: A Novel is an English-language novel by Canadian author Arthur Stringer (1874–1950), now released free of charge by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook. Stringer was active in the North American literary world in the early twentieth century, and his works often blend urban adventure, technological imagination, and the tension of popular narrative; the title's "phantom wires" itself hints at a thematic interest in the entanglement of communication technology and hidden forces. As an early English novel that has entered the public domain, its value lies not only in the story itself but also in offering readers a sample for observing the landscape of early twentieth-century English popular literature and early technological imagination. In terms of reading scenarios, it works well as lightweight material for reading in the original English, advanced in segments during fragmented time such as commuting or before bed; it is also suitable for scholars of literary history or genre fiction to browse as a period text sample. One caveat: the Project Gutenberg materials provide only bibliographic and classification information, with no modern introduction or notes, so readers must grasp the period context and language conventions on their own.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy popular fiction in the original English and want free public-domain books to practice reading
Literature enthusiasts interested in early twentieth-century North American literature and technological imagination
Learners who need English extensive reading material and can accept old-fashioned English expression
Readers studying early genre fiction and the public-domain ebook ecosystem

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for a Chinese translation or modern annotations for support
Those who prefer strong plots and fast-paced contemporary suspense and lack patience for older narrative styles
Rigorous researchers who need authoritative textual collation or scholarly introductions

Reading tips

Read through the first two chapters to establish character relationships and the period background, then proceed chapter by chapter.
Mark old-fashioned expressions or unfamiliar words first, then look them up together after finishing a chapter to avoid interrupting the rhythm.
Read alongside background materials on early twentieth-century North American society and communication technology for comparison.
Adjust font size and line spacing on an e-reader, and break down longer sentences into segments when there are many.

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 Project Gutenberg materials, the book's language is English (Language: English), and the main text is the original English, not a Chinese translation. Chinese readers need some English reading ability or should use a dictionary and supporting tools while reading.

Does the Project Gutenberg edition have notes or an introduction?

The materials show that the book is a free ebook released by Project Gutenberg, providing only bibliographic information such as author, language, classification, and release date; no modern introduction, notes, or collation are mentioned. Readers who need background knowledge must consult relevant period materials themselves.

What literary category does this book belong to?

The materials mark its classification as PS, i.e., American and Canadian literature within Language and Literatures. Combined with the Canadian background of author Arthur Stringer, it can be regarded as a novel within the lineage of North American English literature.

Is it suitable for learning English?

It can serve as English extensive reading material, but the book was written fairly early, and its language style is distant from contemporary English, with many long sentences and old-fashioned usages. It is recommended for readers with some reading foundation, focusing on understanding plot and language feel rather than close reading sentence by sentence.

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About the author

Stringer, Arthur, 1874-1950 Author

Stringer, Arthur (1874–1950) was an English-language writer active in the first half of the twentieth century. Public information about him is limited, and details of his life such as nationality and educational background are not clearly recorded. Twelve of his works are held in the collection, covering both fiction and poetry. In fiction, he wrote a series of novels set against the North American prairie, including The Prairie Wife, The Prairie Child and The Prairie Mother, noted for their delicate touch and their attention to family relationships and women's circumstances; he also explored urban suspense and psychological thriller themes in works such as The Wire Tappers, The Shadow and The Man Who Couldn't Sleep, which are tightly plotted and skilled at building tension. His poem Hephaestus, Persephone at Enna, and Sappho in Leucadia shows his taste for classical mythology. Overall, his writing spans popular fiction and poetry, with varied subjects and a plain, readable style.