Plashers Mead: A Novel

Sir Edward Montague Compton MackenzieProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 633K words
Chapters: 64

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. Plashers Mead: A Novel by Compton MacKenzie. Author: MacKenzie, Compton, 1883-1972. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Jul 20, 2010

Editor's review

Plashers Mead is a novel by the Scottish writer Compton Mackenzie, now released as a free electronic edition by Project Gutenberg and in the public domain as a work of English literature. Mackenzie was active in the early twentieth century, and his fiction often portrays English country and town life with a delicate touch, focusing on characters caught between tradition and new ideas. Titled after the place name Plashers Mead, the story unfolds around this setting and will appeal to readers curious about the shape of the early twentieth-century English novel. The electronic edition is easy to search and carry, making it a light entry point into public-domain English literature. As you read, note the author's laying out of everyday scenes and his restrained depiction of his characters' inner lives, and appreciate the unhurried narrative rhythm of the period. Because the text is in the original English, it is best suited to readers with some English reading ability, who may wish to use annotation tools for support.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-speaking readers who enjoy early twentieth-century English fiction
Literature enthusiasts studying Compton Mackenzie's work
Learners who need public-domain English texts for reading practice
Readers who prefer rural and small-town settings and leisurely pacing

Not a good fit for

General readers hoping for a Chinese translation
Readers seeking a strong plot and fast-paced storytelling
Beginners with weak English who need extensive annotations

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to get used to the language and character relationships before deciding on a pace for the rest.
Keep an electronic dictionary or annotation tool handy to look up unfamiliar words and period expressions.
Read alongside other works by Mackenzie to observe changes in his subjects and technique.
After finishing, return to the place name in the title and consider its symbolic role in the narrative.

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?

This is the original English edition, released as a free electronic text by Project Gutenberg. The language is English, and it is a public-domain work of English literature, suited to readers with some English reading ability.

What is Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg is the earliest project providing free electronic books. Founded by Michael Hart in 1971, it digitizes public-domain books and makes them freely available; this book is one of the electronic texts it has released.

Do I need to know the author's background to read it?

Not necessarily. The novel can be read on its own, but knowing the early twentieth-century English literary context in which Mackenzie worked can help you appreciate his delicate depiction of everyday life and his restrained presentation of his characters' inner lives.

Comments

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About the author

Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie Author · Scottish · 1883–1972

Compton Mackenzie (1883–1972), formally Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie, was a Scottish novelist and playwright. Born in West Hartlepool, England, he graduated from Magdalen College, Oxford. He wrote more than a hundred books, including the two-volume Sinister Street, The Early Life and Adventures of Sylvia Scarlett, The Altar Steps, Rich Relatives, Poor Relations, Guy and Pauline and Plashers Mead: A Novel. His fiction often deals with young people coming of age in the city, family ties and local life, in a style both realistic and satirical. In 1923 he founded The Gramophone, and he was a co-founder of the Scottish National Party. He was awarded the OBE in 1919, was knighted in 1952, and died in Edinburgh in 1972.