Sleeping Fires: a Novel

Atherton, Gertrude Franklin Horn, 1857-1948Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 292K words
Chapters: 30

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.Sleeping Fires: a Novel by Gertrude Franklin Horn AthertonAuthor: Atherton, Gertrude Franklin Horn, 1857-1948,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 1, 2004

Editor's review

Sleeping Fires is a novel by Gertrude Atherton, part of the Project Gutenberg public-domain American literature corpus. Atherton was known for her female perspective and social observation, and the value of this work lies in giving readers access to the narrative character of American fiction from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century: behind the character relationships and emotional tension often lie discussions of social class, marriage conventions, and gender roles. As a public-domain ebook, it is better suited as supplementary reading for the history of American literature than as a plot-driven popular novel. When reading, pay attention to how the narrator portrays women's circumstances and how the novel reflects the ethos of the era through private emotions. Because this edition lacks a modern introduction and notes, first-time readers need some experience with English-language fiction and a willingness to fill in the author's and era's background on their own.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying the history of American literature and late nineteenth-century fiction
Literary enthusiasts interested in women's writing and gender issues
Researchers or students who need public-domain English fiction texts
English-language readers who enjoy slow-paced narratives of character relationships

Not a good fit for

Readers of popular fiction seeking strong plots and fast pacing
Beginners with little experience reading English who need explanatory notes
Readers hoping for a modern introduction and detailed background commentary

Reading tips

First learn about Atherton's era and the background of American women's writing, then enter the text.
While reading, note the main characters' emotional turning points and observe how the narrator evaluates women's choices.
Compare the novel with American women's fiction of the same period, noting differences in the depiction of marriage and class.
When encountering unfamiliar expressions, read through the paragraph first to grasp the tone rather than stopping over every word.

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 novel is this?

According to the source, this is a full-length novel by Gertrude Atherton and part of the Project Gutenberg public-domain American literature corpus. The title and the author's style suggest it leans toward character relationships and social observation rather than strongly plotted genre fiction; for the specific plot, consult the original text.

Is it suitable as a reading for an American literature course?

It can serve as supplementary reading. It provides the public-domain English original and is suitable for reading alongside a literary history course, but it lacks modern notes and an introduction, so instructors will usually need to supply the author's biography, historical background, and textual explication separately.

How difficult is the English?

It is English fiction from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, with syntax more complex than modern works and vocabulary bearing the marks of its era. Readers with experience in English-language fiction can read it through; beginners are advised to use a dictionary and start with chapter summaries.

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About the author

Atherton, Gertrude Franklin Horn, 1857-1948 Author

Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton (1857–1948) was an American novelist, with twenty-six of her works held in this collection. Public information about her life is limited, and biographical details are difficult to verify. Judging from the works available, she excelled in both historical fiction and novels of social manners. The former includes The Conqueror: Being the True and Romantic Story of Alexander Hamilton, which reimagines a founding figure of the United States in a biographical mode. The latter, such as Patience Sparhawk and Her Times, The Californians, The Sisters-in-Law, Mrs. Balfame, and Black Oxen, draw on California life and contemporary urban society, with a sharp edge that often engages marriage, women's circumstances, and social class. The story collection The Bell in the Fog and Other Stories shows her command of Gothic and psychological suspense. Her narrative combines realism with romance and vivid characterization, making her a noteworthy figure in the study of American women's writing from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century.