Star-Crossed Lover

William W. StuartProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 41K words
Chapters: 5

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.Star-Crossed Lover by William W. StuartAuthor: Stuart, William W.,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 12, 2016

Editor's review

Star-Crossed Lover is a short work by William W. Stuart, made available as a public-domain e-book by Project Gutenberg. Judging from the title and its classification, it falls within American and Canadian literature; it is short enough to read in one sitting. Stuart's writing appeared mostly in the context of popular magazines, with direct narration and fast-moving plots that carry the flavor of mid-twentieth-century English-language popular fiction. The title borrows the motif of lovers thwarted by fate; readers may note how the author handles the tension among encounter, obstacle, and ending, and how popular narrative achieves characterization within a limited length. Its value lies not in grand literary ambition but in offering a light yet suspenseful reading sample, suitable as English extensive-reading material or as a reference for understanding how popular short stories are written. Given the limited information available, the specific plot and characters should not be guessed at; the original text should be consulted.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Intermediate English learners who want to practice extensive reading with short original English works
Readers interested in mid-twentieth-century English-language popular fiction
Readers who need a light read they can finish during a commute or before bed
Readers who enjoy the motif of love in conflict with fate and are willing to see how a short story handles it

Not a good fit for

Serious literary readers expecting in-depth literary analysis and complex narrative structures
Beginner learners with limited English vocabulary who need sentence-by-sentence translation support
Readers who prefer long epics or series
Readers who dislike the plot conventions of popular magazine fiction

Reading tips

Read through in one go first to grasp the overall plot, then revisit the opening and turning points to appreciate the short story's structure.
While reading, note the character relationships and key conflicts, and after finishing, retell the main storyline in your own words.
Copy out unfamiliar expressions and look them up together afterward, which helps maintain reading rhythm better than stopping at every sentence.
If using it for English study, try writing a short English summary after finishing to test your comprehension.

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

About how long is this work, and how long does it take to finish?

Judging from the form of the public-domain e-book, it is a short story, usually finishable in one or two reading sessions. The exact number of pages depends on the layout and reading device. It is advisable to set aside half an hour to an hour, read through first and then revisit, rather than planning for the pace of a full-length novel.

What does "Star-Crossed" in the title mean?

"Star-crossed" comes from astrological language, meaning thwarted by the stars, ill-fated, and is often used to describe lovers whose union is thwarted by external obstacles. The phrase became widely known through Shakespeare's works. While reading, note whether the obstacles in the story come from fate, society, or the characters' own choices.

Is it suitable for learning English?

It can serve as intermediate extensive reading material. Its narrative language is popular in style, the sentences are not long-winded, and the plot can sustain reading interest. However, the public-domain e-book has no annotations or vocabulary lists, so it is recommended to use dictionary software alongside and keep new-word notes to a minimum so as not to hinder overall comprehension.

Is the content suitable for young readers?

The available information does not provide detailed plot or content-rating information, so no judgment can be made on that basis. Parents or teachers should read it through themselves first to confirm whether the subject matter and descriptions suit a particular age group before recommending it to young readers.

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About the author

William W. Stuart Author

William W. Stuart was a science fiction writer active in the early 1960s. Public information about his life is limited, and neither his nationality nor his birth and death dates can be confirmed. His short stories appeared in magazines such as Galaxy and If, with notable titles including "Inside John Barth," "The Real Hard Sell," "Star-Crossed Lover," "The Little Man Who Wasn't Quite," and "A Husband for My Wife"; five of his works are held in this collection. These stories often carry a satirical and humorous tone, using everyday situations or identity-swap premises to create absurd effects and unfolding brisk imaginative turns within the short-story form. His work was later included in various science fiction anthologies and has continued to circulate through digitization by Project Gutenberg, offering readable examples for the study of magazine science fiction from that period.