The Broken Bough

AnonymousProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.3

Word count: 13K words
Chapters: 2

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.The Broken Bough by AnonymousAuthor: Anonymous,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Sep 24, 2011

Editor's review

The Broken Bough is an English juvenile work of fiction, reprinted by Project Gutenberg and attributed to an anonymous author, classified under juvenile belles lettres. As a public-domain ebook, its value lies first in the accessibility of the text and its significance as a historical specimen: readers can use it to observe narrative motifs and moral concerns common in early English children's literature, such as family, growing up, accident, and repair. Because the author is unknown and original publication details are limited, it should be read as a period text rather than a classic by a famous author, with attention to its language style and plot structure rather than to research on the author's life. Its length and style make it suitable as light reading material, usable for extensive reading in English study or as a supplementary sample for research on the history of children's literature and the circulation of public-domain books. It is suggested to read with questions in mind: how the story handles setback and growth, and how the narrator speaks to young readers.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English learners who want extensive reading of English public-domain juvenile literature
Researchers studying motifs and narrative in early children's literature
Teachers who need light English texts as classroom supplementary materials
Readers interested in Project Gutenberg public-domain books

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking famous classics or contemporary bestsellers
Readers who want detailed author background and creation history
Adult readers who prefer complex plots and strong-conflict narratives

Reading tips

First read through once to grasp the plot, then revisit the narrative language at key turning points.
Record recurring images and moralizing sentences, and observe the ideas of the period.
As English extensive reading material, read one chapter a day and excerpt new words and sentence patterns.
After reading, compare with similar public-domain juvenile novels and discuss similarities and differences in narrative modes.

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

Does the anonymous author affect reading?

It does not affect reading the text itself, but it limits understanding of the creation background. It is suggested to focus on story structure, language style, and period ideas, and to view it as a specimen in the history of children's literature rather than relying on the author's life to interpret the work.

Is this book suitable for learning English?

It can be used as extensive reading material. Its language bears traces of its period, and sentence patterns and word choice differ from modern English, so it suits learners who already have some foundation. It is suggested to read with a dictionary, excerpt new words and typical sentence patterns, and note the difference between old expressions and contemporary usage.

What type of work is it?

According to Project Gutenberg's classification, it belongs to juvenile literature and is a public-domain ebook. Its content revolves around growth and family themes for young readers and carries the moral-education flavor common in early children's literature, making it suitable as an introductory sample for understanding such texts.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is a collective designation used in English-language publishing for works whose authorship is unknown or unsigned, rather than the real name of a single author. The 716 titles attributed to this name include the Gospel of John, Psalms, Romans, Luke, Philippians, and 1 Corinthians from the World English Bible, as well as the Gospel of John and Psalms from the King James Version. Such texts are mainly religious classics and ancient folk traditions that were copied, translated, and compiled over long periods, making their original authors difficult to trace; they therefore circulated anonymously. Public information is limited, and neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be confirmed. The significance of anonymity lies in focusing attention on the works themselves rather than on authorial identity, and in reminding readers of the collective and variable nature of texts in transmission.