The Co-Citizens

Harris, Corra, 1869-1935Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 237K words
Chapters: 24

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 Co-Citizens by Corra HarrisAuthor: Harris, Corra, 1869-1935,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jan 8, 2010

Editor's review

The Co-Citizens is a novel by the American writer Cora Harris (1869–1935), digitized by Project Gutenberg and circulating as a free e-book. Harris grew up in the American South, and her work often attends to the human and moral texture of Southern society; this book continues in that vein, building its narrative around responsibility, prejudice, and reconciliation among people in a community, and it carries a strong regional flavor and a moral, reflective bent. As an early English novel in the public domain, its value lies not only in literary reading but also in offering a primary text for studying early twentieth-century Southern American social attitudes. For Chinese readers, it works well as extensive reading in original English: the length and language difficulty are moderate, and background material can help clarify its historical context. When reading, pay attention to the social attitudes revealed in characters' dialogue rather than merely following the plot; only then can one appreciate the author's thinking on the theme of the "co-citizen."

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers who enjoy Southern American literature and want to expand their reading of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century fiction
Students and self-learners who need free public-domain English texts for extensive reading practice
Research-oriented readers interested in Southern American social history and local ethical questions
Literature lovers who want to experience original English narrative in a short format

Not a good fit for

Readers of popular fiction expecting fast-paced plots or strong dramatic conflict
Beginning learners with weak English reading skills who need Chinese annotations
Readers completely unfamiliar with early Southern American social context who are unwilling to consult reference materials

Reading tips

Begin with the book information and table of contents on the Project Gutenberg page to grasp the story's framework before entering the main text.
After each chapter, summarize changes in character relationships in one or two sentences to avoid confusion over character threads.
Look up regional expressions or historical terms as you go; there is no need to agonize over every word.
Read it alongside works by Southern American writers of the same period to understand its regional writing characteristics.

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? What English level is it suitable for?

This is the original English edition, provided free by Project Gutenberg. The language belongs to the style of early twentieth-century English fiction: sentences are long but the vocabulary is not especially difficult, making it suitable for readers with college-level English reading ability or who can finish a general English novel with a dictionary. Beginners are advised to start with simplified versions or read alongside a Chinese translation.

What is the background of the author Cora Harris?

Cora Harris (1869–1935) was an American writer whose works often drew on Southern American life and social ethics. This book belongs to that vein. The available materials do not provide further biographical details; readers who wish to know more should consult reliable literary histories or biographies, and should not infer the author's life solely from this book.

What should I pay attention to when reading a public-domain e-book?

The Project Gutenberg edition is a free public-domain text and may have plain formatting and no annotations. It is advisable to use reading software that supports word lookup and bookmarks, and to note the edition information. Public-domain books involve no licensing issues, but sources and editions should still be cited in quotations to meet academic standards.

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About the author

Harris, Corra, 1869-1935 Author · American · 1869–1935

Corra Harris (1869–1935) was an American novelist and essayist. Public information about her life is limited, and her writing is chiefly set against the background of rural life in the American South. Her representative works, A Circuit Rider's Wife and The Co-Citizens, both draw on Southern country society, with delicate prose that emphasizes inner life and local color. Her fiction often takes ethical and emotional conflicts in everyday life as its thread, showing a sustained attention to Southern tradition and rural human relationships. Two of her works are held in this collection. On the whole, Harris depicts the spiritual character of the Southern countryside through plain narrative, earning her a place in the regional writing of Southern American literature.