The Everlasting Arms

Hocking, Joseph, 1860-1937Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 613K words
Chapters: 62

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 Everlasting Arms by Joseph Hocking. Author: Hocking, Joseph, 1860-1937. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Mar 20, 2012.

Editor's review

Joseph Hocking was a prolific British novelist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The title The Everlasting Arms is drawn from religious imagery, and the story typically revolves around trials of faith, moral dilemmas, and the ups and downs of ordinary people's lives. Hocking's works are straightforward in plot and full of emotion, bearing the distinct mark of late-Victorian popular fiction; he was skilled at weaving family ethics and spiritual struggle into everyday scenes, making them warm and immersive to read. This edition is a free Project Gutenberg eBook, easy to obtain and suitable as supplementary reading for understanding British fiction on religious themes of the period. While reading, note how the author handles his characters' inner conflicts of belief and how the narrative pace shifts between domestic matters and momentous choices. Note that this is the original English edition, and its subject matter carries an unmistakably period religious context; modern readers should view it with a historical eye.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in late-Victorian British fiction and religious themes
Literature lovers who wish to expand their English reading through public-domain eBooks
Readers studying themes of faith and ethics in popular fiction
General readers who prefer character-driven emotional writing and steady narrative pacing

Not a good fit for

Readers distinctly averse to religious topics who wish to avoid such contexts
Readers who need fast-paced modern plots and lack patience for slow exposition
Beginners with weak English reading skills who rely on Chinese translations

Reading tips

Gain a basic sense of the common meaning of the religious imagery in the title before starting the text; it will make for smoother reading.
Proceed chapter by chapter, noting at the end of each chapter how the characters' beliefs or circumstances change.
Read domestic scenes alongside momentous choices to observe how the author reveals the large through the small.
If the religious background is unfamiliar, read introductory material before returning to the text.

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 does the title The Everlasting Arms mean?

The title comes from the image of "everlasting arms" in a religious context, usually symbolizing the support and shelter provided by faith. Given Hocking's recurring themes, the book most likely centers on characters relying on faith in times of trouble; the specific meaning should be judged by the original plot.

Is this book suitable for readers unfamiliar with its religious background?

It can be read, but some mental preparation is needed. The novel carries a distinctly period religious context, and unfamiliar readers may feel alienated by some of the discussions. It is best read with the aim of understanding late-19th-century British society and popular fiction, without needing to agree with its views.

What is the reading experience of the electronic edition like?

The Project Gutenberg edition is a plain-text public-domain eBook, convenient for downloading, searching, and taking notes, but it has no modern annotations or introduction. When questions about historical or religious background arise while reading, you will need to look up supplementary material yourself.

What common features do Hocking's works share?

Hocking was a prolific British novelist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his works often revolve around faith, morality, and family ethics, with straightforward plots and abundant emotion. This book can serve as a sample for understanding his style, but it should not be judged harshly by modern literary standards.

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About the author

Hocking, Joseph, 1860-1937 Author

Joseph Hocking (1860-1937) was an English writer active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Public information about his life and nationality is limited, and the library currently holds twelve of his works. The surviving titles suggest a prolific author with wide-ranging subjects. Representative works include The Day of Judgment, The Everlasting Arms, The Weapons of Mystery and The Man Who Rose Again, alongside Mistress Nancy Molesworth: A Tale of Adventure, Tommy, The Birthright and The Pomp of Yesterday. The titles point to a blend of adventure stories, suspenseful plots and moral or religious themes, with brisk narration and characters often placed amid tests and choices. His fiction combines the readability of popular novels with serious concerns, and may interest readers of late Victorian and Edwardian popular English literature.