The Gold Brick

Stephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia), 1810-1886Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 797K words
Chapters: 80

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 Gold Brick by Ann S. Stephens. Author: Stephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia), 1810–1886. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: November 29, 2010

Editor's review

Ann S. Stephens was a prolific nineteenth-century American writer of popular fiction, and The Gold Brick continues her style of tight plotting and mounting suspense, building its story around the lure of wealth and the fates of its characters. As a public-domain popular novel, its value lies first in readability: the chapters move briskly and the conflicts are set up directly, making it a good sample for understanding nineteenth-century American popular narrative. Second, its treatment of monetary desire and moral choice carries a clearly period-specific moral outlook; readers can both enjoy the story and observe how popular literature of the time responded to social anxieties. It should be noted that this is an original English electronic text whose plot and characterizations bear the dramatic traces of serial fiction, so it should not be judged by the standards of serious literature for depth. It is best read as light English extensive-reading material, attending to narrative rhythm and character motivation while noting where period attitudes differ from those of today.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy nineteenth-century British and American popular fiction and want strong plotting
Intermediate English learners who want to use public-domain English novels for extensive reading practice
Researchers of American popular literature and serial narrative
Readers who need light reading for commutes or bedtime

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer tightly structured literary works and deep psychological portrayal
Readers still at the beginning of English reading who need annotations or translations
Readers impatient with the dramatic plotting of serial fiction

Reading tips

Read chapter by chapter and sum up the plot in one or two sentences at the end of each chapter to keep the threads clear.
Divide unfamiliar words into those that affect comprehension and those that do not; skip the latter for now to keep reading fluently.
After finishing, review character motivation and the money theme and write a short response to sort out the period's attitudes.
If using the book for English study, select a passage of dialogue for close reading and analyze the characters' tone and word choice.

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 a complete story or an excerpt?

According to the available information, this is a complete ebook released by Project Gutenberg and a full work. Readers can start from the beginning; if reading on an electronic device, it is advisable to check the table of contents first to see the scale of the chapters and then plan daily reading amounts, so as not to abandon it midway because of its length.

What English level is the difficulty suited to?

It is nineteenth-century popular-fiction prose: the narration is straightforward, but the vocabulary and syntax carry period features, making the overall difficulty moderate. Readers with roughly CET-4-level reading ability who are used to reading original novels will find it suitable; beginners are advised to start with a simplified edition or use a dictionary to avoid losing the pleasure of reading through too many unfamiliar words.

What should readers note about a public-domain book?

A public-domain book is a work whose copyright has expired; it can be freely read and circulated, but the quality of editions varies. This is an electronic text and may contain differences in formatting or punctuation; when reading, focus on understanding the plot and do not worry about minor details. When quoting the text, check a reliable edition rather than relying on individual differences in the electronic text.

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About the author

Stephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia), 1810-1886 Author

Ann S. Stephens (1810–1886) was a nineteenth-century American writer of popular fiction. Public information about her life is limited and biographical details are hard to verify, but the twelve works held in the collection reveal the range of her writing. Malaeska: The Indian Wife of the White Hunter, told from the perspective of a white hunter's wife, is regarded as an important early example of the dime novel; Fashion and Famine and The Old Homestead focus on family morality and the ways of the world; Sybil Chase or, The Valley Ranche moves the story to California with a flavor of frontier romance; and Phemie Frost's Experiences is lighter in tone, close to travel narrative and humorous sketch. Her writing draws mainly on family, marriage, the frontier, and urban and rural life, with intricate plots and strong sentiment, aimed at ordinary readers and combining moral instruction with entertainment. The collection classifies her work under inspirational growth, reflecting its concern with personal destiny and moral choice.