The Key Note: A Novel

Burnham, Clara Louise, 1854-1927Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 379K words
Chapters: 38

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 Key Note: A Novel by Clara Louise BurnhamAuthor: Burnham, Clara Louise, 1854-1927,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: May 20, 2016

Editor's review

Clara Louise Burnham (1854–1927) was an American novelist, and The Key Note: A Novel is a full-length work of hers, here prepared by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook. Burnham's works often focus on family relations, moral ideas, and women's circumstances in contemporary American society; this novel likewise drives its narrative through character relationships and inner conflict, and the title's image of the "key note" suggests the book's inquiry into attitudes toward life and value choices. As a sample of American popular fiction from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, its reading value lies mainly in two things: observing how novels of that era handled ethical issues and shaped female characters, and using its clear, flowing narrative language as advanced reading material in the original English. Note that this is a work with a distinct period stamp, and both plot pace and expressed ideas differ from contemporary fiction; readers should read with historical context in mind rather than measure it by today's genre-fiction standards.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature lovers wanting to understand late nineteenth-century American popular fiction
English learners needing public-domain English novels for extensive reading practice
Researchers interested in early American women's writing and gender issues
Readers of original-language books who like character-driven, gently paced narrative

Not a good fit for

Genre-fiction readers seeking strong plots, fast pace, or suspenseful twists
Beginners with weak English who want simple bilingual editions
Readers sensitive to social ideas from a century ago and bothered by period limitations

Reading tips

Read the first few chapters to clarify character relationships, then proceed chapter by chapter to avoid giving up amid a large cast.
Jot down female characters' choices and circumstances as you read; revisiting them at the end will clarify the author's attitude.
Divide new words into "affects understanding" and "can skip," prioritizing plot continuity.
After finishing, look up the author's life and the background of contemporary American fiction to help place the book historically.

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

There is no Chinese translation; is the English hard to read?

The English is typical of late nineteenth-century American fiction: clear narration but long sentences and many period expressions. Readers with university English proficiency (CET-4 or above) willing to look up words can finish it; for easier reading, try a few chapters first.

Is this book suitable for learning English?

It can serve as extensive reading material but not as a sole textbook. Its value is authentic long-form narrative prose that familiarizes literary expression; however, some vocabulary and ideas are outdated, so use it alongside contemporary reading and a dictionary.

Is the electronic edition complete?

This is a public-domain electronic text released by Project Gutenberg; the main text is complete, but original layout, cover, and similar elements may not be preserved. Font and chapter display may vary by device; browse the contents first to confirm the structure.

Comments

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About the author

Burnham, Clara Louise, 1854-1927 Author

Clara Louise Burnham (1854–1927) was an American novelist. Public information about her life and education is limited; what can be confirmed is chiefly the body of novels and stories she left behind. Nine of her works are held in this collection, including Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life, The Key Note: A Novel, Clever Betsy: A Novel, Sweet Clover: A Romance of the White City, Jewel's Story Book, In Apple-Blossom Time: A Fairy-Tale to Date, The Inner Flame: A Novel, and The Opened Shutters: A Novel. Judging from these titles and subtitles, she wrote mainly novels, along with stories for young readers and works with a fairy-tale flavor. Her subjects include family life, emotional relationships, and city scenes, and her tone is gentle, with attention to character and everyday detail. Her works circulated among English-language readers of her time, some were translated, and they remain useful as examples of American popular fiction from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.