The Morgesons: A Novel

Elizabeth Drew Barstow StoddardProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 556K words
Chapters: 56

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 Morgesons: A Novel by Elizabeth StoddardAuthor: Stoddard, Elizabeth, 1823-1902,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: May 1, 2004

Editor's review

The Morgesons is a novel by nineteenth-century American writer Elizabeth Stoddard, long overlooked by literary history yet well worth rereading for its austere portrayal of women's inner lives and family relations. Set in a small New England town, it follows the growth, courtships, and awakening self-awareness of the two Morgeson sisters; the narrative perspective is sharp and the dialogue edged, forming a stark contrast with the gentle women's fiction of its time. Stoddard does not shy away from desire, poverty, or the darker sides of family power, and the book reads with an untamed temperament. This is Project Gutenberg's public-domain English ebook, suitable as supplementary reading in American literature courses on women's writing and regional literature, and for readers interested in nineteenth-century American fiction. As it is an early English-language original, reading it alongside background notes or an introduction is advised to appreciate its narrative experimentation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and students of nineteenth-century American literature and women's writing
English-language readers who enjoy family novels set in New England
Readers seeking works by women writers overlooked by the mainstream canon
Literary enthusiasts with some ability to read English originals

Not a good fit for

General readers who need a Chinese translation or bilingual edition
Readers who prefer fast-paced genre fiction with clear plotting
Those uncomfortable with nineteenth-century English expression and narrative conventions

Reading tips

Read an introduction to Stoddard and the context of American women's writing before starting the text.
Keep pen and paper to note the contrast between the two sisters' temperaments and fates, which helps track the narrative threads.
When encountering unfamiliar New England dialect or period usage, read through the paragraph first and look it up afterward.
After finishing, compare it with women's fiction of the same era to see how its narrative attitude differs.

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 the original English?

This is the public-domain English ebook released by Project Gutenberg; the text is in English with no Chinese translation. Chinese readers will need some English reading ability or a dictionary and introduction to assist them.

Can I understand it without background in nineteenth-century American literature?

Yes, but it helps to first learn about New England society and the common themes of women's writing of the time. The narrative is austere and somewhat discontinuous, so without background knowledge the character relationships can seem obscure; an introduction makes it much smoother.

Is this book suitable as course material?

It works well as supplementary reading for courses on American literature or women's writing. It is moderate in length, focused in its themes, and in the public domain, making it easy for students to obtain. Teachers should, however, provide explanation of the historical background and difficult passages.

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About the author

Elizabeth Drew Barstow Stoddard Author · American · 1823–1902

Elizabeth Drew Barstow Stoddard (1823–1902) was an American poet and novelist born in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. She wrote the novel The Morgesons (1862), set in New England, which explores women's pursuit of autonomy and passion. Her other works include Two Men and Temple House, and her poems were collected in 1895 as Poems. Her writing often draws on New England local life and focuses on women's inner worlds and emotional predicaments, with careful detail and a style marked by realism and psychological portraiture. Three of her works are held in this collection: The Morgesons, Lemorne Versus Huell, and Poems. Public information is limited, making a full account of her life and work difficult, yet these works already show her distinctive place in nineteenth-century American women's writing.