The Trail Horde

Charles Alden SeltzerProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 474K words
Chapters: 48

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 Trail Horde by Charles Alden SeltzerAuthor: Seltzer, Charles Alden, 1875-1942,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jan 7, 2006

Editor's review

The Trail Horde is a Western novel by the American writer Charles Alden Seltzer (1875–1942), made available as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg. Seltzer was known for Western adventure stories, and this book follows the basic contours of the genre: ranches, riders, frontier order and conflict form its narrative skeleton. As a specimen of early twentieth-century American popular fiction, its value lies not only in the tension of its plot but also in the way it presents the era's imagination of the Western frontier and its narrative conventions, making it useful to readers studying Western genre literature. The electronic edition is the original English text, plain in language and brisk in pace, suitable as introductory material for reading a full-length English novel and for reading in segments during commutes or travel. Note that the book was written long ago, and its characterizations and depictions of ethnic groups carry the limitations of its time; readers should read it with a critical eye, as a text for understanding the evolution of genre literature rather than as a historical record.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Western films and frontier adventure stories
Learners who want to practice reading a full-length English novel through popular fiction
Readers studying American Western genre literature and popular publishing
People who need a light, fast-paced read for spare moments

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting rigorous historical research on the West
Those sensitive to ethnic and gender depictions in early works
Readers who prefer literary fiction with nuanced psychological portrayal

Reading tips

Read a chapter or two first to get used to the language rhythm, then proceed chapter by chapter; there is no need to look up every word
Jot down recurring Western images and character types as you go to grasp the conventions as a whole
Read alongside background material on American Western history to distinguish fiction from fact

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?

This is the original 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 translation tools.

Can I read it without prior experience with Western novels?

Yes. Western genre plots are usually fairly direct, character motivations are clear, and the language is not difficult. First-time readers can start with the opening chapters to get used to the narrative rhythm before deciding whether to continue.

Can the content be used directly as historical material?

No. It is popular fiction serving story and entertainment, and its depiction of frontier life carries genre imaginings and period prejudices. To learn about Western history, consult works of history instead.

Comments

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About the author

Charles Alden Seltzer Author · American · 1875–1942

Charles Alden Seltzer (1875–1942) was an American writer of Western fiction, born in Janesville, Wisconsin, and died in Cleveland, Ohio. In his early years he drifted through various jobs and kept writing for more than a decade before getting published. Over his lifetime he wrote about forty Western novels and a large number of short stories. Set mostly on the Western frontier, his works are tightly plotted and action-driven; representative titles include The Two-Gun Man, The Trail to Yesterday, and The Range Boss, and several were adapted into films. The library holds ten of his works, commonly classified under inspirational growth. In his later years he served as mayor of North Olmsted, Ohio.