The Unbidden Guest

Hornung, E. W. (Ernest William), 1866-1921Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 317K words
Chapters: 32

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 Unbidden Guest by E. W. HornungAuthor: Hornung, E. W. (Ernest William), 1866-1921,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jul 11, 2016

Editor's review

This work is by the English writer E. W. Hornung and belongs to the public-domain English literature category, distributed free by Project Gutenberg. Hornung is known for ingenious plotting and atmospheric writing. This book revolves around "the unbidden guest," and the title itself hints at the disturbance of order and suspense brought by an unexpected intruder. For readers curious about the flavor of English popular fiction from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century, this is a light and enjoyable sample: it is not long, is clearly plot-driven, and serves well as an introductory read for understanding the narrative tastes of the period. When reading, it is worth noting the period feel of the dialogue and the descriptions of social etiquette; these often reveal the social psychology of the time more than the plot itself. Because it is a public-domain e-book, the text is presented as originally published, without modern annotations, so readers need a certain foundation in English. Overall, it is better suited as leisure reading for literature lovers or extensive reading material for English learners than as a core text for academic research.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature lovers who enjoy late nineteenth-century English popular fiction and want light extensive reading
Learners with some English foundation who hope to improve their language sense through original short fiction
Readers interested in public-domain e-books and Project Gutenberg who enjoy exploring lesser-known works

Not a good fit for

Beginners who need modern annotations and introductions to read original English smoothly
Serious literary researchers expecting deep social critique or complex narrative structures

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot, then read again to note period expressions and social details in the dialogue.
Prepare a simple English dictionary or electronic look-up tool, and record unfamiliar expressions as you go.
Read alongside other works by Hornung to observe his habitual techniques in building suspense and shaping characters.

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

How difficult is the English in this book?

It is late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century popular English fiction, with longer sentences and some vocabulary that is uncommon today; the overall difficulty is moderate to moderately high. Readers with college-level English or long experience reading original fiction can finish it fairly smoothly. Beginners are advised to use a dictionary and slow down.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free public-domain e-books, presented as originally published, usually without modern editorial notes, introductions, or translation. The advantage is easy access and fidelity to the original; the disadvantage is the lack of supporting material, so readers must handle historical context and unfamiliar words on their own.

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About the author

Hornung, E. W. (Ernest William), 1866-1921 Author

E. W. Hornung (Ernest William Hornung, 1866–1921) was a British author best known for creating the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles. The collection here holds twenty-nine of his works, including the Raffles stories such as The Amateur Cracksman, Raffles: Further Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman and A Thief in the Night, as well as crime and adventure novels like Stingaree and Dead Men Tell No Tales, and Notes of a Camp-Follower on the Western Front, based on his experiences in the First World War. His writing is brisk and neatly plotted, with a polished tone suited to characters who live on the edge of the law, and it holds a place in the traditions of crime and adventure fiction. Public information about his life is limited, so this introduction concentrates on his subjects and style.