Unhappy Far-Off Things

Dunsany, Lord, 1878-1957Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 66K words
Chapters: 7

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.Unhappy Far-Off Things by Lord DunsanyAuthor: Dunsany, Lord, 1878-1957,Language: English, Class: D501: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: World War I (1914-1918), Release Date: Oct 21, 2004

Editor's review

This work comes from the Irish writer Lord Dunsany and falls under the history of World War I. It is short in length yet carries wartime memory and personal reflection. Its value lies not in grand narrative but in its literary record of the loss and distant pain brought by war, with a somber atmosphere and vivid imagery; it works well as supplementary reading for understanding a literary perspective on the WWI period. At the level of language, it preserves the rhythm and diction of early twentieth-century English prose, making it both a reading experience and a language experience for today's readers. The electronic edition is published by Project Gutenberg, making it easy to search and carry for reading on the go. If you are studying WWI literature, wartime writing, or Dunsany's creative lineage, this small book deserves a place in your view; if you are only seeking light entertainment, it may not suit you.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students and enthusiasts studying WWI literature and wartime writing
Readers interested in the creative lineage of Lord Dunsany
Readers of English prose who need short texts suitable for reading in fragments
Readers attentive to the language style of early twentieth-century English prose

Not a good fit for

General readers hoping for light, entertaining reading
Readers who find war subjects oppressive or off-putting
Beginners unused to early twentieth-century English diction and syntax

Reading tips

Read the opening and ending first to grasp the emotional tone of the whole book, then go back to the middle sections.
Read alongside background materials on WWI history to understand the references in the text.
Read only a small section at a time, leaving time to savor the language and imagery.
Mark unfamiliar words first, then look them up together after finishing a whole passage.

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 a novel or prose?

From the available information, it is classified under the history of World War I, and its genre is closer to wartime observations and reflections written in a literary style than to a full-length novel with a complete plot. For the specific form of its chapters, consult the main text of the e-book.

How difficult is the English, and is it suitable as English reading material?

The language belongs to the style of early twentieth-century English prose, with rather long sentences and more elegant diction; it is not an entry-level text. Readers with some English foundation who are willing to read slowly can try it; beginners are advised to start with an introduction or a bilingual edition.

Do I need to know WWI history first?

Systematic knowledge is not necessary, but understanding the general timeline of WWI and the social atmosphere of the wartime period will help you grasp the emotions and references in the text. You may read a brief overview of WWI background before entering the main text.

What are some tips for reading the e-book?

The Project Gutenberg edition is easy to search and lets you adjust the font size. It is recommended to use reading software that supports annotation, note unfamiliar words and thoughts as you go, and review your annotations after finishing to form your own reading notes.

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About the author

Dunsany, Lord, 1878-1957 Author

Lord Dunsany (1878–1957) was an Irish writer, born Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, known for fantasy and imaginative fiction. Seventeen of his works are held in this collection, including A Dreamer's Tales, The Book of Wonder, The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories, Tales of Three Hemispheres, The Gods of Pegana, Five Plays, Fifty-One Tales, and Time and the Gods. His short fiction often builds self-contained mythologies and invented worlds, marked by rich imagination, a fable-like tone, and restrained, poetic prose; he frequently writes of gods, dreams, distant lands, and fate. He is regarded as one of the forerunners of modern fantasy literature and an influence on later fantasy writing. Public information is limited, so details of his life and honors are not discussed here.