When A Man's A Man

Harold Bell WrightProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 492K words
Chapters: 50

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.When A Man's A Man by Harold Bell WrightAuthor: Wright, Harold Bell, 1872-1944,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Dec 16, 2004

Editor's review

Harold Bell Wright was a popular American novelist of the early twentieth century, whose works often center on moral conflict and personal growth. When A Man's A Man tells just such a story about manhood and self-proving. Through the protagonist's experiences in a Western setting, the book explores how qualities such as integrity, responsibility, and courage are tested in hardship. Wright's narrative style is direct and forceful, the plot moves briskly, and the characterization carries a distinct moral-allegory flavor, making it a useful sample for understanding early American popular literary taste. As a free electronic text from Project Gutenberg, the book is easily accessible and convenient to read on electronic devices at any time. For readers studying the evolution of American popular fiction, or those wishing to encounter early twentieth-century English narrative in an accessible way, this is a work of moderate length with a clear theme. While reading, note how the author conveys value judgments through his characters' choices, and what function the Western background serves in popular literature.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary enthusiasts interested in early twentieth-century American popular fiction
Readers who want to understand the American Western narrative tradition through English originals
Intermediate and advanced learners who need short English readings for reading practice
Writing researchers interested in moral-allegory-style characterization

Not a good fit for

Avant-garde literary readers who prefer contemporary experimental or structurally complex narratives
Academic researchers seeking rigorous historical research or social analysis
Learners still at the beginning stage of English reading who would struggle with early English expression

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to grasp the protagonist's situation and the central conflict, then read through as the plot advances, avoiding giving up midway because of the moralizing tone.
While reading, note each of the protagonist's key decisions and observe how the author shapes his character through actions rather than discussion.
You may understand the setting in light of the basic features of American Western popular literature, but do not expect too much historical realism.
If using it for English study, choose the electronic edition and keep a dictionary handy, paying attention to differences between dialogue and narrative sentence patterns.

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

What English level is this book suitable for?

This is an early twentieth-century English popular novel. The sentence structures are generally direct, but there are period expressions and some dialect-flavored dialogue. It is suitable for readers with CET-4 or above reading ability, or those able to read long English texts continuously with a dictionary; beginning readers may find the narrative pace and old-fashioned usage difficult.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

This edition belongs to the Project Gutenberg free eBook system and is provided in plain text, easy to open on a computer, phone, or e-reader, and convenient for searching and copying. It does not include modern-publisher introductions, notes, or illustrations, so readers must supplement background knowledge themselves; the publication year in the edition information is a record related to the eBook release, not the original publication date of the work.

Do I need to know American Western history before reading?

Systematic knowledge of Western history is not necessary. The book is closer to moral-allegory popular narrative, and the setting serves to test the characters' moral qualities. A basic impression of the Western development period is enough to help enter the situation; if you expect specific historical events or social conditions, you will need other historical sources, as this book is not suitable as a history reader.

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About the author

Harold Bell Wright Author · American · 1872–1944

Harold Bell Wright (1872–1944) was an American bestselling novelist and a former minister in the Christian Church. His fiction is mostly set in rural life and often shows plain country virtues triumphing over the values of modern industrial civilization; his stories are popular in style and carry a moralizing tone. Representative works such as The Shepherd of the Hills, The Winning of Barbara Worth, The Eyes of the World and When a Man's a Man embody this theme. Ten of his works are held in the collection, including Their Yesterdays, The Uncrowned King, Helen of the Old House and The Calling of Dan Matthews. Public information on the details of his life is limited, but the surviving works show that he was skilled at advancing moral themes through plot, and that he reached a wide popular readership in early twentieth-century America.