When the Owl Cries

Paul Alexander BartlettProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 366K words
Chapters: 37

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 the Owl Cries by Paul Alexander BartlettAuthor: Bartlett, Paul Alexander, 1909-1990,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jul 15, 2012

Editor's review

This novel comes from the American writer Paul Alexander Bartlett and is released free in its original English by Project Gutenberg under the category of American and Canadian literature. The work is short and slow-paced, carrying the temper of mid-twentieth-century American serious fiction; it attends to the tension between characters' inner lives and their circumstances rather than relying on strong plot. Readers used to contemporary genre fiction may need some patience at the start, but those willing to slow down will feel how the author builds atmosphere and relationships within a limited length. As a public-domain e-book, it is better suited as supplementary reading for understanding the creative landscape of minor and mid-level twentieth-century American writers, or for English literature reading practice. Readers are advised to treat it as a quiet short journey rather than a seeker of dramatic entertainment. The English original demands some language ability; Chinese readers may enter with a dictionary or a bilingual edition.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English learners who want to practice reading with public-domain English novels
Readers interested in non-bestselling twentieth-century American writers
Readers who prefer slow-paced fiction rich in atmosphere and inner portrayal
Teachers who need short English texts for book clubs or classroom discussion

Not a good fit for

Readers of genre fiction who want strong plot, fast pace, and clear gratification
Ordinary readers not yet proficient in English who prefer a Chinese translation
Academic readers who need detailed author biography and background research materials

Reading tips

First read through without looking up words to grasp the relationships and overall atmosphere, then return to unfamiliar words.
After each chapter, retell what happened in two or three sentences to check whether you have followed the narrative.
Read alongside background material on the American literature of the author's time to help understand the work's tone.
For book clubs, design discussion questions around character motivation and the open ending.

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?

According to the information, the book is released by Project Gutenberg in English under the category of American and Canadian literature, so it is an original English e-book and requires some English reading ability.

What kind of publisher is Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg is the earliest project providing free e-books, founded by Michael Hart in 1971 and dedicated to producing and distributing free e-books. The book is therefore a public-domain free e-book, not a new title from a traditional commercial publisher.

Do I need to know the author before reading?

The information gives only the author's birth and death years and the title, with no detailed biography. Ordinary readers need not study the author in advance and can go straight into the text; those who want more can look up the author's background afterward to supplement their understanding.

Is this book suitable for learning English?

As an English novel, it can be used for English reading practice, but the information does not state its language difficulty. English learners are advised to try the first few pages, judge whether the density of unfamiliar words and sentence patterns suits them, and then decide whether to read it through or use a bilingual edition.

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About the author

Paul Alexander Bartlett Author · American · 1909–1990

Paul Alexander Bartlett (1909–1990) was an American writer and artist born in Moberly, Missouri. He wrote novels, short stories, and poetry, with subjects ranging from personal spiritual experience to historical imagination: Sappho's Journal and Christ's Journal use the diary form to imagine the inner lives of ancient figures, while Voices from the Past and When the Owl Cries continue his interest in character and memory. He also recorded more than 350 Mexican haciendas in pen-and-ink sketches and photographs; published in 1990, The Haciendas of Mexico: An Artist's Record became an important source for the history and art of these estates. Public information on his life and creative career is limited, and existing accounts center on these works.