myebooksbuy
My Books

The whole shelf

All free summaries — page 904

44,127 public-domain books, summarised. Page 904 of 920.

Cover of Mystery and Confidence: A Tale. Vol. 1

Mystery and Confidence: A Tale. Vol. 1

Elizabeth Sibthorpe Pinchard

The allure of a hidden identity drives this narrative, where a refined stranger enters a quiet village and captures the heart of a guileless young woman. What begins as a pastoral romance quickly shifts into a complex study of trust, social standing, and the heavy weight of secrets.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Niagara, and Other Poems

Niagara, and Other Poems

Benjamin Copeland

The quiet intensity of a spiritual life unfolds here, where nature’s beauty and the human experience of loss are reconciled through a steadfast, unwavering faith.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of Notes and Queries, Number 26, April 27, 1850

Notes and Queries, Number 26, April 27, 1850

Various

This mid-nineteenth-century periodical serves as a communal clearinghouse for historical, etymological, and folk-literary inquiry. It offers a fascinating glimpse into a Victorian culture obsessed with the minutiae of the past and the mechanics of language.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference6 min read
Cover of Notes and Queries, Number 37, July 13, 1850

Notes and Queries, Number 37, July 13, 1850

Various

This mid-nineteenth-century periodical serves as a communal clearinghouse for historical, linguistic, and antiquarian minutiae, bridging the gap between professional scholarship and the curious amateur. It captures a vibrant, collaborative era of intellectual inquiry where no detail—from the etymology of a river to…

History - Modern (1750+)6 min read
Cover of Notes and Queries, Number 39, July 27, 1850

Notes and Queries, Number 39, July 27, 1850

Various

This mid-Victorian periodical serves as a vibrant, collaborative clearinghouse for the curious, where gentlemen scholars and amateur antiquarians gather to exchange historical knowledge and solve obscure intellectual puzzles.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of Notes and Queries, Number 62, January 4, 1851

Notes and Queries, Number 62, January 4, 1851

Various

This mid-century periodical serves as a vital clearinghouse for the curious, where Victorian scholars and laypeople alike exchange obscure historical facts, literary puzzles, and local folklore. It functions as a sprawling, democratic archive of human knowledge.

Classics of Literature6 min read
Cover of Oliver Constable, miller and baker, Vol. 1 (of 3)

Oliver Constable, miller and baker, Vol. 1 (of 3)

Sarah Tytler

A young man returns from university to his family’s traditional mill, sparking a quiet but fierce clash between the value of honest labor and the narrow aspirations of social climbing.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Peter's Pence: Sailor's Knots, Part 8

Peter's Pence: Sailor's Knots, Part 8

W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs

A seasoned sailor encounters a deceptive uncle who turns a quiet visit into a whirlwind of illicit pleasures and clever financial schemes. This tale captures the misadventures of three friends caught in a web of their own greed.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Placebo

Placebo

David Mason

A traveler from a rigid, authoritarian future finds himself stranded in a seemingly primitive, idyllic land, only to discover that his salvation requires a dose of deception from the locals.

Science-Fiction & Fantasy6 min read
Cover of Problem Planet

Problem Planet

R. R. (Russell Robert) Winterbotham

A forced landing on a desolate planet turns into a contest of egos when two stranded men and a mysterious woman struggle to define their own version of civilization.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 105 December 30, 1893

Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 105 December 30, 1893

Various

This collection of weekly satire captures the fraying edges of Victorian confidence, offering a biting, witty critique of a society obsessed with its own manners, politics, and literary trends. It remains a sharp-eyed window into an era that was just beginning to question its own moral and intellectual foundations.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, December 4, 1841

Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, December 4, 1841

Various

The debut volume of this satirical weekly captures the frantic, biting energy of early Victorian London through a kaleidoscope of puns, social critiques, and theatrical absurdities. It remains a snapshot of a society obsessed with status, politics, and the ridiculous.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 99, December 27, 1890

Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 99, December 27, 1890

Various

This collection of Victorian satire captures the frantic, often absurd spirit of 1890s London, blending sharp political wit with the chaotic domestic reality of a nineteenth-century Christmas.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 06, May 7, 1870

Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 06, May 7, 1870

Various

This nineteenth-century periodical offers a sharp-witted, satirical window into the political scandals, social pretensions, and daily irritations of post-Civil War New York. It functions as a comedic mirror held up to the excesses of the Gilded Age.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Quinquepedalian

Quinquepedalian

Piers Anthony

A colossal, multi-brained creature stalks three explorers through an alien forest, forcing a lone survivor to confront the limits of human dominance and the terrifying reality of a superior intelligence.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Recreation by Viscount Grey of Fallodon, K.G

Recreation by Viscount Grey of Fallodon, K.G

Grey of Fallodon, Edward Grey, Viscount

In a world increasingly preoccupied with the pursuit of pleasure, true contentment remains elusive. This meditation on the deliberate cultivation of leisure offers a timeless roadmap for finding genuine, lasting happiness through active, intentional engagement with the world.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Scriptural and Hieroglyphic Observations which were foretold in the years of 1750 & 1792: To which is added a singular account of the emigration of the Jews in 1812

Scriptural and Hieroglyphic Observations which were foretold in the years of 1750 & 1792: To which is added a singular account of the emigration of the Jews in 1812

Francis Moore

This short volume catalogs the anxieties of an era, interpreting historical events and celestial signs as the inevitable heralds of a final, divine transformation of the world.

History - European6 min read
Cover of "Seth"

"Seth"

Frances Hodgson Burnett

A young woman adopts a man’s identity to follow the object of her secret devotion across the ocean, enduring profound isolation in a rugged mining camp. This quiet, haunting tale explores the hidden depths of unrequited love and the heavy price of self-sacrifice.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Sinn Fein: An Illumination

Sinn Fein: An Illumination

P. S. (Patrick Sarsfield) O'Hegarty

A nation does not lose its identity through military defeat alone, but when it surrenders its language, its culture, and its internal reliance for foreign legislative favors.

History - European6 min read
Cover of Spacerogue

Spacerogue

Robert Silverberg

HOOK A lone avenger navigates a galaxy of cruel masters and enslaved creatures, seeking the ultimate retribution against the tyrant who destroyed his home.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Strange waters

Strange waters

Kingsbury Scott

A humble Great Lakes fireman finds his true purpose when the call of history and the chaos of the Great War collide on the open Atlantic. This is a story of grit, loyalty, and the unexpected heroism of an ordinary man.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of Style and the Man

Style and the Man

Meredith Nicholson

Style is an elusive, intimate quality that resists formal instruction, flourishing instead through individual temperament, deep reading, and the patient, painstaking labor of revision.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Subspeciation in the Meadow Mouse, Microtus pennsylvanicus, in Wyoming, Colorado, and Adjacent Areas

Subspeciation in the Meadow Mouse, Microtus pennsylvanicus, in Wyoming, Colorado, and Adjacent Areas

Sydney Anderson

Small, elusive, and tied to the wet margins of the American West, the meadow mouse becomes the subject of a precise, systematic inquiry into how isolation shapes life.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine

Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine

Jean de La Fontaine

These tales of human folly offer a candid, witty, and surprisingly modern exploration of infidelity, vanity, and the chaotic nature of desire. They remain a sharp, irreverent mirror held up to the complexities of the heart.

French Literature7 min read
Cover of The American Missionary

The American Missionary

Various

Faith, education, and social reform intersect in this historical record of late nineteenth-century American missions. It documents a sprawling network of Congregationalist outreach efforts aimed at marginalized populations across the United States.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Bible, King James version, Book 15: Ezra

The Bible, King James version, Book 15: Ezra

Anonymous

A decree from a foreign king sets a displaced people on a journey to reclaim their ancestral home and rebuild their sacred identity. This account of restoration focuses on the tension between divine mandate and the harsh realities of rebuilding a nation.

History - Ancient7 min read
Cover of The child's curiosity book, embellished with cuts

The child's curiosity book, embellished with cuts

Anonymous

A collection of instructional tales designed to guide young readers toward virtue, this work uses cautionary anecdotes and simple rhymes to illustrate the rewards of obedience and the inevitable consequences of mischief.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Delinquent (Vol. IV, No. 5), May, 1914

The Delinquent (Vol. IV, No. 5), May, 1914

Various

This periodical serves as a vital historical record of the early twentieth-century American movement to replace retributive incarceration with rehabilitative, social-work-based reform. It captures a pivotal moment when the modern prison system began to shed its medieval skin.

Law & Criminology6 min read
Cover of The Derelict

The Derelict

W. J. (William J.) Matthews

Stripped of his rank and dignity by a devastating addiction, a disgraced space captain wanders the Martian desert seeking death, only to discover a treasure that could save the civilization that cast him out.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The farm and the woodlot

The farm and the woodlot

J. E. Barton

A well-tended woodlot is not merely a collection of trees, but a living, breathing component of a productive farm. By applying basic principles of scientific management, a landowner can transform neglected thickets into a reliable source of income and essential environmental support.

Environmental Issues6 min read
Cover of The Golden Boys Rescued by Radio

The Golden Boys Rescued by Radio

L. P. (Levi Parker) Wyman

Two teenage brothers use their homemade radio to thwart a dangerous smuggling operation in the Maine wilderness. It is an earnest, fast-paced tale of ingenuity, courage, and brotherly devotion.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Grasshopper Stories

The Grasshopper Stories

Elizabeth Davis Leavitt

Through conversations with an unusually perceptive grasshopper, a small boy learns to confront his everyday mistakes with honesty and treat the living world around him with gentle kindness.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Great Round World And What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1. No. 21, April 1, 1897: A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls

The Great Round World And What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1. No. 21, April 1, 1897: A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls

Various

A weekly digest of late-nineteenth-century news, this publication offers a direct window into the geopolitical tensions and social curiosities that defined the spring of 1897. It remains a testament to an era of global interconnectedness.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Heart of the Rose

The Heart of the Rose

Mabel Anne McKee

A young man on the cusp of adulthood learns the heavy cost of casual flirtation through the gentle, urgent guidance of his protective older sister. This quiet moral narrative balances the innocence of youth against the sobering responsibilities of manhood.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The hen-punchers of Piperock

The hen-punchers of Piperock

W. C. (Wilbur C.) Tuttle

Two hard-bitten cowpunchers attempt to corner the egg market in a desolate Montana outpost, only to discover that livestock—both feathered and porcine—is far harder to manage than cattle.

Short Stories6 min read
Cover of The history of civilisation in Scotland, Vol 3 (of 4)

The history of civilisation in Scotland, Vol 3 (of 4)

John Mackintosh

Absolute power collides with a fiercely independent public as a small nation resists royal overreach, endures decades of religious warfare, and eventually reorganizes its legal, economic, and cultural life.

History10 min read
Cover of The History of Don Quixote, Volume 1, Part 11

The History of Don Quixote, Volume 1, Part 11

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

The aging knight-errant rides forth to restore the glory of chivalry, accompanied by a peasant squire who dreams of empire. This foundational masterpiece of Western literature explores the porous border between madness and noble intent.

Classics of Literature6 min read
Cover of The Hitch Hikers

The Hitch Hikers

Vernon L. McCain

A lone, desperate race of microscopic beings hitches a ride to Earth inside the unsuspecting body of the first human astronaut to visit Mars.

Science-Fiction & Fantasy5 min read
Cover of The Home University Library catalogue 1914/15

The Home University Library catalogue 1914/15

Williams & Norgate

This catalogue serves as a detailed archival record of an ambitious early twentieth-century publishing initiative, presenting a snapshot of the intellectual landscape that defined the English-speaking world on the brink of the First World War.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference6 min read
Cover of The improved antidote, supposed to be more active in expelling poison, than a late invention, by the Rev. Sir Harcourt Lees, Bart. in which the Catholics are vindicated from his abuse, and their claims for unrestricted emancipation, considered

The improved antidote, supposed to be more active in expelling poison, than a late invention, by the Rev. Sir Harcourt Lees, Bart. in which the Catholics are vindicated from his abuse, and their claims for unrestricted emancipation, considered

Philodemus

This polemic serves as a sharp, reasoned rebuttal to the inflammatory rhetoric of 1820s Irish political discourse, offering a spirited defense of civil liberties and religious tolerance during a period of intense sectarian division.

History - Modern (1750+)6 min read
Cover of The Life of Roger Langdon, Told by himself. With additions by his daughter Ellen

The Life of Roger Langdon, Told by himself. With additions by his daughter Ellen

Roger Langdon

This autobiography chronicles the life of a self-taught astronomer and railway station-master, capturing his transition from rural poverty to scientific discovery. It serves as a testament to the power of intellectual curiosity amidst the harsh realities of Victorian labor.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Lily of Leyden

The Lily of Leyden

William Henry Giles Kingston

In the shadow of a brutal historical siege, a courageous young woman and her father fight for the survival of their faith and their city against the encroaching Spanish army.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of The Lion's Masquerade: A Sequel to The Peacock at Home

The Lion's Masquerade: A Sequel to The Peacock at Home

Catherine Ann Turner Dorset

This lighthearted piece of Regency-era verse imagines the animal kingdom in a competitive frenzy of social climbing. It serves as a playful, satirical mirror to the manners and status-seeking of early nineteenth-century high society.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Martians and the Coys

The Martians and the Coys

Mack Reynolds

An extraterrestrial invasion force meets its match in the Kentucky hills. A lone, simple-minded moonshiner inadvertently dismantles a high-tech Martian offensive through sheer, uncomprehending immunity.

Humour6 min read
Cover of The Miller and His Golden Dream

The Miller and His Golden Dream

Eliza Lucy Leonard

HOOK A simple miller abandons his honest labor to chase the spectral promise of buried gold, only to find that avarice costs him everything he once held dear.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 361, Supplementary Issue (1829)

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 361, Supplementary Issue (1829)

Various

A survey of 1829, this collection captures the curiosity of a changing world, blending natural history, architectural progress, and the somber echoes of personal tragedy.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference6 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 380, July 11, 1829

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 380, July 11, 1829

Various

This collection captures the Victorian appetite for eclectic knowledge, blending architectural history, travelogue, and social satire into a vibrant mosaic of nineteenth-century intellectual curiosity. It serves as a time capsule for an era defined by rapid industrial change and a burgeoning middle-class interest…

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 397, November 7, 1829

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 397, November 7, 1829

Various

This collection serves as a Victorian-era cultural digest, offering a curated mosaic of historical trivia, social commentary, and literary reflections gathered for the curious reader. It functions as a nineteenth-century repository of "unconsidered trifles" and serious inquiry alike.

British Literature7 min read