The Unknown Quantity: A Book of Romance and Some Half-Told Tales

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Van Dyke, Henry, 1852-1933

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Unknown Quantity: A Book of Romance and Some Half-Told Tales" by Henry Van Dyke is a collection of romantic short stories written in the early 20th century. The book presents a medley of narratives infused with themes of love, loss, and the mysteries of human emotion, highlighting both the joys and complexities of relationships. Each tale contains elements of enchantment and introspection, offering reflections on the nature of love and the unknown qualities that bind people together. At the start of the collection, the author sets the stage for the stories with a poetic preface that metaphorically compares the tales to a series of distinct lakes connected by a hidden river. This theme of interconnectedness runs throughout the opening tale, "The Wedding-Ring," which introduces Toinette Girard and Prosper Leclère-a couple deeply in love but beset by insecurities and misunderstandings. Toinette's intense devotion leads her to worry about her husband's well-being during his absences, while Prosper struggles with jealousy, creating tension in their relationship. The story delves into the complexities of love, devotion, and the shadows cast by doubt, establishing the emotional depth that characterizes Van Dyke's writing. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

The wedding-ring

Messengers at the window

The countersign of the cradle

The key of the tower

The ripening of the fruit

The king's jewel

The music-lover

Humoreske

An old game

The unruly sprite

A change of air

The night call

The effectual fervent prayer

The return of the charm

Beggars under the bush

Stronghold

In the odour of sanctity

The sad shepherd

The mansion.

Credits:

Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Juliet Sutherland, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Notes:

Reading ease score: 79.4 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2009-12-07