Commonplace, and other short stories: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
Commonplace, and other short stories: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
Commonplace, and other short stories is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Rossetti, Christina Georgina (1830–1894).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"Commonplace, and other short stories" by Christina Georgina Rossetti is a collection of short stories written in the late 19th century. The lead tale follows three Charlmont sisters—steadfast Catherine, tender Lucy, and dazzling Jane—as they navigate Victorian propriety, romance, and ambition between a quiet seaside town and the temptations of London society. The opening of Commonplace introduces Brompton-on-Sea and the three sisters at breakfast, where Jane reads a marriage notice revealing that the charming Alan Hartley has wed Everilda Stella—a blow Lucy silently absorbs. A long flashback sketches their family: a prosperous doctor father lost at sea in a fog, a mother who dies after Jane’s birth, and Catherine’s solemn promise to keep the home ready, after which she becomes guardian to her sisters under the eye of their prudent trustee and the prim Miss Drum. In the present, Catherine receives a London invitation; Lucy, heartsore, stays home with Miss Drum, whose insistence on daily walks slowly restores Lucy’s health. Meanwhile in Notting Hill, Jane captivates Stella’s wealthy, pompous father, Mr. Durham, while the kindly Dr. and Mrs. Tyke foster gaieties and private theatricals. A set of letters urges Catherine and Jane to prolong their stay; courtship gathers pace, and at a charade where Jane shines as Venus, Mr. Durham proposes. Settlements are arranged generously (with Catherine quietly providing for Jane), and the sisters return home, where Jane’s breezy triumph contrasts with Lucy’s quiet composure and the discreet attentions of the widower-solicitor, Mr. Ballantyne. The section closes with preparations for, and the early moments of, a country picnic at Rocky Drumble, as Lucy minds little Frank Ballantyne and the party disperses into the sun-dappled glen.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Commonplace, and other short stories
- Author credits: Rossetti, Christina Georgina (1830–1894)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- English fiction -- 19th century
- Short stories, English
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Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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