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The Trumpeter Swan

by Temple Bailey (1869–1953)

  • Free to read
  • 5 hours to read
  • 58 chapters
  • Reading level: 5th grade

"The Trumpeter Swan" by Temple Bailey is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around the themes of homecoming, the emotional struggles of returning soldiers after World War I, and the complexities of personal relationships. The main character, Randolph Paine, returns to his family's estate, King's Crest, filled with nostalgia and a longing for permanence, which is complicated by the presence of new acquaintances and the backdrop of changing social dynamics in post-war America. At the start of the book, we are introduced to a group of men traveling by train to Randolph's home, illustrating a sense of camaraderie and the impact of the recent war. Young Randy, whose character is marked by a mixture of strength and vulnerability, grapples with the emotional burden of having survived while others did not. He reconnects with his family and friends, notably the beautiful Becky Bannister, whose presence endears him to memories of his childhood. Their interactions hint at the evolving nature of their relationship against the backdrop of societal expectations and the weight of their individual experiences during the war. The opening sets the stage for a narrative that explores themes of love, identity, and the haunting echoes of the past amidst the overarching desire for reconciliation and belonging.

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  • Man-woman relationships

Read the opening

Chapter I

It had rained all night, one of the summer rains that, beginning in a thunder-storm in Washington, had continued in a steaming drizzle until morning.

There were only four passengers in the sleeper, men all of them—two in adjoining sections in the middle of the car, a third in the drawing-room, a fourth an intermittent occupant of a berth at the end. They had gone to bed unaware of the estate or circumstance of their fellow-travellers, and had waked to find the train delayed by washouts, and side-tracked until more could be learned of the condition of the road.

The man in the drawing-room shone, in the few glimpses that the others had of him, with an effulgence which was dazzling. His valet, the intermittent sleeper in the end berth, was a smug little soul, with a small nose which pointed to the stars. When the door of the compartment opened to admit breakfast there was the radiance of a brocade dressing-gown, the shine of a sleek head, the staccato of an imperious voice.

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Contents

Show all 58 chapters
  1. Chapter I
  2. Chapter II
  3. Chapter III
  4. Chapter IV
  5. Chapter V
  6. Chapter VI
  7. Chapter I
  8. Chapter II
  9. Chapter III
  10. Chapter IV
  11. Chapter V
  12. Chapter I
  13. Chapter II
  14. Chapter III
  15. Chapter IV
  16. Chapter I
  17. Chapter II
  18. Chapter III
  19. Chapter IV
  20. Chapter I
  21. Chapter II
  22. Chapter III
  23. Chapter I
  24. Chapter II
  25. Chapter III
  26. Chapter IV
  27. Chapter V
  28. Chapter I
  29. Chapter II
  30. Chapter I
  31. Chapter II
  32. Chapter III
  33. Chapter I
  34. Chapter II
  35. Chapter III
  36. Chapter IV
  37. Chapter I
  38. Chapter II
  39. Chapter III
  40. Chapter IV
  41. Chapter V
  42. Chapter I
  43. Chapter II
  44. Chapter I
  45. Chapter II
  46. Chapter III
  47. Chapter I
  48. Chapter II
  49. Chapter I
  50. Chapter II
  51. Chapter I
  52. Chapter II
  53. Chapter III
  54. Chapter IV
  55. Chapter I
  56. Chapter II
  57. Chapter III
  58. Chapter IV

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About this edition

This free edition of The Trumpeter Swan by Temple Bailey comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #17697, released 2006-02-07. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Novels, American Literature.

Other editions: eBook #18219.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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