Cover of The Gipsy: A Tale (Vols I & II)

The Gipsy: A Tale (Vols I & II)

  • Free to read
  • 14 hours to read
  • 29 chapters
  • Reading level: 8th & 9th grade

"The Gipsy: A Tale (Vols I & II)" by G. P. R. James is a historical novel written in the mid-19th century. The narrative centers around the themes of identity, class struggle, and the mysteries of the gipsy culture, delving into the lives of both the gipsies and the upper-class characters that interact with them. The story opens with two travelers, Colonel Manners and Edward de Vaux, who ride through an English forest, encountering a gipsy encampment, which sets the stage for a deeper exploration of their lives and connections. At the start of the tale, the two horsemen journey through a picturesque English landscape, engaging in conversations about the gipsies and the nature of society. They observe a gipsy camp where a young girl offers to tell their fortunes, a moment that hints at the mystical elements intertwined with the characters' destinies. Colonel Manners reflects on his own personal history after being orphaned, while De Vaux struggles with feelings of isolation despite being well-liked. The chapter introduces Pharold, an elder gipsy with his own complex narrative, seeking to elude dangers lurking in the shadows as he interacts with his fellows. The interplay between the lives of the gipsies and the travelers hints at a fateful connection that will unfold as the story progresses.

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Chapter I

At that time in the world's history when watches, in their decline from the fat comeliness of the turnip to the scanty meagerness of the half-crown, had arrived at the intermediate form of a biffin—when the last remnant of a chivalrous spirit instigated men to wear swords every day, and to take purses on horseback—when quadrupeds were preferred to steam, and sails were necessary to a ship—when Chatham and Blackstone appeared in the senate and at the bar, and Goldsmith, Johnson, and Burke, Cowper, Reynolds, Robertson Hume, and Smollett, were just beginning to cumber the highways of arts and sciences—at that period of the dark ages, the events which are about to be related undoubtedly took place, in a county which shall be nameless.

It may be that the reader would rather have the situation more precisely defined, in order, as he goes along, to fix each particular incident that this book may hereafter contain to the precise spot and person for which it was intended. Nevertheless, such disclosures must not be; in the first place, because the story, being totally and entirely a domestic one, depends little upon locality; and, in the next place, because greater liberties can be taken with people and things when their identity is left in doubt, than when it is clearly ascertained; for, although—

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Contents

Show all 29 chapters
  1. Chapter I
  2. Chapter II
  3. Chapter III
  4. Chapter IV
  5. Chapter V
  6. Chapter VI
  7. Chapter VII
  8. Chapter VIII
  9. Chapter IX
  10. Chapter X
  11. Chapter XI
  12. Chapter XII
  13. Chapter XIII
  14. Chapter XIV
  15. Chapter XV
  16. Chapter XVI
  17. Chapter I
  18. Chapter II
  19. Chapter III
  20. Chapter IV
  21. Chapter V
  22. Chapter VI
  23. Chapter VII
  24. Chapter VIII
  25. Chapter IX
  26. Chapter X
  27. Chapter XI
  28. Chapter XII
  29. Chapter XIII

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About this edition

This free edition of The Gipsy: A Tale (Vols I & II) by G. P. R. James comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #39376, released 2012-04-04. 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: Historical Novels, Novels, British Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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