Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Anatole France — Edition Insights

A Catalogue of France's Range

The index reveals the breadth of Anatole France's output. Satirical novels like Penguin Island and The Revolt of the Angels sit alongside historical works such as The Life of Joan of Arc and Clio. There are also children's stories (Our Children, Bee), philosophical tales (Thais, The White Stone), and collections like Mother of Pearl. The chapter headings for Penguin Island alone span seven books, from "The Beginnings" to "Modern Times," with titles like "The Baptism of the Penguins" and "The Dragon of Alca" hinting at its allegorical satire. The Revolt of the Angels chapters include "Which treats of a painful domestic scene" and "Wherein we see how the angel, having become a man, behaves like a man," suggesting a blend of domestic drama and celestial comedy.

Structure and Navigation

The index is designed for practical use. Each title in the list is a hyperlink to its Project Gutenberg file, and many are preceded by a "##" that links to a table of contents within that volume. For example, Penguin Island has a full chapter breakdown, while The White Stone lists chapters by number and title (e.g., "Gallio"). The inclusion of multiple translators—Charles E. Roche for The White Stone, Peter Wright for Bee, Frederic Chapman for Mother of Pearl—shows the collaborative effort behind these editions. The index also includes a section of additional stories appended to Bee, such as "The Sorrow of Demeter" and "The King of the Golden Mountain," broadening its scope beyond France's own work.

Legal and Editorial Framework

The index is bookended by the Project Gutenberg license, which occupies a significant portion of the text. This includes sections on redistribution, fees, and the Literary Archive Foundation, emphasizing the project's mission to keep works freely available. The editor, David Widger, is credited with compilation, and the release date is April 8, 2019, with an update in 2023. The license's detailed instructions—such as how to donate or access the eBook—frame the index not just as a reading tool but as part of a larger digital library infrastructure. The repeated mention of "www.gutenberg.org" and the foundation's address grounds the work in a specific legal and organizational context.

This index serves as a practical entry point for exploring Anatole France's diverse oeuvre. Readers can use it to navigate between satires, histories, and fairy tales, noting how the same author moves from the ironic Penguin Island to the tender Bee. The inclusion of full chapter lists for several works allows for targeted reading, while the license reminds users of the legal framework that makes such access possible. Approach it as a map rather than a summary.

Among the old catalogs, I often find the quietest friendships. Flipping through this particular Index of Anatole France, with its orderly list of patient, witty tales, I thought of another sort of patience—that grammar book over there, Esperanto Self-Taught with Phonetic Pronunciation — Themes and Context, a hopeful bridge for the tongue, unwrapping the world one word at a time.