From a college window by A.C. Benson

Name: From a college window
Author: A.C. Benson

"A College Window" is a short story by A.C. Benson that explores themes of nostalgia and longing. The narrator reflects on his time at college, remembering the joy he felt looking out of his window at the changing seasons and the beauty of nature. Through his reflection, Benson highlights the importance of taking time to appreciate the simple pleasures in life.

By A.C. Benson · First published 1906 · Genre: Autobiography, Personal Essay, Memoir · 18 chapters · 77,799 words

First lines

I have lately come to perceive that the one thing which gives value to any piece of art, whether it be book, or picture, or music, is that subtle and evasive thing which is called personality. No amount of labour, of zest, even of accomplishment, can make up for the absence of this quality. It must be an almost wholly instinctive thing, I believe. Of course, the mere presence of personality in a work of art is not sufficient, because the personality revealed may be lacking in charm; and charm, again, is an instinctive thing. No artist can set out to capture charm; he will toil all the night and take nothing; but what every artist can and must aim at, is to have a perfectly sincere point of view. He must take his chance as to whether his point of view is an attractive one; but sincerity is the one indispensable thing. It is useless to take opinions on trust, to retail them, to adopt them; they must be formed, created, truly felt.

What this Textopian page supports

From a college window is listed on Textopian as a novel by A.C. Benson, dated 1906 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: A.C. Benson
Date: 1906 CE
Language: English
Genres: Autobiography, Personal Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction
Length: 77,799 words
Structure: 18 chapters, 608 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Autobiography — The book is a collection of A.C. Benson's personal musings during his time at Cambridge University, mostly functioning as an autobiography.
Personal Essay — The individual chapters contain introspective and contemplative discussions of various subjects, which are characteristics of personal essays.
Memoir — The book is a recollection of the author's personal experiences and sentiments, making it fall under the purview of memoirs.
Non-fiction — The book does not create a fictional narrative, but rather discusses the author's real-life experiences and thoughts.