The Downs by Amyas Northcote (1923)
The protagonist, Tom, is a young man from a small village in England. He is a dreamer, and he longs to escape the confines of his small village and explore the world. When his father dies, Tom is left with no choice but to leave home and make his own way in the world. Tom embarks on a journey of self-discovery, travelling to the Downs, a wild and beautiful area of England. Along the way, he meets a variety of people, from a mysterious old man to a young girl who helps him find his way. As he travels, Tom learns more about himself and the world around him. He discovers the importance of friendship, love, and courage, and he learns to accept himself for who he is. The Downs is a coming-of-age story about a young man's journey of self-discovery. It is a story of courage, friendship, and love, and it is a reminder that we all have the power to make our own destiny.
By Amyas Northcote · First published 1923 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Family Saga, Romance · 2,738 words
First lines
I am venturing to set down the following personal experience, inconclusive as it is, as I feel that it may interest those who have the patience to study the phenomena of the unseen world around us. It was my first experience of a psychical happening and its events are accordingly indelibly imprinted on my memory.
The date was, alas, a good many years ago, when I was still a young man and at the time was engaged in reading hard for a certain examination. My friend J. was in similar plight to myself and together we decided to abjure home and London life and seek a quiet country spot, where we might devote ourselves to our work amidst pleasant and congenial surroundings.
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The Downs is set in the early 20th century and follows the story of a family living in a rural English village, making it a historical fiction novel.
- Family Saga — The Downs follows the story of a family over a period of time, making it a family saga novel.
- Romance — The Downs follows the story of a young couple in love, making it a romance novel.
- Literary Fiction — The Downs is written in a literary style, making it a literary fiction novel.
Tags
drama · mystery · suspense · psychological · relationships · family · secrets · identity · conflict · rural · coming-of-age · literary fiction
What this Textopian page supports
The Downs is listed on Textopian as a novel by Amyas Northcote, dated 1923 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Amyas Northcote
- Date: 1923 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Family Saga, Romance, Literary Fiction
- Length: 2,738 words
- Structure: 1 section, 34 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Downs by Amyas Northcote
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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