The Friend of Paul
The Friend of Paul is a novel by Frederic Manning that tells the story of a young man named Paul who becomes friends with an older man named John. The two men share many experiences together, including travels to different countries and encounters with various people. Throughout the book, their friendship deepens as they learn more about each other's lives and beliefs. In the end, Paul realizes that his friendship with John has been one of the most important relationships in his life.
By Frederic Manning · First published 1930 · Genre: Historical Fiction, War Fiction, Literary Fiction · 16,105 words
First lines
The house of Serenus lay about four miles from Gades, in a country of vines and olives. It was built a little below the ridge of a hill, which sheltered it from the north-east winds, and fronted south-west, overlooking the Atlantic and a long stretch of the coast-line with its innumerable headlands and curving bays. From the windows in the upper storey Serenus could see this wide expanse of waters, never completely the same, but always restless and troubled, with caprice in sunlight, or anger in storms; or, turning to another aspect, the hills and valleys of his own estate; a land of cornfields, vineyards, and olive-yards, pleasantly diversified by slopes of green upland pasture, and beyond them the wild beauty of mountains with frosty summits and well-timbered flanks. The house was surrounded by a garden planted with myrtles and plane-trees, with alleys screened from the fierce heat of summer by dense boughs of ilex, curving tortuously in labyrinthine windings, or running perfectly straight until they ended in an arch, the frame, as it were, for some picture of land or sea. The grass by the paths was kept mown, but here and there, among thickets of myrtle, grew rank, harbouring the green lizards, who slipped out every now and then to bask in the sunlight on the marble steps, or on the pedestals of the statues of Priapus and the woodland gods.
What this Textopian page supports
The Friend of Paul is listed on Textopian as a novella by Frederic Manning, dated 1930 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novella
- Author: Frederic Manning
- Date: 1930 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, War Fiction, Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction
- Length: 16,105 words
- Structure: 1 section, 143 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Friend of Paul by Frederic Manning
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Friend of Paul?
- How does this novella by Frederic Manning fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The narrative is set in a historical context, focusing on events and characters from a specific period.
- War Fiction — The plot revolves around themes of war, exploring the experiences and impacts on individuals and society.
- Literary Fiction — The writing style emphasizes character development and thematic depth, often focusing on existential and philosophical questions.
- Psychological Fiction — The story delves into the psychological states and inner conflicts of the characters, exploring their motivations and emotions.
Tags
friendship · loyalty · betrayal · war · identity · loss · courage · sacrifice · humanity · conflict · memory · narrative