What Dreams May Come

Name: What Dreams May Come
Author: Gertrude Atherton

What Dreams May Come is a novel by Gertrude Atherton that tells the story of a young woman named Margaret who falls in love with a man named John. The two marry and have a child, but their happiness is short-lived when John dies suddenly. Margaret is devastated and struggles to move on with her life. However, she eventually finds solace in her dreams, where she is able to communicate with John and feel his presence once again. As the novel progresses, Margaret's dreams become more vivid and intense, leading her to question whether they are real or imagined. In the end, Margaret comes to accept that her dreams are a way for her to stay connected to John and find peace in her grief.

By Gertrude Atherton · First published 1903 · Genre: Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy · 19 chapters · 49,181 words

First lines

The Hon. Harold Dartmouth was bored. He had been in Paris three months and it was his third winter. He was young. He possessed a liberal allowance of good looks, money, and family prestige. Combining these three conditions, he had managed to pretty thoroughly exhaust the pleasures of the capital. At all events he believed he had exhausted them, and he wanted a new sensation. He had "done" his London until it was more flavorless than Paris, and he had dawdled more or less in the various Courts of Europe. While in St. Petersburg he had inserted a too curious finger into the Terrorist pie, and had come very near making a prolonged acquaintance with the House of Preventative Detention; but after being whisked safely out of the country under cover of a friend's passport, he had announced himself cured of further interest in revolutionary politics.

What this Textopian page supports

What Dreams May Come is listed on Textopian as a novel by Gertrude Atherton, dated 1903 CE.

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Work type: Novel
Author: Gertrude Atherton
Date: 1903 CE
Language: English
Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Drama, Philosophical
Length: 49,181 words
Structure: 19 chapters, 570 paragraphs
Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)

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Work identity for What Dreams May Come by Gertrude Atherton
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Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering What Dreams May Come?
How does this novel by Gertrude Atherton fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Science Fiction first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Science Fiction — The book explores speculative scientific concepts and futuristic themes.
Romance — Central to the plot is a romantic relationship that drives the narrative.
Fantasy — Elements of the supernatural and fantastical are present throughout the story.
Drama — The narrative is rich with emotional and interpersonal conflicts.