FREEThe Trees of Pride
by Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith), 1874-1936
"The Trees of Pride" by G. K. Chesterton is a novel written during the early 20th century. The story opens with Squire Vane, an eccentric and somewhat impractical gentleman whose views clash with the superstitions of his Cornish neighbors. Alongside his daughter Barbara, Squire Vane grapples with a local legend surrounding the peculiar peacock trees in his garden, which are said to cause misfortune and madness among the locals. The opening of the novel introduces the reader to the vibrant setting of the Cornish coast, where Squire Vane is preparing to meet an esteemed guest, Mr. Cyprian Paynter. The Squire's interactions with his daughter and local tenants reveal his dismissive attitude toward their beliefs, which he sees as mere nonsense. As he makes his way to the shoreline, tensions arise from the townspeople's entrenched superstitions and warnings about the trees, foreshadowing deeper conflicts to come. This balance of rationalism, mysticism, and a looming mystery sets the stage for further developments involving the Squire, his guests, and the enigma of the trees themselves. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Automated conservative edition review 2026-10-20T06:49:52.301Z (historical-original-en-v2), Philippines scope. English historical author Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith), died 1936; original-language author allowlist, matching sole EPUB/catalog creator, no credited contributors, no extra artwork, no flagged editorial/translation/copyright cues in isolated text. US public-domain source label and retained Gutenberg license; EPUB CRC passed. This is rule-based screening, not a worldwide rights opinion or a claim of manual review. Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1721; Philippine term reference https://www.ipophil.gov.ph/copyright/. EPUB SHA256 cca0187a0ca0e31f372c5c9ad1fd7121eda4ed34c2e524d1198cc95d13a59835; RDF SHA256 7d887105c0d100e213e4992cc64cd059426c97f390bbc72f31b206200df05a6a. Author identity/date reference checked 2026-09-28: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/223.
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