A Wasted Day

Davis, Richard Harding, 1864-1916Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 29K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Wasted Day by Richard Harding DavisAuthor: Davis, Richard Harding, 1864-1916,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: May 12, 2006

Editor's review

This is a short narrative work by Richard Harding Davis, brief enough to finish in one sitting on a commute or a quiet afternoon. Davis was active as a journalist from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century, and his writing often carries a reporter's eye for observation and brisk scene-setting; traces of that style are visible here too: the plot moves through dialogue, action, and sudden turns rather than lengthy psychological exposition. For readers curious about the shape of American popular literature at the end of the nineteenth century, it is a light entry point; for those studying Davis's work or the literary ecology of the periodical press of the time, it can serve as supplementary material. Note that this is a public-domain electronic text with limited typesetting and annotation, and the English original may pose a language barrier for some readers. Overall, it is not a weighty classic but a small work suited to fragmented time, driven by entertainment and an interest in literary history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to read an English short story in fragmented time
Readers interested in American popular literature of the late nineteenth century
Students or enthusiasts studying Davis's journalistic narrative style
Readers accustomed to public-domain ebooks who do not rely on annotations

Not a good fit for

English beginners who need detailed annotations and introductions
Readers who prefer long, weighty narratives
Readers completely unfamiliar with the social context of late nineteenth-century America

Reading tips

First read it through in half an hour, grasping the main plot without worrying about unfamiliar words.
On the second pass, pay attention to dialogue and scene changes to feel the rhythm of journalistic narration.
You may learn about Davis's journalistic career, then return to the characters' logic of action.
If the English is difficult, read a Chinese summary first and then read the original alongside it.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book long or short?

Judging by the length of the public-domain electronic text, it is a short narrative work, suitable for reading in one or two sittings. The exact page count varies with the reader's typesetting, but overall it is not a long-reading burden.

Is the English original difficult to read?

Davis's language is generally popular and brisk, with uncomplicated sentence structures, but it involves late nineteenth-century everyday expressions and background, and the public-domain ebook lacks annotations. Intermediate and above English readers can read it smoothly; beginners are advised to use a summary alongside.

Why recommend it?

Its value lies not in grand themes but in showing the appearance of American popular literature and periodical narrative at the end of the nineteenth century. Short and light in rhythm, it works as an introductory sample for understanding Davis's writing style.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Davis, Richard Harding, 1864-1916 Author

Richard Harding Davis (1864–1916) was an American writer and war correspondent, with 49 works held in this collection. Public information is limited, yet the range of his writing can be seen from the titles listed here: he wrote both war reportage and fiction and character sketches. Notes of a War Correspondent records a reporter's firsthand experiences in the field, Real Soldiers of Fortune tells of adventurous soldiers, while Gallegher and Other Stories and Van Bibber and Others show his skill in the short story, with a light touch and a gift for portraying city life and a variety of characters. His works are often classed as inspirational coming-of-age reading and have circulated among young readers, combining the immediacy of journalism with the readability of fiction; they have influenced later war reporting and popular narrative.