Aladdin O'Brien

Morris, Gouverneur, 1876-1953Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 249K words
Chapters: 25

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.Aladdin O'Brien by Gouverneur MorrisAuthor: Morris, Gouverneur, 1876-1953,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 1, 2004

Editor's review

This is a novel by the American writer Gouverneur Morris, belonging to the vein of early twentieth-century American popular literature. The life of the title character, Aladdin O'Brien, spans boyhood and adulthood, with the story centered on personal growth and romantic fortunes; the tone blends warmth, humor, and sentiment, with the social detail and turns of fate common to American novels of the period. As a public-domain ebook from Project Gutenberg, it is today more a piece of literary history: readers can observe the narrative pacing, characterization, and readerly tastes of early twentieth-century American popular novels. It does not aim for modern psychological depth or structural experiment, but wins on readability, vivid characters, and an authentic period atmosphere. It suits supplementary reading in American literary history, or a relaxed journey through an old-time character story; those expecting strong suspense or contemporary narrative technique should adjust their expectations.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early twentieth-century American popular fiction and social-life stories
Students and enthusiasts of American literary history who want more public-domain novel samples
Casual readers who enjoy character-growth arcs and leisurely-paced narratives
Those who need English public-domain texts for reading practice or textual analysis

Not a good fit for

Readers of modern genre fiction seeking strong plots, fast pacing, or suspenseful twists
Those hoping for profound social critique or modernist narrative experiment
Readers wholly unfamiliar with old-fashioned English expression and period background who are unwilling to look things up

Reading tips

Learn about the period and the situation of American popular literature before starting, and the text will be more engaging.
Note the protagonist's key choices at each stage as you read, tracing his growth and emotional changes.
Compare the characters' ideas with today's, distinguishing what is period-bound from what still resonates.
If using it for English reading practice, copy a few lines of dialogue per chapter to savor the old colloquial style.

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 related to Aladdin from One Thousand and One Nights?

Not directly. Aladdin in the title is the protagonist's name; the setting and plot belong to the American novel's own design, not a retelling or sequel of the One Thousand and One Nights tale, so readers need not enter with fairy-tale expectations.

How difficult is this novel to read?

Overall it is a popular novel, driven mainly by the characters' fortunes, and not obscure. But it was written early, and its English expression and some period terms are somewhat distant for today's readers; general English reading ability suffices, and looking up unfamiliar points will let you read through smoothly.

Is it suitable for a literature class assignment?

It can serve as supplementary material for studying American popular literature or public-domain texts, useful for observing narrative modes and readerly tastes of the time. But it is not a公认 canonical core text; if the assignment requires representative works, pair it with major works designated in literary history.

Does the electronic edition have modern notes or an introduction?

This edition comes from Project Gutenberg and mainly provides the public-domain original text with plain layout, usually without a modern scholarly introduction or detailed notes. For background information, consult materials on the author's life and the period as supplementary aid.

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About the author

Morris, Gouverneur, 1876-1953 Author

Gouverneur Morris (1876–1953) is an author about whom relatively little biographical information is publicly available; seven of his works are held in the collection. Judging from these titles, he wrote chiefly novels and short stories, often with elements of fantasy and adventure. His representative works include The Seven Darlings, It, and Other Stories, The Spread Eagle and Other Stories, Aladdin O'Brien, If You Touch Them They Vanish, We Three, and The Penalty. The titles suggest a preference for vivid characters and suspenseful or whimsical situations, with both story collections and full-length fiction. Because reliable public information on his nationality, education, and career is limited, his literary standing is difficult to assess, yet these works clearly reflect his interest in light, plot-driven storytelling.