Bridge Crossing

Dryfoos, Dave, 1915-2003Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 28K 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.Bridge Crossing by Dave DryfoosAuthor: Dryfoos, Dave, 1915-2003,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 17, 2016

Editor's review

Bridge Crossing is an English short story by Dave Dryfoos, released free by Project Gutenberg and classified under American and Canadian literature. As a public-domain electronic text, its most immediate value is letting readers encounter at very low cost the writing of mid-twentieth-century American genre short fiction. Such works are usually concise in length and clear in premise, driven by a single core situation, and are useful for observing how popular authors of the time set up and resolve conflict within limited space. For English readers it also serves as intermediate-level extensive reading material, training the ability to infer word meaning from context and follow narrative rhythm. There is no need to read word by word; finish it whole once, then return to see how the title echoes key scenes. Note that Gutenberg provides an access version of the text, not an annotated scholarly edition, so citations should be checked elsewhere. Overall, a light, handy supplement to English short-story reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers seeking low-cost English public-domain short fiction
Those interested in mid-twentieth-century American genre literature
Learners needing light English originals for extensive reading practice
Readers who like single short stories and read in scattered moments

Not a good fit for

Readers needing a Chinese translation or bilingual edition
Readers expecting scholarly annotation, introductions, or research material
Readers who prefer long series and deep world-building

Reading tips

Read straight through the first time without looking up words, grasping the core situation and outcome.
On a second pass, note how the title echoes key scenes and how the author closes the story.
Compile unfamiliar words by frequency into a short list, learning only recurring high-frequency ones.
After reading, retell the plot in three to five sentences to check whether you have grasped the main line.

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 work suitable for English beginners?

It suits readers with basic reading ability better. The original is an English short story with a modest sentence and length burden, but it still requires some vocabulary. Beginners can read through with a dictionary, focusing on the main plot and not worrying about every new word.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg version?

Project Gutenberg aims to provide free public-domain electronic texts: easy to obtain and cost-free, but usually without scholarly annotation, editorial introduction, or collation records. It suits everyday reading, not citation.

Do I need to know the historical background before reading?

You can go straight to the text; no prior background is required. A short story usually stands on its own situation. If you want to understand its technique afterward, look up the publishing environment of mid-twentieth-century American popular short fiction.

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About the author

Dryfoos, Dave, 1915-2003 Author

Dave Dryfoos (1915–2003) is an author about whom public information is limited, and few details of his life have been recorded. Judging from the seven works held in the collection, his writing ranged widely: titles such as Tree, Spare that Woodman, Journey Work, Waste Not, Want, Seller of the Sky, New Hire, Bridge Crossing, and Uniform of a Man often carry an allegorical flavor and an attention to everyday life, moving between humanity and nature, labor and exchange, travel and identity. These concise titles, frequently built on proverbs or idioms, suggest a plain and understated narrative style. Lacking biographical and critical materials, it is difficult to establish his background or literary standing, yet the number of works and the care taken with their naming indicate a writer who kept producing and sought to convey insights into life through simple images.