Celebrity

McKimmey, James, 1923-2011Project Gutenberg · United StatesMar 2023

3.0

Word count: 6.2K words
Chapters: 1

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.Celebrity by James McKimmeyAuthor: McKimmey, James, 1923-2011,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Sep 12, 2009

Editor's review

Celebrity is an English novel by James McKimmey (1923–2011), available through Project Gutenberg and classified under American and Canadian literature. McKimmey was known for short stories and genre fiction, and this work continues his accessible narrative style, centering on the theme of celebrity. It is short and moves at a brisk pace, making it suitable for reading in segments during a commute or in spare moments. As a public-domain eBook, it is free to obtain on a phone, tablet, or e-reader, and it also works well as English extensive-reading material, helping readers build vocabulary and grow familiar with the feel of twentieth-century American popular fiction within a complete story. There is no need to seek deep literary interpretation while reading; treat it as a plot-driven short story. If the genre-fiction tradition the author belonged to interests you, it is also worth getting a sense of what American magazine fiction of the period was like.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy short English popular fiction and want to read in spare moments
Learners who need free English extensive-reading material and hope to build vocabulary through stories
Readers interested in twentieth-century American genre literature and magazine fiction

Not a good fit for

Serious literary readers expecting deep literary analysis or complex narrative structure
Beginners whose English reading ability is still limited and who need annotations or bilingual editions

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot, then read a second time to mark unfamiliar words and common expressions.
Read just one or two chapters at a time, and after each session retell the main storyline in your head to check your understanding.
Read it alongside other public-domain short stories by the author to compare similarities and differences in his narrative patterns.

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 suitable for practicing English reading?

It works well as extensive-reading material. It is a public-domain English novel, short and plot-driven, and can help readers build vocabulary and language feel within a complete story. However, the book has no annotations or translation, so readers with weaker foundations will need a dictionary or should first transition through simpler graded readers.

Do I need to know the author's background to read this book?

Not necessarily. The story can be read on its own, and not knowing about McKimmey's life and creative background will not prevent you from understanding the plot. If the author interests you after reading, you can look up his other public-domain works and read them in comparison to appreciate his accessible narrative style.

Where can I read this book?

The book is published by Project Gutenberg and is a free public-domain eBook. You can find it by searching the title on the Project Gutenberg website; it is usually available in multiple electronic formats, making it easy to read on a computer, phone, or e-reader.

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About the author

McKimmey, James, 1923-2011 Author

James McKimmey (1923–2011) was an American writer known mainly for short fiction; public information about him is limited. Seven of his works are held in the collection, including Confidence Game, Pipe of Peace, The Eyes Have It, Celebrity, 'Mid Pleasures and Palaces, George Loves Gistla and Planet of Dreams. Most are science fiction and suspense, often shelved under inspirational growth. His stories are concise, building suspense from everyday situations and often ending with a twist; his characters make choices under pressure, revealing a gentle examination of human nature and fate. These works appeared mostly in mid-twentieth-century popular magazines and, though not mainstream classics, have kept a steady readership through their tight structure and readability, offering samples for the study of genre fiction of the period.