Deserted

William Wymark JacobsProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 21K 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. Deserted by W. W. Jacobs. Author: Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark), 1863-1943. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Jan 1, 2004.

Editor's review

"Deserted" is a short work by the English writer W. W. Jacobs, available through Project Gutenberg's free eBook program. Jacobs is known for short stories marked by humor, irony, and unexpected twists; this book continues his light narrative style and is brief enough to serve as an introduction to late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century English short fiction. The electronic edition is easy to obtain, letting readers experience the rhythm and feel of the English original at low cost through public-domain resources. As you read, pay attention to how the story builds suspense from everyday scenes and to the plot reversals common at the end. For readers who want to practice English reading without the burden of a long work, short stories like this are suitable material; note, however, that the language carries period features and some expressions differ from contemporary English, so beginners may need annotations.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English learners who want to practice reading short fiction and prefer light texts
Literary readers interested in classic English short stories and twist-driven narratives
Commuters who want to use fragmented time to read public-domain eBooks
Beginner readers who want to understand W. W. Jacobs's writing style

Not a good fit for

Deep readers expecting a novel or complex character arcs
Beginners unaccustomed to late nineteenth-century English usage
Readers who need systematic literary history commentary or a heavily annotated edition

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot, then revisit the ending's twist to appreciate the foreshadowing.
Mark unfamiliar expressions and look them up after finishing rather than interrupting the reading flow.
Read alongside other short stories by the same author to see the continuity of his humor and irony.
Try reading aloud or combining reading with listening to get used to the sentence rhythm and tone of classic English.

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 a novel or a short story?

According to Project Gutenberg's catalog information, "Deserted" is a short work by W. W. Jacobs. It is brief and can be read in one sitting or in a few sessions; it should not be approached with the structure of a novel in mind.

Can I read this book if my English is average?

The language shows features of late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century English, and its vocabulary and syntax differ from contemporary usage. Readers with intermediate reading skills can try it, but a dictionary and annotations are recommended; beginners should not expect to understand everything on a first pass.

Why is the Project Gutenberg edition recommended?

Project Gutenberg offers free public-domain eBooks that are easy to obtain at low cost, making them suitable for readers who want to sample the English original before deciding whether to read further. This edition is the English original and contains no Chinese annotations or introduction.

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About the author

William Wymark Jacobs Author · British · 1863–1943

William Wymark Jacobs (1863–1943) was a British short-story writer, born in London in 1863 and died there in 1943. In his early years he lived around the Thames docks and was familiar with the lives of sailors and dockworkers, which led him to write a great many humorous sea stories, often in a light and witty tone. His best-known work, The Monkey's Paw, is a classic horror short story included in The Lady of the Barge (1902); noted for its tight suspense and sudden twists, it is still widely anthologized in horror collections. The library holds 109 of his works, including The Lady of the Barge and Others, Ship's Company, A Tiger's Skin, Captains All, and Night Watches; his common category is inspirational growth. Public information is limited and details of his life are largely unavailable, yet his fiction is distinctive in subject, blending humor with horror, and has had a lasting influence on later short-story writing.