Double Dealing

William Wymark JacobsProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 19K words
Chapters: 2

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. Double Dealing 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

This is a short work by the English writer W. W. Jacobs, prepared by Project Gutenberg as a free eBook. Jacobs is known for humor and twist endings, and this piece likewise plants an unexpected turn within a light narrative pace, making it a good introductory sample for understanding English short fiction from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. The electronic edition is the original English text, not long, and convenient for reading through in fragments of time or selecting passages for close reading. While reading, note the British humor in the characters' dialogue and the information the narrator deliberately withholds; this is precisely where the work's interest lies. Because it is a public-domain electronic text, the layout is rather plain and there are no modern annotations; unfamiliar slang or period background must be looked up by the reader, but this also gives readers more direct contact with the original language. Suitable for literature enthusiasts, English learners, and readers studying short narrative technique to browse at leisure.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers who enjoy British short stories and twist endings
Learners who hope to practice English reading with original short texts
Writing enthusiasts studying narrative technique and humorous expression
Readers who want low-cost access to public-domain classic eBooks

Not a good fit for

Beginner English readers who need detailed annotations and introductions
Readers who prefer long, continuous plots over short stories
Collectors who expect modern typography and hardcover paper books

Reading tips

First read through to grasp the plot, then revisit the ending's foreshadowing and information gaps.
Record unfamiliar slang and period expressions separately and look them up together.
Read alongside other Jacobs short stories to observe common features of his twist technique.
Use commute or other fragmented time to read story by story, avoiding reading everything at once.

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 in Chinese or English?

This is an English public-domain eBook provided by Project Gutenberg; the main text is the original English, with no Chinese translation. It suits readers with some English reading ability who are willing to engage directly with the original text.

Do I need to know the author's background before reading?

Not necessarily. The story can be understood on its own, but knowing that Jacobs excelled at humor and unexpected endings makes it easier to appreciate the setup and contrast in the narration, giving a fuller reading experience.

Does the electronic edition have annotations or an introduction?

As a public-domain electronic text, it usually contains only the main text and basic bibliographic information, lacking modern annotations and introductions. When encountering unfamiliar expressions or period background, readers need to look them up themselves, which also suits those willing to read actively.

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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.