Fighting for the Right

Optic, Oliver, 1822-1897Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 384K words
Chapters: 39

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.Fighting for the Right by Oliver OpticAuthor: Optic, Oliver, 1822-1897,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Jul 10, 2006

Editor's review

Oliver Optic was a prolific nineteenth-century American author of juvenile fiction, and Fighting for the Right continues the coming-of-age and moral themes common to such works, placing it in the category of juvenile literature. Written in English, the book bears clear marks of its era in style, and its plot leans toward affirming positive values rather than complex characterization, making it a useful sample of nineteenth-century American boys' fiction. It is of reference value to those studying the history of children's literature, the evolution of juvenile reading, or older texts in English-language teaching; for general readers its appeal lies mainly in period atmosphere and narrative pacing rather than intricate character development. Readers should be alert to possible period prejudices and a didactic tendency, and would do well to view the characters' moral judgments with a critical eye. The Project Gutenberg electronic edition is readily accessible and suits excerpted reading or comparison with similar works.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers of nineteenth-century American juvenile literature
Readers seeking older English texts for language study
Adult readers interested in classic boys' adventure stories

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer modern narrative pacing and complex characterization
Readers sensitive to didacticism and period prejudice

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to grasp the characters' positions and the setup of the conflict, then decide whether to read through or select passages.
While reading, note the book's criteria for judging 'justice' to aid analysis of its historical context.
Read alongside juvenile fiction of the same period to compare themes and narrative techniques.

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 children to read directly?

The book's values are generally positive, but its style is old-fashioned and it may carry nineteenth-century prejudices. If giving it to a child, an adult should look through it first, or read relevant chapters together and explain them.

What level of English is required?

The text is nineteenth-century English with old-fashioned syntax and vocabulary, so intermediate reading ability or above is preferable. Beginners should use annotated editions or read selected passages.

How does this book relate to the author's other works?

Optic was known for writing juvenile fiction, and this book belongs to that category. To understand his style, read it alongside his other boys' stories and observe the shared themes and structure.

Comments

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About the author

Optic, Oliver, 1822-1897 Author

Oliver Optic (1822-1897), the pen name of William Taylor Adams, was a prolific nineteenth-century American writer of juvenile literature. Public information about his life is limited and many biographical details remain uncertain, yet the fifty-nine works held in this collection attest to the sheer volume of his output. He specialized in adventure and coming-of-age stories centered on young protagonists, with subjects ranging from sea voyages and military academy or army life to youthful enterprise and travels abroad. His plots are fast-paced and upbeat, and carry a pronounced moral and didactic tone. Representative works include Outward Bound, Freaks of Fortune, The Soldier Boy, and The Yacht Club, many of them belonging to his "Young America" series. His books circulated widely among young English-speaking readers in the latter half of the nineteenth century and left a lasting mark on later adventure fiction for boys.