Frank Merriwell‘s Nobility Or, The Tragedy of the Ocean Tramp

Standish, Burt L., 1866-1945Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.3
Word count
104K words
Chapters
11

Tags

English Originals Young Adult Fiction Athletic CompetitionCampus LifeAdventure JourneyBond of FriendshipSea VoyageHeroismInspirationGrowing UpMoral CultivationYouth Reading

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.Frank Merriwell's Nobility; Or, The Tragedy of the Ocean Tramp by Burt L. StandishAuthor: Standish, Burt L., 1866-1945,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Feb 1, 2004

Editor's review

This book is one volume in the "Frank Merriwell" series of school adventure novels, originally written by Burt L. Standish under a pen name, and a typical example of early twentieth-century American popular reading for young people. The story centers on the protagonist's choices amid a shipwreck and the tragedy of an ocean tramp, placing themes of courage, responsibility, and "nobility of character" within a tense plot; the pacing is brisk and the chapter structure strong, making it a useful sample for understanding the narrative conventions of early English-language boys' adventure fiction. The public-domain electronic edition from Project Gutenberg facilitates searching and comparative reading, and is also suitable for readers studying the history of popular literature, the evolution of juvenile reading, or English reading instruction. One caveat: the work bears clear marks of its era, and its characterization and value expressions are relatively simple; readers may do well to treat it as a historical text rather than a contemporary guide to growing up.

Who it's for

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Reading tips

  1. Read the table of contents and chapter titles first to grasp the main adventure line, then proceed chapter by chapter to avoid getting stuck on old-fashioned English expressions.
  2. Mark unfamiliar nautical and school slang first, look up the words together after finishing a chapter, and maintain reading rhythm.
  3. Skim other Merriwell stories in the same series for comparison to observe repetition and variation in character setup and plot templates.
  4. After finishing, summarize in one paragraph what "nobility" specifically means in the book, testing whether you have recognized its historical limitations.

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.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or English? The main text is in English and is a public-domain ebook provided by Project Gutenberg. Chinese readers need some English reading ability, or should use a dictionary and bilingual comparison tools; available information does not indicate a formal Chinese translation.
Can I read this directly without having read other works in the series? Yes. The series mostly consists of relatively independent adventure stories, and this book centers on a shipwreck and the tragedy of an ocean tramp, with a self-contained main plot. However, character relationships and the protagonist's personality are established in earlier works, so understanding the series setup first will make it easier to get into.
Is this book suitable as English reading material for children? It can serve as extensive reading material for older children, but note that the work was written in the early twentieth century, and its language style and value expressions bear the marks of its time. Parents or teachers are advised to look through it first, briefly explain outdated ideas when they arise, and then let the child read independently.

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About the author

Standish, Burt L., 1866-1945 Author

Burt L. Standish (1866–1945) is an author in this Chinese-language book database whose identity records are limited: his real name and biographical details remain unconfirmed, and the library holds 21 of his works. These works are mostly classified as inspirational coming-of-age fiction, centering on young people's experiences in school and on the playing field and emphasizing courage, honesty, friendship, and self-discipline. Representative titles include Frank Merriwell's Pursuit Or, How to Win, Frank Merriwell's Bravery, Frank Merriwell's Chums, Frank Merriwell's Reward, and Lefty Locke Pitcher-Manager. His writing often carries series characters across volumes, with brisk plots and an emphasis on readability and positive guidance for young readers. Because public information is limited, a full account of his life and oeuvre awaits further verification, yet the existing works already reflect his sustained engagement with and influence on inspirational coming-of-age fiction.