Shareholders

William Wymark JacobsProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 23K 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.Shareholders by W. W. JacobsAuthor: Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark), 1863-1943,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Mar 1, 2004

Editor's review

This work comes from the hand of the English short-story writer W. W. Jacobs and belongs to the classics of public-domain literature. Jacobs was known for depicting ordinary townsfolk and for light, ironic humor; this story turns on the identity of "shareholder" and often hides a twist within seemingly ordinary conversation and calculation, making for an easy read that lingers. As an electronic text released by Project Gutenberg, it preserves the English original, is short, and suits reading in fragmented time such as commutes or lunch breaks; it also works as supplementary material for entering English literature or understanding late nineteenth-century English social life. Note that this is an English original and a short sketch rather than a systematic business or legal work; readers should enjoy it as literature, not as a reference on shareholder systems or investment practice.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy English comic short stories
Learners who want to read English public-domain literature in fragmented time
Literature lovers interested in ordinary townsfolk and ironic narrative

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic study of shareholder systems or investment knowledge
Beginning English readers who need a Chinese translation or bilingual text

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot twist, then revisit the foreshadowing and verbal wit.
Look up slang or period expressions as needed rather than stopping at every word; keep the reading rhythm.
Read alongside other Jacobs stories to appreciate the common features of his humor.

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 a professional book on shareholder systems or investment?

No. It is an English short story that portrays people and life in literary fashion; it does not cover systematic shareholder rights, corporate governance, or investment analysis, and should not be treated as a practical reference.

Can I read it if my English is not good?

The text is an English original short story. It is not long but contains some period and colloquial expressions. Readers with weaker English can use a dictionary or a parallel translation as support and read gradually.

What settings is it suitable for?

It suits fragmented time such as commutes or lunch breaks—one story per sitting. It also works as light bedtime reading or supplementary material for an English literature course.

Comments

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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.