Sudden Jim

Kelland, Clarence Budington, 1881-1964Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 357K words
Chapters: 36

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.Sudden Jim by Clarence Budington KellandAuthor: Kelland, Clarence Budington, 1881-1964,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Oct 31, 2013

Editor's review

Sudden Jim comes from Clarence Budington Kelland, an American writer of popular fiction, and is a briskly paced popular narrative with sharply drawn characters. Kelland was known for weaving plots and creating protagonists with a distinctly American bluntness, and the "Sudden" in the title hints at a hero who acts decisively and unpredictably. The story revolves around Jim, with one event driving the next, lively dialogue, and crisp scene changes that carry the typical appeal of early 20th-century American popular fiction. Readers who want to understand Kelland's style or are interested in the popular literature of that era will find here an accessible, moderate-length entry point. Watch for how the author uses dialogue and action to establish character quickly, and for the familiar devices of popular fiction in plotting. As a public-domain ebook, it works as leisure reading, supplementary material for genre-fiction studies, or a window on the reading tastes of its time.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early 20th-century American popular fiction
Casual readers who want light, plot-driven stories
Literature enthusiasts studying genre fiction and popular reading tastes
English readers who want to know Kelland's style

Not a good fit for

Serious literary readers expecting deep psychological portraiture and formal experimentation
Readers put off by the language of early American popular fiction
Young readers seeking contemporary issues and diverse perspectives

Reading tips

Read the first few chapters to get a feel for the characters' tone and the narrative pace before deciding whether to finish the book.
While reading, notice how dialogue drives the plot, and note passages that show the hero's "Sudden" character.
Read it alongside other American popular fiction of the same period to observe stock characters and plot patterns.
Read it in installments as light reading, one or two chapters at a time, to keep the pace relaxed.

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

What does the title "Sudden Jim" mean?

The "Sudden" in the title points to the hero Jim's decisive, unpredictable character and also suggests a brisk pace with frequent turns. As you read, notice how his decisions suddenly redirect the plot, and the point of the title becomes clear.

What kind of novel is this?

It is early 20th-century American popular fiction, marked by plot-driven storytelling and vivid characters, with elements of adventure and social observation. Compared with serious literature, it prizes readability and entertainment and works well as a sample of genre fiction.

What kind of writer was Kelland?

Clarence Budington Kelland (1881–1964) was an American writer of popular fiction, known for his productivity and plotting, whose works often feature blunt, decisive male protagonists. This book shows his habitual dialogue-driven narration and quick scene changes.

What is it like to read the public-domain ebook edition?

The Project Gutenberg edition is free and easy to search, and suits on-screen reading. Because it is volunteer-proofread, individual punctuation or paragraph breaks may differ from the original; focus on the story and consult other editions if in doubt.

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About the author

Kelland, Clarence Budington, 1881-1964 Author

Clarence Budington Kelland (1881–1964) was an American author. Public information about his life and nationality is limited, but the library holds twelve of his works, which offer a glimpse of his writing. He is best known for a series of novels featuring the boy Mark Tidd, such as Mark Tidd in the Backwoods, Mark Tidd: His Adventures and Strategies, and Mark Tidd's Citadel, which center on the adventures and clever schemes of young people; the plots are brisk and humorous, with a strong flavor of small-town America. Other works, including Scattergood Baines, Sudden Jim, The Highflyers, Catty Atkins, and Youth Challenges, likewise take vivid ordinary characters and everyday town life as their subjects. His prose is plain and lively, and he moves the story forward through dialogue. Overall, his writing is light and witty, emphasizing characterization and homely humor, and is suited to popular reading.