The Double Four

Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips), 1866-194Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 355K 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. The Double Four by E. Phillips Oppenheim. Author: Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips), 1866-1946. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Feb 15, 2009

Editor's review

The Double Four is a suspense-adventure work by the British popular novelist E. Phillips Oppenheim, centered on a mysterious organization known as the Double Four. The plot is tight and full of reversals, with the typical flavor of early spy fiction. Oppenheim excels at planting danger beneath elegant social settings; the dialogue is witty and the pace brisk, making the book a suitable light read in the original English. Released free by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain e-book, it is easily accessible and convenient to read on electronic devices at any time. For readers who want a glimpse of early twentieth-century popular suspense fiction or who wish to train reading speed with original English texts, this book is a light but engaging choice. There is no need to read word by word; following the character relationships and the progression of events is enough for a good story experience.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers who enjoy early spy and suspense-adventure stories
Learners who want to use public-domain e-books for light English extensive reading practice
Literature enthusiasts interested in early twentieth-century British popular fiction
Readers who need short-chapter reading material for commutes or fragmented time

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting the depth of serious literature and complex psychological characterization
Beginners with weak English who need annotations or a translated version for support
Readers who prefer contemporary fast-paced techno-thriller subjects

Reading tips

Read the first two chapters first to clarify the relationships among the Double Four and the main characters, then continue with later events.
Read extensively at a pace of one or two chapters a day; mark unfamiliar words without interrupting the plot.
After finishing, review the key reversals and sort out how the author plants clues and releases information.
Use an audiobook or text-to-speech software to listen along, lowering the threshold for reading the original.

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

Do I need to read other works in the same series first?

No. The plot of this book is relatively independent, and you can enter the story directly from the beginning. If you want to know more about the suspenseful world created by the author, you can look for other works by Oppenheim for comparison after finishing.

How difficult is the original English version?

Overall it is in the style of popular fiction, with short sentences and a good deal of dialogue, but it involves early twentieth-century social usage and some proper nouns. Readers with intermediate English reading ability can finish it smoothly with a dictionary.

What is a good way to read the electronic edition?

Project Gutenberg provides a free electronic text that can be read on a phone, tablet, or e-reader. It is advisable to use reading software with adjustable font size and dictionary lookup, so that unfamiliar words can be handled quickly during extensive reading.

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About the author

Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips), 1866-194 Author

E. Phillips Oppenheim (Edward Phillips Oppenheim, 1866–194) was a writer known for mystery and espionage fiction. Public information about him is limited, and the biographical details in our records are incomplete. The existing catalogue shows that he was a prolific author, with 61 of his works held on this site, including The Great Impersonation, The Double Traitor, The Governors, The Lost Ambassador, The Yellow House, and Stolen Idols. These works generally centre on disguise and false identity, political intrigue, detective pursuit, and adventure; their plots are tightly paced and full of suspense, and he was skilled at advancing the narrative through complex relationships among characters. His works are often classified under inspirational growth, reflecting readers' interest in the choices and turning points of fate faced by his characters.