The Second Voice

Rubin, Mann, 1927-2013Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 27K 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.The Second Voice by Mann RubinAuthor: Rubin, Mann, 1927-2013,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Sep 5, 2009

Editor's review

The Second Voice is a short work of English fiction, brief enough to be read in one quiet sitting. Its appeal lies mainly in the narrative itself: readers are drawn step by step into a situation of suspense and psychological tension, watching how the clue of "the second voice" is laid out and how it changes the characters' relationships and the reader's judgment. Given the limited information available, it is best not to assume a particular plot direction; the more suitable approach is to treat it as a short story that rewards close reading: note the narrative perspective, the rhythm of dialogue, and the order in which information is released, and appreciate how the author creates unease within a limited space. For readers who want to practice close reading of English short fiction, or who want an English story they can finish on a commute or before sleep, this work has a low threshold and lends itself well to discussion afterward.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Casual readers looking for a short English story they can finish in one sitting
Learners practicing close reading in English, with attention to narrative perspective and dialogue
Readers who enjoy psychological suspense and tension in relationships rather than long development
Book clubs needing a short English selection that is easy to discuss in one session

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer long, complex world-building and multi-stranded narratives
Beginners who need extensive background notes or a systematic literary guide
Readers expecting clear genre labels and strong action sequences

Reading tips

Read through once without stopping, note the passages that make you most uneasy or puzzled, then return to them.
On a second reading, focus on dialogue and narrative perspective, marking where information is delayed or hidden.
Retell the story in three to five sentences afterward, then check against the original to see which hints you missed.
If using it for a book club, prepare two open questions in advance about the meaning of "the second voice."

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

About how long does it take to read this story?

As a short work, it can usually be finished in one reading, though the time depends on your reading speed and whether you take notes. Set aside an uninterrupted stretch for the first read, then spend a shorter time reviewing key passages; this captures the buildup of suspense better than fragmented reading.

How difficult is the English, and is it suitable for learning English?

It is at the usual reading level for short fiction and suits readers with basic English reading ability. It is better for practicing close reading and narrative analysis than as a textbook for sentence-by-sentence study; guess unfamiliar words from context first, then look them up afterward.

Do I need to know the author's background before reading?

Not as a prerequisite. Much of the pleasure of a short story comes from information being revealed gradually, and knowing too much about the plot in advance weakens the experience. Read the work first, and if you are then interested in the author or similar short stories, add background material.

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About the author

Rubin, Mann, 1927-2013 Author · American · 1927–2013

Mann Rubin (1927–2013) was an American screenwriter and playwright whose work spanned film, television, and the stage. Public information about his life is limited, and the specific details of his early years and career are difficult to trace; what can be confirmed is that he worked steadily across several fields of writing for the screen and stage, leaving behind works in a variety of genres. The Second Voice, held in this collection, is one of the representative works through which his writing can be understood. Judging from this work and his broader background, Rubin's writing tends to center on characters' circumstances and the unfolding of plot, with attention to narrative pacing and the tension of dialogue, reflecting a craft oriented toward a general audience. His experience in film, television, and stage writing allowed him to adapt to the different narrative demands of each medium. Though his output was not large, his work offers a noteworthy case for the study of popular screenwriting and playwriting in twentieth-century America.