They Also Serve

Donald Edwin WestlakeProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 11K words
Chapters: 2

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.They Also Serve by Donald E. WestlakeAuthor: Westlake, Donald E., 1933-2008,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 14, 2009

Editor's review

This work is a novel credited to Donald E. Westlake, released as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain electronic text in the American literature category. Westlake was known for crime and suspense fiction, and this book continues his characteristic narrative pacing and dialogue style; it is concise and serves as an accessible sample of his early writing. As a public-domain eBook, its value lies not only in the text itself but also in being a concrete product of the spread of eBooks since 1971, letting readers appreciate the role of free digital libraries in literary circulation. The language is English, the prose fluent, and scene changes clean and brisk, making it suitable for reading in fragments during commutes, short trips, or before bed. Note that the electronic edition derives from scanning or transcription, so minor punctuation and layout differences from the print original may exist; focus on plot and characters rather than detailed proofreading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers who enjoy American crime and suspense short fiction
Literature fans curious about Westlake's early style
Learners seeking light English reading practice
Readers interested in Project Gutenberg and public-domain eBooks

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer Chinese and are uncomfortable with English originals
Readers expecting long, complex mystery or modern suspense structures
Readers seeking author biographies and work chronologies

Reading tips

Read the first two chapters to gauge the pacing and character relationships before committing to the whole book.
Read one or two sections per commute or bedtime session to keep the plot coherent without taking too much time.
Mark unfamiliar slang or period expressions and look them up after finishing a chapter.
After reading, check the Project Gutenberg page to learn about the source and version of the electronic text.

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 complete full-length novel?

According to the Project Gutenberg entry, this is a literary work published in English and relatively concise, better read at a short-story or novella pace. Check the eBook's table of contents for the exact chapter structure; there is no need to expect lengthy, complex subplots.

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

The text is in the original English, fluent but with some period colloquialisms and slang; it is not a graded reader. Intermediate readers can get through it with a dictionary, while beginners are better off treating it as extensive reading and focusing on the main plot.

Will the electronic edition differ from the print edition?

The Project Gutenberg version was transcribed and proofread by volunteers; the main content should match the original, but punctuation, paragraphing, and some layout details may differ. Focus on plot and characters; for textual research, consult other editions.

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About the author

Donald Edwin Westlake Author · American · 1933–2008

Donald E. Westlake (1933–2008) was an American crime novelist and screenwriter, born in Brooklyn, New York. Over his career he wrote more than a hundred novels, including the Dortmunder series under his own name and the hard-boiled Parker series under the pen name Richard Stark, showing a gift for both humor and tough, lean storytelling. He won the Edgar Award three times, received the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 1993, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay for The Grifters. Three of his works are held in this collection—They Also Serve, The Spy in the Elevator, and The Risk Profession—most of them crime and suspense stories that display his characteristic wit and brisk pacing. He died in Mexico in 2008.