Transfer Point

Boucher, Anthony, 1911-1968Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 46K words
Chapters: 5

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.Transfer Point by Anthony BoucherAuthor: Boucher, Anthony, 1911-1968,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 2, 2016

Editor's review

Transfer Point is a short work by Anthony Boucher, available as a public-domain e-book from Project Gutenberg. It is in English and classified under American and Canadian literature. Boucher is known as a mystery editor and critic, and his fiction often carries a detective and speculative flavor; this short piece serves as a sample of his short-form style. It is brief enough to finish in one commute or before bed, offering a feel for the pacing and ingenuity of mid-twentieth-century English popular magazine fiction. As a public-domain e-text, the reading experience depends on typesetting quality, but the content itself supports a light yet memorable read. Readers need not approach it with research in mind—enjoy the story first, then look back at how the author structured it; those interested in Golden Age mystery and fantasy shorts may use it as a starting point for finding more of Boucher's work.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Casual readers who enjoy English-language short mystery and fantasy stories
Readers who want a short sample of Anthony Boucher's fiction style
Language learners looking for light English reading for commutes or bedtime

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a full-length novel for a complete narrative experience
Readers who need a Chinese translation rather than English original
Academic readers expecting a systematic study of all of Boucher's work

Reading tips

Read it straight through first without looking up words, to keep the flow of the story intact.
After finishing, revisit the opening to notice how the author planted clues and turns.
Record unfamiliar words separately and look them up afterward, so the reading rhythm is not interrupted.
If you enjoy it, seek out other Boucher shorts for comparison and to observe his recurring techniques.

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 novel or a short story?

Judging from the genre information given and the usual form of public-domain e-books, it is a short work suitable for reading in a short time. For the exact length, refer to the actual page count of the e-text; readers should not approach it expecting a novel.

Do I need to know Anthony Boucher first?

No. This is a standalone short story that can be read directly. Knowing the author's background as a mystery editor and critic helps appreciate his humor, but it is not necessary for understanding.

How difficult is the English? Is it suitable for English learners?

The work is mid-twentieth-century English popular fiction; the language is generally fluent but may contain period expressions. It suits intermediate and above readers; beginners can read with a dictionary, focusing on the narrative rather than close word-by-word study.

Any advice for reading the e-book edition?

Public-domain e-books vary in typesetting. Use a reading app with adjustable font size and night mode. Before reading, check that the text is complete and paragraphs are clearly separated; if the layout is poor, compare with the same public-domain text from another source.

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About the author

Boucher, Anthony, 1911-1968 Author · American · 1911–1968

Anthony Boucher (1911–1968) was an American mystery writer and critic, known for his detective-fiction reviews and his work as a science-fiction editor. Born in 1911 and died in 1968, he was active across writing, criticism, and editing, and left his mark on American genre literature. His representative work is Transfer Point. Public information about him is limited, and the details of his life and the full range of his writing remain to be further studied; from what is known, his writing and critical activities centered on detective and mystery fiction, combining the roles of creator and critic, a trait that gives him significance in the evaluation and dissemination of mystery literature.