Twice Bought

Robert Michael BallantyneProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 407K words
Chapters: 41

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. Twice Bought by R. M. Ballantyne. Author: Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael), 1825-1894. Language: English. Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres. Release Date: Jun 6, 2007

Editor's review

Twice Bought is a boys' adventure novel by R. M. Ballantyne, available as a free public-domain eBook from Project Gutenberg. Ballantyne is known for realistic adventure stories for young readers, often centered on courage, duty, and moral choice. The title points to a plot built around being "twice bought" or a double price, weaving reflections on honesty, freedom, and the cost of growing up into an adventure framework. As a public-domain eBook, it is easy to read on electronic devices at any time, making it a suitable entry point for reading English originals and a useful reference for those studying Victorian juvenile literature. Readers are advised to note how characters make choices in difficult situations and how the author conveys values through adventure narrative.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Middle-school and university students who enjoy English adventure novels
Learners who want to practice English reading with public-domain eBooks
Researchers studying Victorian juvenile literature
Readers who prefer short classic stories for commuting

Not a good fit for

Beginner readers looking for a Chinese translation
Readers impatient with old-fashioned English expression
Readers seeking modern fast-paced suspense plots

Reading tips

Skim the chapter titles to grasp the plot direction, then read the main text chapter by chapter
Guess unfamiliar words from context first, and look them up after finishing each chapter
Compare with other works by Ballantyne to see his adventure narrative style
Write a short reading summary of about 100 words in English after finishing

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 book suitable for English beginners to read directly?

Not really for complete beginners. Ballantyne's original text carries Victorian English habits of expression, with longer sentences and older vocabulary. It is advisable to have high-school-level English reading ability or to read a simplified version before returning to the original.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free public-domain eBooks. This book is the original English text, free of copyright restrictions, and readable on various devices. It contains no modern notes or introduction, so readers need to handle the background themselves; it suits readers who can read the original independently.

What does this book have in common with the author's other adventure novels?

Ballantyne's boys' adventure novels usually set the stage against real geographical or maritime backgrounds, emphasize courage, honesty, and duty, and drive the plot through characters' choices in difficult situations. This book follows the same path and serves as a sample for understanding his writing style.

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About the author

Robert Michael Ballantyne Author · United Kingdom · 1825–1894

Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825–1894) was a Scottish writer of children's literature, born in Edinburgh. At sixteen he went to Canada and worked for the Hudson's Bay Company for six years, an experience that later supplied material for his adventure stories; after returning to Scotland in 1847 he devoted himself to writing and produced more than a hundred adventure novels, of which ninety-seven are held in this collection. His representative works include The Coral Island, The Dog Crusoe and his Master, Black Ivory, The Lighthouse and Martin Rattler, mostly drawing on seafaring, desert-island and frontier adventure, with tight plots and solid detail that combine instruction with appeal for young readers. He was also skilled in watercolour painting. Public information on his early education and private life is limited.