Vigorish

Berryman, John, 1919-1988Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 64K words
Chapters: 7

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.Vigorish by John BerrymanAuthor: Berryman, John, 1919-1988,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jan 21, 2008

Editor's review

Vigorish is a work by the American poet John Berryman (1919–1988), available from Project Gutenberg under American literature. Berryman is best known for his poetry, and this work offers an entry point into his oeuvre, of value to readers studying twentieth-century American poetry. The Project Gutenberg edition is a public-domain English e-book, convenient for searching and citation and suitable as a base text for close reading or specialized research. Note that the available information gives only the title, author, language, and classification, with no details of plot or genre; readers should approach it as part of the poet's body of work rather than as light entertainment. It suits quiet reading in dialogue with the author's other works, or as supplementary material for poetry courses. The electronic edition is free, but its formatting and notes follow the public-domain original, so readers must supply background themselves.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University teachers and students studying modern and contemporary American poetry and Berryman's oeuvre
Literary researchers needing a public-domain English text for close reading or citation
Advanced readers with a basic knowledge of twentieth-century American poetry who are willing to read the original

Not a good fit for

General readers expecting conventional plots and light entertainment
Beginners with limited English reading ability who need a Chinese translation or notes
Readers seeking only anecdotes about the author's life rather than the text itself

Reading tips

Learn about Berryman's poetic movement and historical context first to lower the barrier to understanding.
Read alongside annotated editions or studies of his other major works to build intertextual reference points.
Keep a notebook of diction, imagery, and tone for later review and citation.
Use search tools on the electronic edition to locate keywords and read thematically rather than straight through.

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 a novel or a poetry collection?

The available information identifies John Berryman as the author, English as the language, and American literature as the category, without specifying the genre. Berryman is known primarily for poetry, but that should not be taken as proof of this book's genre; check the Project Gutenberg page or an authoritative bibliography before deciding how to read it.

Can I read this book if my English is not strong?

This is a public-domain English e-book with no Chinese translation or notes. Readers with limited English will find it difficult to read directly; they may first consult bilingual materials or related scholarship to learn about the content before deciding whether to read the original. It is not recommended as an introductory text.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free electronic texts that are easy to search, copy, and cite, making them suitable for research and close reading. However, the formatting follows the public-domain original, and notes and background information are limited, so readers must supplement the author's biography and historical context themselves.

Comments

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About the author

Berryman, John, 1919-1988 Author

John Berryman (1919–1988) is the author of the five works held in this collection. Because public information is limited, details such as his nationality and exact dates of birth and death cannot be confirmed. The works include Card Trick, The Trouble with Telstar, Modus Vivendi, The Right Time, and Vigorish. Judging from their titles, the subjects often involve card games, gambling, and everyday choices, with a flavor of suspense and worldly wisdom. These works are relatively short, tightly paced, and focused on plot twists and the tension of their characters' situations, with concise language that is rich in suggestion. Although external reviews and a detailed biography are lacking, these five works already reflect the author's preference for popular narrative and intellectual interest. This introduction is based only on the facts in the collection and confirmed public knowledge, without unverified education, awards, or experience, and readers may turn to the original works for further understanding of his style and themes.