A Struggle for a Fortune

Castlemon, Harry, 1842-1915Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.3

Word count: 280K words
Chapters: 29

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.A Struggle for a Fortune by Harry CastlemonAuthor: Castlemon, Harry, 1842-1915,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Jun 9, 2016

Editor's review

A Struggle for a Fortune is a juvenile novel by the American children's literature author Harry Castlemon (1842–1915), written in English and freely released by Project Gutenberg. In the late nineteenth century Castlemon was known for adventure and moral-growth stories for young readers, often centering on boys' courage, honesty, and self-striving. The title means “striving for wealth,” and its classification as juvenile literature suggests that the story likely follows the protagonist's pursuit of wealth or improvement of his circumstances, interwoven with adventure, tests, and choices of character, bearing the inspirational and didactic flavor typical of juvenile reading of that era. For today's readers, its value lies in presenting the narrative patterns and values of nineteenth-century American juvenile literature; it is a usable text for studying the history of children's literature, the adventure-story genre, and moral-education reading. As a public-domain ebook, it is easy to obtain free of charge and suitable for classroom selections. It is best read in historical context, with an understanding of its period limitations and an appreciation of its brisk narrative pace and vivid young protagonist.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying nineteenth-century American juvenile literature and the history of children's literature
Readers who enjoy classic adventure coming-of-age stories and can accept the narrative style of an older era
Teachers and students who need public-domain English texts for classroom selections or reading practice
Readers interested in the theme of “self-striving” and stories of juvenile character education

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer contemporary fast-paced, plot-driven fiction
Readers sensitive to the moral didacticism and values of an older era
Beginners with weak English reading skills who need annotations and introductions

Reading tips

First read a page of the text to gauge the language difficulty, then decide whether to read closely or extensively.
While reading, note each choice the protagonist faces and observe changes in his character.
Consider the period meaning of the “struggle for fortune” theme in light of nineteenth-century American society.
Compare it with contemporary juvenile adventure novels and write a short commentary on the genre's evolution.

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 children to read directly?

The book is juvenile literature, but it was written in the nineteenth century, and its language and values bear the marks of its time. Younger readers are advised to read with adult guidance or to choose an edition with an introduction and annotations to help them understand the historical background.

What kind of works does Castlemon mainly write?

Harry Castlemon was a late nineteenth-century American writer of juvenile fiction whose works mostly center on boys' adventures, courage, honesty, and self-striving, with an inspirational and moral-educational flavor. This book belongs to that type as well.

What is this book's relationship to Project Gutenberg?

The book is a free public-domain ebook released by Project Gutenberg. Founded by Michael Hart in 1971, Project Gutenberg is dedicated to producing and distributing free ebooks, and this book is one of the English juvenile literary works in its collection.

What English level is needed to read this book?

This is a nineteenth-century English juvenile novel whose sentence patterns and vocabulary bear the marks of its time; intermediate or higher English reading ability is recommended. Beginners can use a dictionary or a bilingual edition, first grasping the main plot and then reading the language closely.

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About the author

Castlemon, Harry, 1842-1915 Author

Harry Castlemon (1842-1915) was an American author of adventure stories for young readers, though public information about his life and education is limited. Forty of his works are held in the collection, most following young protagonists through frontier and wartime adventures. Frank on the Prairie, Frank Before Vicksburg and Frank on the Lower Mississippi center on a character named Frank and deal with prairie life and the fighting on the Mississippi; Marcy the Blockade Runner and The First Capture; or, Hauling Down the Flag of England draw on blockade running and naval warfare; Elam Storm, the Wolfer; or, The Lost Nugget, George in Camp; or, Life on the Plains and Guy Harris, the Runaway feature a wolf hunter, camp life and a runaway boy. Told with tight plotting for young readers and stressing courage and adventure, these books are a representative example of nineteenth-century American juvenile fiction.