A Struggle For Life

Aldrich, Thomas Bailey, 1836-1907Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 22K words
Chapters: 3

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 Life by Thomas Bailey AldrichAuthor: Aldrich, Thomas Bailey, 1836-1907,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 6, 2007

Editor's review

A Struggle For Life is a short work by Thomas Bailey Aldrich, released as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg. The title suggests a story built around some form of struggle for survival; it is compact and serves as an accessible entry into nineteenth-century American short narrative. Aldrich's writing often wraps human predicaments and subtle emotions in an unhurried narrative pace, and this piece likewise asks readers to attend, within a limited span, to turns of plot and shifts in character psychology. Its value lies not in grand scenes but in presenting a complete situation in miniature, letting readers experience the narrative habits and linguistic flavor of periodical fiction of the time. As a public-domain resource it is easy to obtain, suited to casual English extensive reading and to short-fiction enthusiasts, and also useful for writing students observing how a short story builds tension within a limited word count. It is best not to skim it in scattered moments; setting aside a relatively uninterrupted stretch to read it in one sitting works better.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy short stories and want to finish a piece in a short time
English extensive reading learners who want to practice reading nineteenth-century English narrative
Readers interested in nineteenth-century American periodical short fiction and narrative technique
Writing enthusiasts who want to observe how a short story builds tension within a limited span

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer long, complex plots and multi-stranded narratives
Readers not yet proficient in English who need extensive annotations
Readers seeking detailed author biography and work analysis

Reading tips

Set aside an uninterrupted stretch to read it in one sitting; avoid skimming, which undermines the story's buildup of tension
While reading, note how the struggle named in the title is concretely presented in the story
After finishing, retell the main line of the plot to check whether you have grasped the key turns
If using it for English study, choose a passage you like for close reading and imitation writing

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 work suitable for reading in one sitting?

Yes. It is a short work of limited length; reading it in one sitting better conveys the narrative's completeness and tension, while reading it in scattered skims makes it easy to miss buildup and turns.

Is the story intense or heavy?

Judging by the author's consistent style, Aldrich tends toward calm, restrained narration; even when survival struggle is involved, it is presented with reserve rather than strong dramatization, so readers need not expect extremely intense plot.

Where can I read this book?

The book is released by Project Gutenberg as a free public-domain eBook; the English original can be obtained on the Project Gutenberg website without purchasing a print edition.

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About the author

Aldrich, Thomas Bailey, 1836-1907 Author

Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836–1907) was an American writer and poet. The library holds 19 of his works, spanning fiction, poetry, and essays. Among them, The Story of a Bad Boy is the best known, alongside novels such as The Queen of Sheba, Marjorie Daw, and Daisy's Necklace, and poetry collections including The Sisters' Tragedy, with Other Poems, Lyrical and Dramatic. His writing often depicts childhood and everyday characters in a light, humorous tone, with fresh narration and a strong sense of life. The Story of a Bad Boy is regarded as a pioneering work of coming-of-age fiction told from a boy's perspective, and it has influenced later American juvenile literature. Public information on the details of his life is limited, so this entry makes no speculation.