Bill's Paper Chase

William Wymark JacobsProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 21K 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.Bill's Paper Chase by W. W. JacobsAuthor: Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark), 1863-1943,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Apr 1, 2004

Editor's review

Bill's Paper Chase is a short humorous story by W. W. Jacobs, revolving around a chain of misunderstandings and a chase triggered by a manuscript, continuing the author's forte for everyday comedy. The work drives its plot through light dialogue and a succession of coincidences; the characters' predicaments are comic without being unkind, and the pace is brisk. Compared with the author's better-known weird tales, this piece leans more toward slice-of-life humor, suitable for readers who want a light introduction to the English short story. This edition is a public-domain ebook from Project Gutenberg, with the complete English original, short enough to finish in one reading. It works as extensive reading material for English and as a light conversation starter in a reading group, for observing how short comic fiction uses misunderstanding and pacing to create laughs.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers looking for a light, humorous English short story to relax with
Learners doing extensive English reading who want to build everyday expressions
General readers who enjoy slice-of-life misunderstanding and coincidence plots
Organizers who need a light short piece for a book club

Not a good fit for

Serious literature readers expecting strong conflict or deep themes
Readers who prefer long, coherent narratives and are unused to the jumpy pace of short stories
Readers who need a Chinese translation or detailed annotations

Reading tips

Read through in one go first to see how the misunderstanding escalates, then go back to the key turning points.
Note the rhythm and exaggerated tone of the dialogue; copy a few lines to imitate its humorous expression.
After reading, try summarizing the cause, the misunderstanding, and the ending in two or three sentences to check comprehension.
For English study, put the colloquial phrases into small cards and review them repeatedly.

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 the style very different from The Monkey's Paw?

Clearly different. The Monkey's Paw leans toward suspense and a horror atmosphere, while this piece creates laughs through everyday misunderstanding and coincidence in a light tone. Both are by Jacobs, and reading them together shows his skill at controlling pace and dialogue across different subjects.

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

Overall low-to-medium difficulty: sentences are short, there is much dialogue, and the plot moves through action and misunderstanding, making it easy to follow. Beginners can read through for the gist first, then look up a few new words; readers with some foundation can read extensively and focus on the humorous expressions.

It's short—is one reading enough?

At least two readings are recommended. The first time, follow the plot and where the laughs fall; the second time, note how the author sets up the misunderstanding and plants clues in the dialogue. The pleasure of a short story often lies in details that only repeated reading reveals.

Comments

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About the author

William Wymark Jacobs Author · British · 1863–1943

William Wymark Jacobs (1863–1943) was a British short-story writer, born in London in 1863 and died there in 1943. In his early years he lived around the Thames docks and was familiar with the lives of sailors and dockworkers, which led him to write a great many humorous sea stories, often in a light and witty tone. His best-known work, The Monkey's Paw, is a classic horror short story included in The Lady of the Barge (1902); noted for its tight suspense and sudden twists, it is still widely anthologized in horror collections. The library holds 109 of his works, including The Lady of the Barge and Others, Ship's Company, A Tiger's Skin, Captains All, and Night Watches; his common category is inspirational growth. Public information is limited and details of his life are largely unavailable, yet his fiction is distinctive in subject, blending humor with horror, and has had a lasting influence on later short-story writing.