Minor Detail

Jack SharkeyProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 18K words
Chapters: 2

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.Minor Detail by Jack SharkeyAuthor: Sharkey, Jack, 1931-1992,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 23, 2009

Editor's review

Minor Detail is a work by Jack Sharkey (1931–1992), first released as an e-book by Project Gutenberg in 2009. Project Gutenberg, the earliest provider of free electronic books, was founded by Michael Hart in 1971 with the idea of letting books circulate freely in electronic form. The inclusion of Sharkey's work in the project means it has entered the freely readable public domain, and it can serve readers interested in twentieth-century American popular literature as a sample. The book is short, in English, and classified under American and Canadian literature. It is best read within the context of Project Gutenberg's publishing history: it is not only a novel but also part of the early practice of e-books. Researchers can use it to observe the selection tastes of public-domain electronic texts; general readers get a light English short read. Note that the materials provide no plot or review information, so readers should approach it with an open mind rather than assuming it is a classic.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers interested in twentieth-century American popular literature
Learners who want to practice reading with a short English original
Readers interested in Project Gutenberg's selections and the history of e-books
People who need light English reading for spare moments

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting in-depth literary analysis or classic masterpieces
Those whose English reading ability is still at the beginner stage
Readers who need a Chinese translation or annotated assistance

Reading tips

Read through once without worrying about full comprehension, then revisit the details to appreciate how the short piece resolves.
Jot down unfamiliar English expressions as you read and look them up afterward.
Read it alongside other short works in Project Gutenberg to observe the selection style.
If using it for English study, read one or two sections at a time and retell the gist.

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 in Chinese or English?

It is an English original; the materials list the language as English and classify it under American and Canadian literature. No Chinese translation information is provided, so readers need some English reading ability.

What is Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg is the earliest project providing free e-books, founded by Michael Hart in 1971 and dedicated to letting books circulate freely in electronic form. This book was released by the project and is a freely readable public resource.

What background knowledge is needed to read this book?

The materials provide no plot or theme details, and generally no specialized background is needed. To understand it better, you might first learn about common approaches in twentieth-century American short fiction and read it as popular writing rather than as a classic.

Comments

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About the author

Jack Sharkey Author · American · 1931–1992

Jack Sharkey (1931–1992) was an American author born John Michael Sharkey in Chicago. From 1959 he published science fiction in magazines such as Fantastic and Galaxy. His representative works include The Secret Martians, The Dope on Mars, and This Is Magic, Dummy!, as well as Arcturus Times Three, The Business, As Usual, and Minor Detail. His science fiction often draws on Mars and future societies, with ingenious plots, humorous language, and a satirical edge. He later turned to playwriting, publishing more than eighty scripts under his real name and four pseudonyms, many of them concerned with personal growth and inspiration. Eleven of his works are held in this collection. Public information about his life and career is limited.