Number Seventeen

Tracy, Louis, 1863-1928Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 395K words
Chapters: 40

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.Number Seventeen by Louis TracyAuthor: Tracy, Louis, 1863-1928,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jan 1, 2004

Editor's review

Louis Tracy's Number Seventeen is a public-domain English novel with a suspense flavor; the title itself forms a riddle to be solved. The work continues the author's strength in plot-driven writing, laying out clues around numbers and locations with a tight pace, suitable for readers reading for diversion and genre interest. As an electronic text released by Project Gutenberg, it is highly accessible, making it easy for researchers and general readers to encounter the face of early twentieth-century English popular fiction. While reading, it is worth noting how the author organizes suspense through space and numbers, and how dialogue carries the function of advancing the plot. Because the book was written early, some social ideas and expressions carry the limitations of their time; it is advisable to view them from the perspective of genre history rather than judge them simply by contemporary standards. Overall, this is a light suspense work suitable for reading in segments during commutes or short holidays.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like traditional British-style suspense and plot-driven fiction
Readers who wish to encounter public-domain English originals through light reading
Literary enthusiasts studying early twentieth-century English popular fiction
Office workers who prefer short chapters and segmented reading

Not a good fit for

Hardcore mystery fans seeking rigorous fair-play detection and fair clues
Readers sensitive to the era's ideas in early works
Readers who need modern narrative pace and strong character arcs

Reading tips

First read the first three chapters to confirm the suspense setup, then read in segments by chapter to keep the clues coherent.
Jot down the characters, places and time points related to "Number Seventeen" for easy review.
Do not look up every uncommon word; ensure the plot moves forward first, and handle language details on a second pass.
After finishing, review the opening clues to test the correspondence between the author's planting and revelation.

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

What kind of readers is the suspense intensity of this book suitable for?

It is traditional plot-driven suspense, emphasizing atmosphere and momentum rather than complex tricks. It suits readers who want to read a suspense story lightly; those expecting rigorous reasoning, fair clues and multiple reversals may find the puzzle-solving difficulty insufficient. It is advisable to treat it as genre reading rather than a detective challenge.

How difficult is the English, and how much vocabulary is needed?

As early twentieth-century popular fiction, the sentence patterns are generally clear, but there are period word usages and expression habits. Readers with intermediate English reading ability can attempt it; unfamiliar words can be skipped first to ensure plot coherence. If careful reading is desired, use a dictionary and background materials to handle language and plot in two passes.

What should be noted when reading a public-domain ebook?

This book is provided by Project Gutenberg and is a free public-domain ebook. Electronic editions from different sources may differ in typesetting, proofreading and chapter completeness; it is advisable to rely on the official page version. When reading, note whether chapter titles and paragraphing are clear; if obvious errors or omissions are found, another public-domain source can be used for comparison.

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About the author

Tracy, Louis, 1863-1928 Author

Louis Tracy (1863–1928) was an English writer of popular fiction in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, best known for tightly plotted mystery and adventure stories. His works often revolve around mysterious inheritances, disappearances, mistaken identities, and criminal puzzles, with representative titles including The Wheel O' Fortune, Number Seventeen, The King of Diamonds, The Great Mogul, and The Stowmarket Mystery. He excelled at blending detective reasoning with exotic settings and suspenseful chases, producing fast-paced, incident-filled narratives that were both entertaining and highly readable. The library holds 30 of his works, commonly classified under inspirational growth, though their core remains popular mystery and adventure fiction. Public information is limited, and details of his life remain to be further verified.