Swingin Round the Cirkle.

Locke, David Ross, 1833-1888Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 321K words
Chapters: 33

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."Swingin Round the Cirkle." by David Ross LockeAuthor: Locke, David Ross, 1833-1888,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Dec 5, 2005

Editor's review

"Swingin Round the Cirkle." is a work by the American writer David Ross Locke (1833–1888), available as a free eBook from Project Gutenberg and classified under American and Canadian literature. Locke was a nineteenth-century American journalist and satirist whose writing often carried the humor and political satire of his era, and this work continues in that vein, making it a useful sample for understanding nineteenth-century American popular literature and the satirical tradition. As a public-domain eBook, it is extremely easy to obtain, convenient for readers to browse on electronic devices at any time, and convenient for researchers to excerpt passages for textual analysis. A caveat: the work is in English and carries pronounced period context and allusions, so today's readers may need notes or related historical materials if they lack background knowledge. Overall, it is better suited to readers interested in American literary history and the journalistic satirical style than to ordinary novel readers seeking narrative coherence.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students and scholars studying nineteenth-century American literature and satire
Readers interested in American journalistic writing and the tradition of political humor
Learners who need public-domain English texts for linguistic or textual analysis
Readers accustomed to e-books who want low-cost access to early American popular works

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for tightly plotted, highly narrative modern novels
Beginners with limited English reading ability who are unwilling to check historical background
Readers expecting a version with detailed annotations or a scholarly introduction

Reading tips

First understand Locke's background as a journalistic satirist before entering the text; this helps grasp the tone more quickly.
Note period allusions or political figures as you go and look them up, so as not to misread the target of the satire.
Read in fragments by chapter, and after each section review its satirical target and rhetorical devices.
If using it for research, read it alongside short pieces by other nineteenth-century American humorists for comparison.

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 a novel or a collection of satire?

The available information places it under American and Canadian literature, and the author Locke is known for journalistic satire. The exact genre requires the reader to judge by opening the text, but one should expect nineteenth-century humor and satirical tone rather than a plot-driven novel in the modern sense.

Can I read this book if my English is not good?

The work is a public-domain English text with period context and allusions, so the barrier is relatively high for those with weak English. It is advisable to have at least intermediate English reading ability, or to read with a dictionary and historical background materials; otherwise one may read only the literal surface and miss the satire.

Does this edition have annotations or an introduction?

The information shows this is a free eBook released by Project Gutenberg, with no indication of detailed annotations or a scholarly introduction. If an annotated edition is needed, look separately for relevant scholarly editions or research materials to use alongside it.

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About the author

Locke, David Ross, 1833-1888 Author

David Ross Locke (1833–1888) was an American journalist and humorist best known for his satirical pen name "Petroleum V. Nasby"; public sources offer limited information about his early life and education. Two of his works are held here: Swingin Round the Cirkle. and Nasby in Exile. The former uses his character Nasby to deliver political satire, while the latter continues the same teasing voice, weaving the fictional figure's letters and commentary into mockery of society and politics. Locke was skilled at dialect spelling, exaggerated tone, and ironic structure, letting his character expose prejudice and absurdity through self-contradiction. This approach is representative of nineteenth-century American humorous writing and makes his work vivid material for observing the political press and satirical style of his time.