Tourmalin's Time Cheques

Anstey, F., 1856-1934Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 190K words
Chapters: 19

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.Tourmalin's Time Cheques by F. AnsteyAuthor: Anstey, F., 1856-1934,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jul 2, 2014

Editor's review

Tourmalin's Time Cheques is a humorous novel with a fantastical touch by the English writer F. Anstey, first published in the late nineteenth century; this edition is a free eBook from Project Gutenberg. Anstey is known for his light fantastical premises, and this book turns on the absurd notion of "time cheques": the protagonist can draw on or overdraw future stretches of time, setting off a series of dislocations and confusions. The book's value lies not in deep philosophy but in its witty slice of late Victorian middle-class life and its playful treatment of the tension between time, contracts, and everyday order. For readers familiar with English literature who enjoy light fantasy and social humor, it is a pleasant small book for casual reading; because its language bears the marks of its era, it may require a fair command of English and some patience. As a public-domain eBook, it is better suited as a supplementary read for literary pleasure than as a first choice for beginners.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy light humorous novels of Victorian England
Readers interested in light fantastical premises such as temporal dislocation and contractual whimsy
English learners who want to pass the time with original English short fiction and build language feel
Enthusiasts studying F. Anstey's work or late nineteenth-century British popular literature

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting serious philosophical inquiry or hard science fiction
Beginners whose English reading is not yet fluent and who need annotated support
Contemporary fiction readers who prefer strong plotting and fast-paced narrative

Reading tips

Read a chapter or two first to get a feel for the narrative rhythm and humorous tone before deciding whether to read it through.
Skip period slang or institutional background when you meet it; there is no need to look up every word, which would interrupt the reading.
Read it alongside other fantasy novels about time to see how different eras imagine it.
Use it as bedtime or commute reading, a chapter or two at a time, and keep the mood light.

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 level of English does this book require?

The original is late nineteenth-century English, with sentence patterns and word choices characteristic of the period; a mid-level or better reading ability in English is advisable. When you meet obscure expressions, read on for the plot first and look them up later; do not aim for word-by-word understanding.

Is the "time cheque" a science-fiction premise?

It is closer to a whimsical device of light fantasy and humorous fiction; the point is not scientific explanation but the dislocation and comedy it creates in everyday life. Readers should come to it as a comedy of manners rather than expect a rigorous world-building setup.

What does this edition contain?

This is a public-domain English eBook released by Project Gutenberg, reportedly issued in 2014 and archived in 2019; the text is the novel itself and usually contains no modern introduction or notes. For the exact layout and appendices, refer to the actual file.

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About the author

Anstey, F., 1856-1934 Author

F. Anstey (1856–1934) was a British writer known for humorous fantasy novels and satirical works. His best-known book, Vice Versa or, A Lesson to Fathers, tells the absurd story of a father and son who swap identities and became a pioneer of this kind of plot after its wide popularity; The Brass Bottle uses a genie released into the modern world to set off a series of comic conflicts. He also wrote novels such as In Brief Authority and The Tinted Venus: A Farcical Romance, short story collections including The Black Poodle, and Other Tales, and parodies of well-known Ibsen plays collected as Mr Punch's Pocket Ibsen. His works often use supernatural premises to poke gentle fun at Victorian social customs and family relations, in a light and witty tone. The library holds 18 of his works. Public information is limited, and this introduction is based mainly on his surviving works.