Aunt Jane’s Nieces On The Ranch sees the reappearance of Louise and Arthur Weldon after the birth of their first child, Jane. The family lives in California and hire a nurse, a local Mexican woman, much to Uncle John’s disapproval. Racial tension is explored as a New York woman is brought in to care for the child. Meanwhile, the Mexican nurse, Inez, is certain the ranch is haunted. – Summary by Lynne Thompson [chương_files]
The hero is Mr Priam Farll, a painter of considerable ability. He is, however, extremely shy – so shy that when his valet, Henry Leek, dies suddenly, the doctor believes the dead man to be Priam Farll and the live man the valet. The artist does not try to disabuse him. After the funeral (in Westminster Abbey), Priam Farll marries a widow and lives a happy life until the loss of his wife’s money means he has to take up painting again. A connoisseur of art recognises his style but thinks the paintings are by an imposter. He makes a fortune by buying his works through a small dealer and selling them in America as genuine. Meanwhile Priam Farll refuses through his obstinate shyness to prove his own identity. (Summary by Simon Evers) [chương_files]
When Paddy the Beaver moves into the Green Forest and wants to build his home, he never quite expected it would cause so much commotion! Being a focal point of attention, the forest animals watch him carefully and scrutinized his work, make fun of and question his building project, someone screams at him saying unkind things, and one forest animal sets his sights on hunting him to have him for lunch! That’s an awful lot for a little beaver to overcome – do you think he can do it? (Summary by Laurie Banza) [chương_files]
A funny and touching account of the imaginative Mr. Polly who, bored and trapped in his conventional life, makes a U-turn –- and changes everything. H.G. Wells’ early life as the son of a semi-insolvent shopkeeper and as a draper’s apprentice fueled his novels of the lower middle class: The Wheels of Chance (1896), Kipps (1905), and The History of Mr. Polly (1910). These works evoke the desperation of apprentices, clerks, and small traders in their monotonous toil behind shop counters. And, like Mr. Polly, his protagonists make a break from their mundane lives with more or less success. H. G. Wells (1866-1946) was a prolific writer in history, general and science fiction, and politics. He was a lifelong socialist. (Summary by Adrian Praetzellis) [chương_files]
Als die Ehefrau des Zauberkünstlers Orlowsky bei einem tragischen Unfall stirbt, wird ihre vierjährige Tochter Felicitas von der großbürgerlichen Familie Hellwig aufgenommen, sehr gegen den Willen von Frau Hellwig, denn “das Spielerskind” ist in ihren Augen ein sündiges Geschöpf, dem sich noch nicht einmal der liebe Gott erbarmen kann. Als Kommerzienrat Hellwig stirbt, ist Fee der herzlosen Frau und deren bigotten Ansichten ausgeliefert. Von nun an wird sie wie ein Dienstmädchen behandelt und unter dem Vorwand einer streng christlichen Erziehung wird ihr Bildung und persönliche Entwicklung verwehrt. Nur bei der alten Mamsell, einer Verwandten der Familie, die abgeschieden im Dachgeschoss lebt, findet Fee Verständnis und Zuneigung. Ein Geheimnis umgibt die gütige, gebildete Frau, das im Lauf der Geschichte gelüftet wird. Auch die Liebe spielt eine Rolle. Sie taucht ungebeten da auf, wo man sie gar nicht suchen würde. Die Bücher von Eugenie Marlitt sind Unterhaltungsromane auf handwerklich und sprachlich hohem Niveau. Die Autorin hält in ihrem 1867 erschienen Roman einer bigotten, selbstgefälligen “besseren Gesellschaft” den Spiegel vor und kritisiert soziale und politische Missstände der Zeit. (Zusammenfassung von Hokuspokus) [chương_files]
A framing story is told in the first person by Darrell Standing, a university professor serving life imprisonment in San Quentin State Prison for murder. Prison officials try to break his spirit by means of a torture device called “the jacket,” a canvas jacket which can be tightly laced so as to compress the whole body, inducing angina. Standing discovers how to withstand the torture by entering a kind of trance state, in which he walks among the stars and experiences portions of past lives. The jacket itself was actually used at San Quentin at the time and Jack London’s descriptions of it were based on interviews with a former convict named Ed Morrell, which is also the name of a character in the novel. For his role in the Sontag and Evans gang which robbed the Southern Pacific Railroad in the 1890s, Morrell spent fourteen years in California prisons (1894-1908), five of them in solitary confinement. London championed his pardon. After his release, Morrell was a frequent guest at London’s Beauty Ranch. (Introduction by Wikipedia) [chương_files]
“Das Waldbauernbübel” ist nichts anderes, als eine Sammlung von Erlebnissen und Erfahrungen aus dem Jugendleben in der Waldheimat. Die Erzählungen sind in sehr verschiedenen Zeiten entstanden. Sie bleiben stehen wie sie gewachsen sind, doch habe ich ihre Formen und Launen noch einmal scharf unter das Gewissen genommen… (Vorwort von “Das Waldbauernbübel) [chương_files]
An engaging travelogue published in 1890, written conversationally among two youths and their guide and mentor. From the preface: “a book describing the land of the Aztecs, its history and resources, the manners and customs of its people, and the many curious things to be seen, and adventures passed through, in a journey from one end of that country to the other.” Subtitle: Adventures of Two youths in a Journey to Northern and Central Mexico, Campeachey, and Yucatan, with a Description of the Republics of Central America and of the Nicaragua Canal. This is from The Boy Travellers series by Thomas W. Knox. (Summary by S Caulkins) [chương_files]
The recent death of Frank Morris’ father, Owner and Editor of the Green River Argus, has left his 18 year-old son, Frank to take up the challenge of running the paper. In the months preceding his death, Frank’s father had hired a man, Mr. Jebb, to run the paper in his absence. Unfortunately Mr. Jebb had purposefully mishandled the paper to diminish its value so the local powerhead, Squire Roach, could purchase it at a bargain. Now Frank needs his wits, ingenuity, and salesmanship to help the Argus to regain its stature in the community. (Summary by Keith Salis) [chương_files]
Frankreich am Vorabend der französischen Revolution. Der Jäger Renald beobachtet seine Schwester Gabriele bei einem Stelldichein mit dem Sohn des Grafen Dürande. Das Schlimmste ahnend schickt er sie zur Tante ins Kloster. Als der jungen Graf Hippolyt nach Paris abgereist ist, will er sie zurück holen, doch sie ist inzwischen verschwunden. Renald ist sicher, dass sie mit dem jungen Grafen durchgebrannt ist. Er geht nach Paris, um Hippolyt zur Rede zu stellen und seine Schwester zurückzuholen, doch der Graf leugnet jede Kenntnis von Gabrielens Verbleib. Als der alte Graf wenig später stirbt, kehrt Hippolyt zum Schloß Dürande zurück. Das ganze Land ist inzwischen in Aufruhr. Auch Gabriel und Renald treffen dort ein und die Ereignisse spitzen sich dramatisch zu. “Liebe, Leben, Tod, Sprache, Charakteristik, Alles ist seltsam und in seiner Seltsamkeit poetisch, …” schrieb ein zeitgenössischer Rezensent 1836 in den “Blättern für literarische Unterhaltung, Leipzig”. (Zusammenfassung von Hokuspokus) [chương_files]
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