| Author |
Stevenson, Robert Louis, 1850-1894 |
| Author |
Osbourne, Lloyd, 1868-1947 |
| Title |
The Wrong Box
|
| Note |
Reading ease score: 80.2 (6th grade). Easy to read.
|
| Credits |
Produced by An Anonymous Volunteer and David Widger
|
| Summary |
"The Wrong Box" by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne is a comic novel produced in the late 19th century. The story revolves around the eccentric and financially troubled Finsbury family, particularly focusing on the two surviving brothers from a once-promising tontine—a pool of funds shared among a group of contributors that only pays out upon the death of its members. The narrative introduces characters such as the bumbling Joseph and the often disgruntled Morris, highlighting their quirky relationships and financial mishaps amid a backdrop of dark humor and absurdity. At the start of the novel, the narrator reflects on the disparate perceptions of authorship as they introduce the convoluted tontine scheme, which forms the thematic backbone of the tale. The Finsbury brothers, Joseph and Masterman, are revealed to be the last survivors of their tontine. The story quickly escalates as the brothers find themselves entangled in familial and financial intrigues, including Morris's attempts to reclaim an inheritance that seems ever-elusive. Additionally, a train accident leads to a misunderstanding regarding the whereabouts of their uncle Joseph, intertwining comedic elements with potential disaster, setting the stage for a series of misadventures that explore themes of greed, deception, and the absurdity of life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PR: Language and Literatures: English literature
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| Subject |
Inheritance and succession -- Fiction
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| Subject |
Cousins -- Fiction
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| Subject |
Uncles -- Fiction
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| Subject |
Brothers -- Fiction
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| Subject |
Mystery fiction
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| Subject |
Avarice -- Fiction
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
1585 |
| Release Date |
Feb 26, 2006 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Jan 27, 2021 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
280 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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