Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.Download Description
The cotillon loomed dismally before Penrod now; but it was his duty to secure a partner and he set about it with a dreary heart. The delay occasioned by his fruitless attempt on Marjorie and the altercation with his enemy at her gate had allowed other ladies ample time to prepare for callers--and to receive them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Penrod: Still a Classic
After all these years, it was a treat to read a chapter or two of "Penrod" taking me back to a much simpler time.Penrod and Sam were the Harry Potter and friends of a much earlier era, and they are just as entertaining in 2008 as they were 70 years ago.This book was purchased for a younger friend who had never had the opportunity to enjoy the antics and adventures of these delightful boys.

Tom Sawyer Meets Monty Python
Penrod Schofield has enough good intentions to pave a Super Highway straight to Hell, but his ways and works are encompassed all about with temptations too powerful to ignore. The hapless Penrod is one of the funniest characters American literature produced, and it's a damn shame that he has been allowed to languish for so long in darkness.

It is unfortunate, but America has been muzzled by the forces of Political Correctness, which may be why this book has been swept under the carpet for so long. For Boothe Tarkington wasn't at all acceptable by the standards of our modern self appointed High Priests of PC. But hey, that's all the more reason you should read this hilarious story! Go on, buy this book and defy the Thought Police to tell you what you are and are not allowed to laugh about anymore! We used to have Free Speech, you know, before we were Balkanized by people determined to find something to be offended over at any (ahem!) nigglingcost. Wouldn't it be great if we all relaxed and agreed to try that experiment again?

penrod
I thought that Penrod was a extremely funny story about a boy in the the early 1900's. It was a great story about a 12 year old boy named penrod along with his faithful companion duke and his friends Sam,Verman, and Herman. The gang was always clashing with adults and teacherS making it a humurous story about young boys getting into mischief. Its an amazing story that yound adults can relate to as well as adults in their past experiences in their school days. It almost feels as if ur part of the group and your right along with them starting trouble. From anything to skipping a pageant to dipping a girls hair in ink. Its an amazing story about teenagers living an average life in an urban city living and coping with everyday problems.

Fond Memories
As good as when I read it more than 30 years ago. Tragically no longer politically correct, so doomed to fade away. I also agree with the reviewer who said that nowadays Penrod would be sent to a counselor and given ritalin

Delightful although out-of-date
I recall reading this book in my young pre-teen innocent years.
I remember that I could not put the book down!So I decided to see if it was as good as I thought it was.I was stunned to see the few passages that exemplified the bigotry of the day.But, I must confess, I again found myself giggling and unable to put the book down.And I give the book 4 stars with a humble apology to some of my dear friends. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.Download Description
The mob was carefully organized. They had taken their time and had prepared everything deliberately, knowing that nothing could stop them. No one had any thought of concealment; it was all as open as the light of day, all done in the broad sunshine. Nothing had been determined as to what was to be done at the Cross-Roads more definite than that the place was to be wiped out. That was comprehensive enough; the details were quite certain to occur. They were all on foot, marching in fairly regular ranks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Fighting the good fight in rural Indiana

This is Booth Tarkington's first novel, which set the stage for many of his future novels set in Indiana involving strong, ambitious characters. John Harkless comes to the small Hoosier town of Plattville to edit the failed weekly newspaper he's bought. Finding much to be desired about the dealings within his adopted town, especially the near terrorizing of the place by a band of thugs known as the "White Caps," he wages was against them in his newspaper. They attack him physically and when Harless disappears, everyone assumes he's been killed. Helen, a woman he's come to love, takes over the newspaper, which grows in strength and popularity. Harkless, of course, was not murdered, only recovering from his wounds, and when he returns he runs for Congress and purges his town of it's evil forces.

Tarkington walks a fine line between realism (the intrigue with the White Caps) and romanticism (the love interest between Harkless and Helen), but his vivid writing style is what impresses most. Questionable is Tarkington's portrayal of Plattville's citizens as backwoods hicks, though he always defended the accuracy of his depictions. The book was a huge success when first published.

An underrated gem
I had moderately high expectations for this novel and it did deliver.

Considering the time it was written (1899) "The Gentleman From Indiana" is filled with forward thinking -- diversity, condemnation of prejudice, equal rights for women.As a native Hoosier, Tarkington is clearly projecting himself through the main character, offering insight into his own passage into middle age (at the ripe old age of 30!) and uneasiness facing mortality.More subtle and slower-paced than some of his more well-know works, such as "The Magnificent Ambersons," it's definitely worth forging through.Tarkington's eloquence shines.

Tarkington's First Work
A prolix novel about a small town in Indiana called Plattsville.A stranger from out of town arrives and buys the failing (and laughable ) newspaper and turns it into something worth reading.In the process, thestrange, Harkless, expels political scoundrels and angers the"white-caps" (ala, KKK ) in the suburb outside of town.

This isalso a characteristic and somewhat predictable love story that Tarkingtondelivers so easily, with a bit of a surprise ending for the reader.Thebook is wordy and contains mellifluous descriptions that drone on. However, despite it being slow, it picks up about 50% of the way throughand delivers a solid story.

A beautiful book
This was the first novel of a great master of American literature - now, unfortunately, practically forgotten - Booth Tarkington.

While nearly all of his books that I've read have been this good, none has been better. Itcaptures to perfection (I think :) country life of the later 1800s, andpolitics as it fit into it. The descriptions are beatiful but not overdone,and the plot is gripping.

Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of (Newton) Booth Tarkington, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 5595 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.Download Description
The young Frenchman did very well what he had planned to do. His guess that the Duke would cheat proved good. As the unshod half-dozen figures that had been standing noiselessly in the entryway stole softly into the shadows of the chamber, he leaned across the table and smilingly plucked a card out of the big Englishman's sleeve. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Cold Blooded Caveat Emptor not a romance
Last reviewer missed the Tark's irony.This is not romance; it's a warning about accepting the exterior.The closest irony I can compare it to is Tom "freeing" Jim at the end of Huck Finn. One impish fellow plays a wonderfull dating game.He survives dangers, costume changes(and some fine engravings in the early edition), treachery, duels, all the romantic posturings.But, when he asks if he can be loved simply for himself, not for the trappings,...well the book could end there.I am glad that Tark gave some of the characters their come uppance in the epilogue.

Typical Early Tarkington
This short novelette held much promise.I actually read the introduction and was told that this was one of the great "love" stories in American literature.

What I got was a muddled story that was hard tofollow and unfeeling. A lowly Frenchman comes to England and notices a ladyin the upper class.She has noble blood.He worms his way into anintroduction with her under the guise of French nobility and a made uptitle.She is impressed with him until he is revealed to her as a mere"barber".

Yet he is not all that he seems to be -- as the storyreveals much to the woman's regret ( after she learns the truth ).

I amglad this book was short, otherwise I probably would've ditched it afterpage 50... but I figured I was already almost half way through and stuckwith it...It started to make sense near the end but there seemed to beabout 35 pages of confusion occurring. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.Download Description
There are old Parisians who will tell you pompously that the boulevards, like the political cafes, have ceased to exist, but this means only that the boulevards no longer gossip of Louis Napoleon, the Return of the Bourbons, or of General Boulanger, for these highways are always too busily stirring with present movements not to be forgetful of their yesterdays. In the shade of the buildings and awnings, the loungers, the lookers-on in Paris, the audience of the boulevard, sit at little tables, sipping coffee from long glasses, drinking absinthe or bright- coloured sirops, and gazing over the heads of throngs afoot at others borne along through the sunshine of the street in carriages, in cabs, in glittering automobiles, or high on the tops of omnibuses. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Tarkington goes Political!
Written as a play, this book debunks the popular at the time theory that all workers should own all the businesses and that everyone should receive the same pay(from the profits).The story begins with Andrew Gibson, owner of a piano manufacturing company whose successful product is the "Gibson Upright".He is in turmoil with his on-the-verge-of-striking workers.The workers insist on even more benefits than what they currently have (they have now what resembles our modern day work schedule).The workers spout their socialistic beliefs in an attempt to get more out of Gibson, claiming he can afford it with all of his riches.

Gibson, not wishing to concede to their demands, decides to fulfill their wishes.In a comical way, he simply hands over the rights to the factory -- letting the leaders of the strikers run it as they see fit.The workers unite and are excited over this prospect.However, this new routine quickly becomes their undoing as the factory's accountants leave and the workers become even more lazy.Of course, as Tarkington can only do, there is a love story here where Gibson and one of the striking workers have a "bond."

This story was incredibly simple and pointed out some of the fallacies of the Socialist movement.While on some levels, the story works, yet on others it was a bit too contrived.All in all, though, the book/play was fun to read, despite the somewhat sappy plot and ending. ... Read more