
In a quiet London park at twilight, a young boy named Valentine sits beside a stranger, their conversation drifting from the simple question of the hour to a heartfelt confession: he wants to be an author. Their exchange is peppered with references to beloved classics—Gulliver’s Travels, Robinson Crusoe, Don Quixote—revealing a child's earnest curiosity and the seasoned narrator’s gentle guidance. The scene captures a timeless moment of mentorship, where the wonder of reading meets the ambition of creating something of one’s own.
Beyond this opening dialogue, the work unfolds as a mosaic of literary recollections, each contributed by a host of celebrated writers. Accompanied by vivid illustrations, listeners are invited to wander through anecdotes, musings, and insights that illuminate the craft of storytelling. It feels like a warm, intimate tour of the imagination, perfect for anyone who has ever dreamed of turning the page toward their own story.
Full title
My First Book: the experiences of Walter Besant, James Payn, W. Clark Russell, Grant Allen, Hall Caine, George R. Sims, Rudyard Kipling, A. Conan Doyle, M.E. Braddon, F.W. Robinson, H. Rider Haggard, R.M. Ballantyne, I. Zangwill, Morley Roberts, David Christie Murray, Marie Corelli, Jerome K. Jerome, John Strange Winter, Bret Harte, "Q.", Robert Buchanan, Robert Louis Stevenson, with an introduction by Jerome K. Jerome.
Language
en
Duration
~7 hours (415K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Internet Archive.)
Release date
2010-07-13
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
A collection shaped by many different voices, backgrounds, and eras, bringing together a wide range of styles and perspectives in one place.
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