One of many bought this morning at the Phoenix Association's Giant Book Sale. This one is for my friend, Nu-Knees. It's a short classic written in 1897.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This skinny little pre 1900 classic is heading off to Nu-Knees to keep her 'classic shelf' going.

Thank you very much for this one, bluenoser. I'm always on the look out for Classics I haven't read - and I haven't read this one, so thank you. Well spotted! And it's a bonus that it's only short. The Victorians did have a tendency to write great long tomes. I fully understand why but it's good to find exceptions from time to time :-)

A strange story, strangely told, with all direct speech, and they do a lot of talking to and shouting at each other in Lambeth, written to depict Maugham's idea of the dialect of London's East End. I was particularly amused when he said he couldn't give us a speaker's exact words, not even with a euphemism! I'm not fluent in Cockney but with a bit of concentration I understand enough to get by.... (LOL!)

The opening conversation follows as an example - I'm pretty sure I've captured the punctuation as printed:

'You'll be 'avin' your little trouble soon, eh, Polly?' asked one good lady of another one.
'Oh, I reckon I've got another two months ter go yet,' answered Polly.
'Well,' said a third, 'I wouldn't 'ave thought you'd go so long by the look of yer!'
'I 'ope you'll have it easier this time, my dear,' said a very stout old person, a woman of great importance.
'She said she wasn't goin' to 'ave no more, when the last one come.' This remark came from Polly's husband.
'Ah,' said the stout old lady, who was in the business, and boasted vast experience, 'That's wot they all says; but, Lor' bless yer, they don't mean it.'
'Well, I've got three, and I'm not goin' to 'ave no more bli'me if I will; 'tain't good enough - that's wot I says.'
'You're abaht right there, ole gal,' said Polly, 'My word, 'Arry, if you 'ave any more I'll git a divorce, that I will.'

The author's clearly aware of his superiority to the common people he's writing about but doesn't seem too patronising. A fine balance!

Thanks again, bluenoser, for an interesting slice of Victorian life.

As part of a shelf-tidying exercise I'm making this available for a new reader, although, as it's a little brown around the edges, I'm not sure what I'll do with it ....

Had a day out in sunny Weston as part of a short break in the South West and left a couple of books with the others in The Old Colonial while walking along the sea front - and the tide was almost in!

Over a million people around the world give their books a unique BookCrossing IDentity number (BCID) before sending them out to find new readers. Since the start of the scheme in April 2001 more than ten million such books have been put into circulation. This is one of them!

Our hope is that we can track the progress of our books once they've left our hands - and that's possible if finders like you visit the website, key in the BCID and leave a comment, however long or short. It's fun, it doesn't have to cost anything, although the site always appreciates donations towards running costs, and you can remain anonymous if you wish. You don't have to join but if you do you'll be able to number and track your own books!