Books with title The wrong box: The ebb tide

The Wrong Box is a black comedy (dark comedy) novel co-written by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne, first published in 1889. The story is about two brothers who are the last two surviving members of a tontine. The book is notable for being the first of three novels that Stevenson co-wrote with Osbourne, who was his stepson. The others were The Wrecker (1892) and The Ebb-Tide (1894). Osbourne wrote the first draft of the novel late in 1887 (then called The Finsbury Tontine), Stevenson revised it in 1888 (then called A Game of Bluff) and again in 1889 when it was finally called The Wrong Box.

Shipped from UK, please allow 10 to 21 business days for arrival. Very Good, 'The Authentic Text Published from Stevenson's Manuscript and Corrected Proofs, Edited and Introduced by Ernest Mehew.' Very good clean tight sound square, no bookplate, inscriptions or marks of any kind, appears unopened and unread, all edges of leaves clean and crisp as issued. In bright gilt lettered and illustrated mustard coloured cloth, featuring bear and staff vignette to upper, With original matt dustwrapper very gently dusted. An uncommon Edition from the wonderful nonesuch press, and a great addition to the library of reader, scholar and collector alike.

The Wrong Box is a black comedy novel co-written by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne, first published in 1889. The story is about two brothers who are the last two surviving members of a tontine. The book was the first of three novels that Stevenson co-wrote with Osbourne, who was his stepson. The others were The Wrecker (1892) and The Ebb-Tide (1894). Osbourne wrote the first draft of the novel late in 1887 (then called The Finsbury Tontine), Stevenson revised it in 1888 (then called A Game of Bluff) and again in 1889 when it was finally called The Wrong Box. A film adaptation, also titled The Wrong Box, was released in 1966, and a musical in 2002.

Despite Robert Louis Stevenson being known for his more macabre and successful book – The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – his dark humor story, written together with his stepson, Lloyd Osbourne, The Wrong Box, creates a completely different set of circumstances, being far more hilarious than horrific. The story is a perfect portrayal of Stevenson’s interest with the polarities and alterations that occur in a person’s character upon the presence of a triggering event. In this case, it revolves around a group of life insurance policy owners who are presented with a curious and disturbing fact: the full amount paid by the insurance company will rest with the last surviving member of the group. Although some readers may expect a horror story filled with situations where group members constantly try to kill each other, the entire plot is remarkably droll. The writers are able to create a lighthearted atmosphere with some of the funniest, most unique circumstances that could occur considering the challenges faced by the characters. The mischievous tone and exemplary writing style often lead us to believe the authors are almost making fun of the characters’ misfortune, while keeping the entire work balanced. One of the best examples of this is Morris’ interest in keeping his guardian alive for the money in favor of his uncle, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. After an unfortunate train wreck, Morris places his dead guardian’s body in a barrel and mails it to himself, only to find upon arrival that the addresses were mixed up at the post office, and he received a large statue of Hercules instead. Much of the humor in The Wrong Box focuses on the unexpected, depicting the hilarious and sometimes disturbing reactions the characters may have to various events. You will find the story as a whole can be just as unexpected yet quite a memorable reading experience.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

How very little does the amateur, dwelling at home at ease, comprehend the labours and perils of the author, and, when he smilingly skims the surface of a work of fiction, how little does he consider the hours of toil, consultation of authorities, researches in the Bodleian, correspondence with learned and illegible Germans—in one word, the vast scaffolding that was first built up and then knocked down, to while away an hour for him in a railway train! Thus I might begin this tale with a biography of Tonti—birthplace, parentage, genius probably inherited from his mother, remarkable instance of precocity, etc—and a complete treatise on the system to which he bequeathed his name. The material is all beside me in a pigeon-hole, but I scorn to appear vainglorious. Tonti is dead, and I never saw anyone who even pretended to regret him; and, as for the tontine system, a word will suffice for all the purposes of this unvarnished narrative.