Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - My name is Seymour Wilbraham Wentworth. I am brother-in-law and secretary to Sir Charles Vandrift, the South African millionaire and famous financier. Many years ago, when Charlie Vandrift was a small lawyer in Cape Town, I had the (qualified) good fortune to marry his sister. Much later, when the Vandrift estate and farm near Kimberley developed by degrees into the Cloetedorp Golcondas, Limited, my brother-in-law offered me the not unremunerative post of secretary; in which capacity I have ever since been his constant and attached companion. He is not a man whom any common sharper can take in, is Charles Vandrift. Middle height, square build, firm mouth, keen eyes - the very picture of a sharp and successful business genius. I have only known one rogue impose upon Sir Charles, and that one rogue, as the Commissary of Police at Nice remarked, would doubtless have imposed upon a syndicate of Vidocq, Robert Houdin, and Cagliostro.
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Grant Allen, an English writer, was an atheist and a socialist. He had expertise in different branches of science. He wrote articles on sociology and literature. Besides being an astonishingly expressive and prolific writer, he was also a talented journalist.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
DISGUISED AS A COLLECTION OF MYSTERIES, THIS IS A BOOK WITH A MESSAGE,
By
This review is from: An African Millionaire: Episodes in the Life of the Illustrious Colonel Gray (Hardcover)
In QUEEN'S QUORUM (1951), Ellery Queen mistakenly listed Grant Allen's AN AFRICAN MILLIONAIRE (1897) among the 106 most important books of crime short stories published since 1845, and many other critics have praised it as the first short story collection that focuses on the adventures of a rogue. In actuality, this book is a novel with 12 chapters that add up to an indictment of a group of men that the author, a progressive writer of the late 19th century, strongly disapproved of.
Although several of its chapters have been anthologized separately by modern editors as if they are short stories, many other chapters would be very unsatisfying if read as stand-alones--some because Colonel Clay (as the confidence man is usually called) plays little or no part in them; others because they have to do with the capture and trial of the confidence man. When read in their proper order, the 12 chapters form a connected whole and, especially towards the end, thrust upon the reader a "message" about the class of people that the African millionaire (the supposed victim) represents. Like many novels written by Allen's contemporaries, who included Thomas Hardy, this book is "didactic" in the best sense. Specifically, it is an example of what Aristotle called "forensic rhetoric," detailing chapter by chapter the petty, sleazy, shady, and unscrupulous sides of a typical wealthy businessman of the late 19th century. Colonel Clay, the confidence man, is used by Allen as a minor rogue to show readers what the really big rogues are like. At the end, while the conman is being tried, convicted, and sentenced, the world-within-the-novel learns the full details of the totally "legal" crookedness of the millionaire, who ironically is free to continue plundering every which way he likes, fully protected by the law. Near the end the trial, the judge who summarizes the evidence says that in this case the law is set up to protect rogues from being preyed on by other rogues. The story is narrated by the brother-in-law of the millionaire (a man of weak morals himself), and for the most part Allen's writing is quite witty and engaging. Although AN AFRICAN MILLIONAIRE was written more than a century ago, its message is a relevant one to anybody who has been following news these past few years. Very highly recommended!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
DISGUISED AS A COLLECTION OF MYSTERIES, THIS IS A BOOK WITH A MESSAGE,
By
This review is from: An African Millionaire: Episodes in the Life of the Illustrious Colonel Clay (Paperback)
In QUEEN'S QUORUM (1951), Ellery Queen mistakenly listed Grant Allen's AN AFRICAN MILLIONAIRE (1897) among the 106 most important books of crime short stories published since 1845, and many other critics have praised it as the first short story collection that focuses on the adventures of a rogue. In actuality, this book is a novel with 12 chapters that add up to an indictment of a group of men that the author, a progressive writer of the late 19th century, strongly disapproved of.
Although several of its chapters have been anthologized separately by modern editors as if they are short stories, many other chapters would be very unsatisfying if read as stand-alones--some because Colonel Clay (as the confidence man is usually called) plays little or no part in them; others because they have to do with the capture and trial of the confidence man. When read in their proper order, the 12 chapters form a connected whole and, especially towards the end, thrust upon the reader a "message" about the class of people that the African millionaire (the supposed victim) represents. Like many novels written by Allen's contemporaries, who included Thomas Hardy, this book is "didactic" in the best sense. Specifically, it is an example of what Aristotle called "forensic rhetoric," detailing chapter by chapter the petty, sleazy, shady, and unscrupulous sides of a typical wealthy businessman of the late 19th century. Colonel Clay, the confidence man, is used by Allen as a minor rogue to show readers what the really big rogues are like. At the end, while the conman is being tried, convicted, and sentenced, the world-within-the-novel learns the full details of the totally "legal" crookedness of the millionaire, who ironically is free to continue plundering every which way he likes, fully protected by the law. Near the end the trial, the judge who summarizes the evidence says that in this case the law is set up to protect rogues from being preyed on by other rogues. The story is narrated by the brother-in-law of the millionaire (a man of weak morals himself), and for the most part Allen's writing is quite witty and engaging. Although AN AFRICAN MILLIONAIRE was written more than a century ago, its message is a relevant one to anybody who has been following news these past few years. One nice feature of the Dover reprint edition (which I own) is that it includes the original illustrations. Very highly recommended!
5.0 out of 5 stars
DISGUISED AS A COLLECTION OF MYSTERIES, THIS IS A BOOK WITH A MESSAGE,
By
This review is from: An African Millionaire (Hardcover)
In QUEEN'S QUORUM (1951), Ellery Queen mistakenly listed Grant Allen's AN AFRICAN MILLIONAIRE (1897) among the 106 most important books of crime short stories published since 1845, and many other critics have praised it as the first short story collection that focuses on the adventures of a rogue. In actuality, this book is a novel with 12 chapters that add up to an indictment of a group of men that the author, a progressive writer of the late 19th century, strongly disapproved of.
Although several of its chapters have been anthologized separately by modern editors as if they are short stories, many other chapters would be very unsatisfying if read as stand-alones--some because Colonel Clay (as the confidence man is usually called) plays little or no part in them; others because they have to do with the capture and trial of the confidence man. When read in their proper order, the 12 chapters form a connected whole and, especially towards the end, thrust upon the reader a "message" about the class of people that the African millionaire (the supposed victim) represents. Like many novels written by Allen's contemporaries, who included Thomas Hardy, this book is "didactic" in the best sense. Specifically, it is an example of what Aristotle called "forensic rhetoric," detailing chapter by chapter the petty, sleazy, shady, and unscrupulous sides of a typical wealthy businessman of the late 19th century. Colonel Clay, the confidence man, is used by Allen as a minor rogue to show readers what the really big rogues are like. At the end, while the conman is being tried, convicted, and sentenced, the world-within-the-novel learns the full details of the totally "legal" crookedness of the millionaire, who ironically is free to continue plundering every which way he likes, fully protected by the law. Near the end the trial, the judge who summarizes the evidence says that in this case the law is set up to protect rogues from being preyed on by other rogues. The story is narrated by the brother-in-law of the millionaire (a man of weak morals himself), and for the most part Allen's writing is quite witty and engaging. Although AN AFRICAN MILLIONAIRE was written more than a century ago, its message is a relevant one to anybody who has been following news these past few years. Very highly recommended!
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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little curate, white heather Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sir Charles, Colonel Clay, Madame Picardet, David Granton, Sir Adolphus, New York, Lady Vandrift, South Africa, Paul Finglemore, Professor Schleiermacher, Lord Craig-Ellachie, Uncle Aubrey, Honourable David, Schloss Lebenstein, Algernon Coleyard, Count von Lebenstein, Elihu Quackenboss, Maria Vanrenen, Bow Street, Lake George, Monte Carlo, Cloetedorp Golcondas, Colonel Caoutchouc, Cromarty Arms, Graf von Lebenstein New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
little curate, white heather Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sir Charles, Colonel Clay, Madame Picardet, David Granton, Sir Adolphus, New York, Lady Vandrift, South Africa, Paul Finglemore, Professor Schleiermacher, Lord Craig-Ellachie, Uncle Aubrey, Honourable David, Schloss Lebenstein, Algernon Coleyard, Count von Lebenstein, Elihu Quackenboss, Maria Vanrenen, Bow Street, Lake George, Monte Carlo, Cloetedorp Golcondas, Colonel Caoutchouc, Cromarty Arms, Graf von Lebenstein New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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