The Story Of A Bad Boy [Hardcover]

Thomas Bailey Aldrich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2005

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 - - This is the story of a bad boy. Well, not such a very bad, but a pretty bad boy; and I ought to know, for I am, or rather I was, that boy myself. Lest the title should mislead the reader, I hasten to assure him here that I have no dark confessions to make. I call my story the story of a bad boy, partly to distinguish myself from those faultless young gentlemen who generally figure in narratives of this kind, and partly because I really was not a cherub. I may truthfully say I was an amiable, impulsive lad, blessed with fine digestive powers, and no hypocrite. I didn't want to be an angel and with the angels stand; I didn't think the missionary tracts presented to me by the Rev. Wibird Hawkins were half so nice as Robinson Crusoe; and I didn't send my little pocket-money to the natives of the Feejee Islands, but spent it royally in peppermint-drops and taffy candy. In short, I was a real human boy, such as you may meet anywhere in New England, and no more like the impossible boy in a storybook than a sound orange is like one that has been sucked dry. But let us begin at the beginning.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

5 1/2 x 8 1/2 trim. 71 drawings. LC 96-1905 --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Thomas Aldrich was a literary lion of the nineteenth century in the United States. His masterpieces inspired countless others, including Mark Twain who based some of his Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer adventures on ideas put forth by Aldrich. Aldrich wrote a number of books, mainly fiction, but also notable poetry and history. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: 1st World Library - Literary Society (October 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421800993
• ISBN-13: 978-1421800998
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,834,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must-read for Tom Sawyer fans!, July 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Story of a Bad Boy (Hardscrabble Books-Fiction of New England) (Paperback)

The Story of a Bad Boy is one of my favorite books. It's interesting, humorous, and touching, and gives you an inside look at the life of a boy in Massachusetts in the early 1800s. I love the author's style of writing. It seems to make the story all the more humorous, and brings you back to those olden days. I also love this book because it's a true story, and this kid led a life full of adventures and mishaps. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Tom Sawyer because these two books are similar, and the two boys have the same type of mischievous personalities. Yet in spite of similarities, Bad Boy is unique because it's true.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New England boyhood, February 18, 2005

By 

Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story of a Bad Boy (Hardscrabble Books-Fiction of New England) (Paperback)

This neat little novel is written in the tradition of Tom Sawyer, though it appeared 5 years earlier than Twain's classic. It's about all the mischief, chivalry, loyalty, and pluck of a young boy's life. Aldrich is in love with his material and revels in all the antics his characters get involved in. The snowball fight is a gem. The boyhood dialogue is excellent and rings true.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very pleased, February 4, 2009

By 

John F. Carroll - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Story of a Bad Boy (Paperback)

A real boyhood classic, perhaps the first realistic novel of American boyhood. Was a bit disappointed that none of the original illustrations, by A.B. Frost, were included.