Resumen
Resumen de Una apuesta por la fortuna; o, La venganza del Dr. Nikola
Para quién es
For readers who love adventure, sea voyages and a villain with style, and anyone curious about the roots of the master criminal in fiction.
De qué trata este libro
A Bid for Fortune is an adventure novel by Guy Boothby, published in 1895. Boothby was born in Australia and wrote fast, colourful fiction for readers who wanted danger, travel and a villain to remember. This book introduces Dr Nikola, a calm and learned criminal who would return in several later novels.
The story follows a young Englishman, Richard Hatteras, who is drawn into a struggle with Nikola. It moves between cities and across oceans, in the age of steamships and telegraphs. You get a chase, a hunt for a prize, and a hero who must learn how far his enemy can reach. Let us begin with the man who gives the book its shadow.
En este resumen
- 1Dr Nikola is a villain unlike othersFree
- 2Richard Hatteras meets his match
- 3A chase across land and sea
- 4Boldness, greed and the nerve to gamble
Idea clave 1 de 4
Dr Nikola is a villain unlike others
Nikola is the heart of the book. He is shown as a man of great learning, quiet manners and unshakable calm. He does not shout or threaten. He speaks politely, and that politeness is what makes him frightening.
Boothby gives him small habits that stay in the mind. He keeps a cat close by, and he seems to treat people as pieces in a game he has already planned. He has money, knowledge and followers in many parts of the world. Those who meet him sense that he is always several moves ahead.
This kind of villain was a draw for readers in the 1890s. Crime fiction was growing, and the clever, cultured wrongdoer was a figure that excited them. Nikola stands in that line of master criminals, and he proved popular enough that Boothby wrote more books about him. As you listen, watch how often the book lets him win the room before any blow is struck.
That’s 1 of 4 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Questions about Una apuesta por la fortuna; o, La venganza del Dr. Nikola
What is A Bid for Fortune about?
It is a Victorian adventure about Richard Hatteras, a young Englishman who is drawn into a dangerous contest with the cool and mysterious Dr Nikola. The chase carries the story across long sea routes and distant places.
Who is Dr Nikola?
Dr Nikola is the master criminal at the centre of the book. He is learned, polite and calm, has followers worldwide, and appears again in several later novels by Guy Boothby.
When was A Bid for Fortune written?
It was published in 1895, in the late Victorian period. It is a work of fiction, not a true story, though it uses real features of its age such as steamships and telegrams.
Is A Bid for Fortune the first Dr Nikola book?
Yes. It introduces Dr Nikola, and Guy Boothby followed it with further novels about him, so it is the natural place to start if you want to read the series in order.
Is A Bid for Fortune hard to read?
No. The prose is brisk and the plot moves quickly with short scenes and frequent danger. The story is easy to follow.