Riassunto
Trama e riassunto di Il lascito di 30.000 dollari e altri racconti
A chi è rivolto
This book will delight readers who enjoy dry humor, comic exaggeration and sharp little portraits of human folly, and anyone who likes a collection they can dip into for a tale, a joke or a quiet moment of feeling.
Che cos’è questo libro
What if a letter could change how you live without handing you a single coin? Mark Twain, the American humorist who died in 1910, fills this book with tales, sketches, mock reviews, essays and two diaries kept by Adam and Eve. It opens with a bookkeeper and his wife who dream of a fortune from a rich uncle. A dog tells her life story. Two old aunts face a test of their love of truth. Under the laughter you find a sharp eye for greed, vanity, habit and the small lies people tell each other.
In questo riassunto
- 1A Letter Promises Thirty Thousand DollarsFree
- 2Imaginary Wealth Takes Over Their Lives
- 3A Dog Keeps Her Mother's Last Request
- 4Two Aunts Face the Cost of Truth
- 5A Dreadful Book And A Haunted Cottage
- 6Small Tales of Habit and Choice
- 7Twain Turns His Wit on Himself
- 8Hoaxes, Letters, and Pointed Essays
- 9Adam and Eve Keep Their Diaries
Punto chiave 1 di 9
A Letter Promises Thirty Thousand Dollars
Lakeside is a pleasant little town in the Far West. Saladin Foster, called Sally, keeps the books at the leading store. His wife Electra, called Aleck, is the sharper mind in the house. She has built a small income from careful savings and a bit of land.
Then great news arrives. Tilbury Foster, a sour bachelor of seventy, writes that he will soon die and leave Sally thirty thousand dollars. He does it without love. Money has caused him most of his troubles, and he wants it to go on doing harm.
There is a condition. Sally must never speak of the bequest, never ask after the old man, and never attend the funeral. The couple swear silence. After that, the two begin to dream, and the dreaming is where the real story starts.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Questions about Il lascito di 30.000 dollari e altri racconti
What is the title tale of this collection about?
It follows Sally and Aleck Foster of Lakeside, who learn that a rich uncle will leave them thirty thousand dollars. Aleck invests the money in her imagination, and the couple spend it on dream palaces and royal marriages for their daughters.
What other stories are in the collection?
The book includes A Dog's Tale, Was It Heaven? Or Hell?, A Cure for the Blues, The Californian's Tale, Edward Mills and George Benton, and many sketches and essays, ending with the diaries of Adam and Eve.
Is the review of The Innocents Abroad a real review?
No. Twain wrote it himself as a mock review after reading that a London paper had seriously criticized his travel book. It appeared in The Galaxy and fooled many readers, and Twain later explained the joke.
What is the humorous story that Twain describes?
Twain says the humorous story is American and depends on how it is told. The teller keeps a straight face, drops the point carelessly, and uses a well-timed pause. He gives The Golden Arm as an example to practice.
Is this collection easy to read?
Yes, in the sense that it is made of separate pieces. Each is short and lively, with plain language, clear voices, and a joke or a surprise close at hand, so you can read one at a time.