
Adrift in New York
'Adrift in New York' Summary
Alger was born in a relatively well to do family with strong roots in the Church. His ancestors were early New England settlers who were among the founding fathers of America. Alger Sr. was a Unitarian minister who hoped that his son would follow him into the ministry, but financial troubles soon compelled young Horatio to abandon these plans. He finished school and went up to Harvard, where he did extremely well academically. By this time he had begun writing and was submitting poems and short pieces to local newspapers and magazines. After college, he returned home with few work prospects. Circumstances forced him to take up an editing job which he hated. In less than a year, he left to begin teaching at a boys' boarding school. He continued writing novels, which were told from a woman's point of view. He drifted between different careers, and finally retired to New York, where he wrote his first bestseller, Ragged Dick. A life of relative ease and wealth began and he adopted several street boys whom he guided into successful careers. He continued to write almost formulaic novels centered round the rags-to-riches theme.
Adrift in New York was extremely popular in its time, like most of Alger's novels. At one time, Alger's fame rivaled that of Mark Twain's in the American imagination. Though hardly known or read now, Alger's novels are interesting and make a very pleasant read.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1904Authors

Horatio Alger
United States
Horatio Alger Jr. was an American writer of young adult novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through good works. His writ...
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