
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...
Books by Horatio AlgerDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Unravelled Knots by Emma Orczy
Unravelled Knots is the third and final installment of the Old Man in the Corner stories by Baroness Orczy. After a break of several years, Polly retu...

Caballero Carmelo by Abraham Valdelomar Pinto
El caballero Carmelo is a classic Peruvian short story by Abraham Valdelomar. It is considered one of the best examples of criollismo, a literary move...

Mother Carey’s Chickens by Kate Douglas Wiggin
Mother Carey's Chickens is a heartwarming and poignant story about a family coping with the loss of their father. After Captain Carey dies, his wife a...

The Castle of the Carpathians by Jules Verne
In the heart of the Transylvanian Alps, there stands a mysterious castle. Its dark towers loom over the surrounding countryside, and rumors swirl of s...

Ragged Dick by Horatio Alger, Jr.
Horatio Alger, Jr. was well known for his best-selling series of books highlighting “the American Dream” of poor boys making good and becoming rich an...

Bible (KJV) 17: Esther by King James Version
Esther appears in the Bible as a woman of deep piety, faith, courage, patriotism, and caution, combined with resolution; a dutiful daughter to her ado...

The Ranchman by Charles Alden Seltzer
The book follows the life of a rancher named Jim Benton, who faces numerous challenges while trying to establish his ranch in the Wild West. Seltzer'...

Cross Currents by Eleanor H. Porter
Eleanor H. Porter's "Cross Currents" tells the poignant tale of Margaret, a young girl thrust into a world of hardship and uncertainty after a tragic...

The Tale of Old Dog Spot by Arthur Scott Bailey
Meet Old Dog Spot, the wisest and most beloved dog in the neighborhood. The Tale of Old Dog Spot by Arthur Scott Bailey is a heartwarming and delight...

The Curious Quest by E. Phillips Oppenheim
A rich young man, Earnest Bliss, has a number of physical complaints that bring him to Dr. James, a physician who bluntly and brusquely dismisses his...
Reviews for Adrift in New York
No reviews posted or approved, yet...