The Monkey's Paw , livre ebook

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English

Ebooks

2020

Écrit par
W. W. Jacobs

Publié par
دار القلم العربي للنشر والتوزيع Editions Dar Al Qalam Al Arabi

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pages

English

Ebooks

2020

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Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne En savoir plus

Publié par

دار القلم العربي للنشر والتوزيع Editions Dar Al Qalam Al Arabi

Date de parution

01 janvier 2020

Nombre de lectures

EAN13

9789920738644

Langue

English

Publié par

دار القلم العربي للنشر والتوزيع Editions Dar Al Qalam Al Arabi

Date de parution

01 janvier 2020

EAN13

9789920738644

Langue

English

The Monkey's Paw

W. W. Jacobs

Adaptation & Test Designing ABOUSSAIF MOHAMMED

Title : The Monkey's Paw Writer: W. W. Jacobs Adaptation & Test Designing ABOUSSAIF MOHAMMED Editor DAR ALKALAM ALARABI– KENITRA–MOROCCO N190 MAGHREB ARABI E mail: alqalamdar@gmail.com First edition 2020 D.L : 2020MO0416 ISBN 978-9920-738-64-4 2

W. W. Jacobs

Early life

William Wymark Jacobs(8 September 1863 - 1 September 1943) was an English author of short stories and novels. During his career he was best known for his farcical comedies involving dockside and rural Essex characters. He occasionally wrote horror stories, however, and today is most famous for "The Monkey's Paw" (1902).

Jacobs was born on 8 September 1863 in Wapping, London; his father was a wharf manager on the South Devon wharf at Lower East Smithfield. He was educated at a private school in London and later at Birkbeck College (then called Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution, now part of the University of London).

Career (Early work)

In 1879, Jacobs began work as a clerk in the civil service, in the Post Office Savings Bank, and by 1885 he

had his first short story published. His road to success was relatively slow: Arnold Bennett writing in 1898 was astonished that Jacobs turned down the sum of £500 for six short stories. Jacobs was financially secure enough to be able to leave the Post Office in 1899.

Literature

Jacobs is now remembered for his macabre tale "The Monkey's Paw" (published 1902 in the collection of short storiesThe Lady of the Bargeseveral other ghost) and stories, including "The Toll House" (published 1909 in the collection of short storiesSailors' Knots) and "Jerry Bundler" (published 1901 in the collectionLight Freights). However, the majority of his output was humorous in tone. His favourite subjects were marine life: "men who go down to the sea in ships of moderate ,, tonnage" saidPunch reviewing his first collection of stories,Many Cargoes, which achieved great popular success on its publication in 1896. Michael Sadleir said of Jacobs's fiction, "He wrote stories of three kinds: describing the misadventures of sailor-men ashore; celebrating the artful dodger of a slow-witted village; and tales of the macabre".

Many Cargoesfollowed by the novel was The Skipper's Wooingin 1897, and another collection of short stories,Sea Urchins(1898), set the seal on his popularity. Among his other titles areCaptains All,Sailors' Knots, andNight Watches. The title of the last reflects the popularity of perhaps his most enduring character: the night-watchman on the wharf in Wapping, recounting the

preposterous adventures of his acquaintances Ginger Dick, Sam Small, and Peter Russet. These three characters, pockets full after a long voyage, would take lodgings together determined to enjoy a long spell ashore; but the crafty inhabitants of dockland London would soon relieve them of their funds, assisted by the sailors' own fecklessness and credulity. Jacobs showed a delicacy of touch in his use of the coarse vernacular of the East End of London, which attracted the respect of such writers as P. G. Wodehouse, who mentions Jacobs in his autobiographical workBring on the Girls! written with Guy Bolton, published in 1954.

The stories which made upMany Cargoeshad varied previous serial publication, while those inSea Urchinswere for the most part published in Jerome K. Jerome's Idler. From October 1898 Jacobs's stories were appearing inThe Strand, an arrangement which lasted almost to his death and provided him with financial security.

John Drinkwater described Jacobs' fiction as "in the Dickens tradition".

Dramatic work

Jacobs's short story output declined somewhat around the time of the First World War. His literary efforts between then and his death were predominantly adaptations of his own short stories for the stage. His first stage work,The Ghost of Jerry Bundler, was performed in London in 1899, revived in 1902 and eventually published in 1908.

"Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it."Anonymous

The Monkey's Paw is a classic "three wishes" story that doubles as a horror story and a cautionary tale; reminding us that unintended consequences often accompany the best intentions. This widely read story is a favorite in classrooms around the world.

Part I Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnum villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. Father and son were at chess; the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical chances, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire. "Hark at the wind," said Mr. White, who, having seen a fatal mistake after it was too late, was amiably desirous of preventing his son from seeing it. "I'm listening," said the latter grimly surveying the board as he stretched out his hand. "Check." "I should hardly think that he's come tonight, " said his father, with his hand poised over the board. "Mate," replied the son. "That's the worst of living so far out," balled Mr. White with sudden and unlooked-for 7

violence; "Of all the beastly, slushy, out of the way places to live in, this is the worst. Path's a bog, and the road's a torrent. I don't know what people are thinking about. I suppose because only two houses in the road are let, they think it doesn't matter." "Never mind, dear," said his wife soothingly; "perhaps you'll win the next one." Mr. White looked up sharply, just in time to intercept a knowing glance between mother and son. The words died away on his lips, and he hid a guilty grin in his thin grey beard. "There he is," said Herbert White as the gate banged to loudly and heavy footsteps came toward the door. The old man rose with hospitable haste and opening the door, was heard condoling with the new arrival. The new arrival also condoled with himself, so that Mrs. White said, "Tut, tut!" and coughed gently as her husband entered the room followed by a tall, burly man, beady of eye and rubicund of visage. "Sergeant-Major Morris, " he said, introducing him.

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