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Helping Himself
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254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1886
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About the author
Horatio Alger Jr.
447 books96 followersHoratio Alger, Jr. (January 13, 1832 – July 18, 1899) was a prolific 19th-century American author, most famous for his novels following the adventures of bootblacks, newsboys, peddlers, buskers, and other impoverished children in their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of respectable middle-class security and comfort. His novels about boys who succeed under the tutelage of older mentors were hugely popular in their day.
Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, the son of a Unitarian minister, Alger entered Harvard University at the age of sixteen. Following graduation, he briefly worked in education before touring Europe for almost a year. He then entered the Harvard Divinity School, and, in 1864, took a position at a Unitarian church in Brewster, Massachusetts. Two years later, he resigned following allegations he had sexual relations with two teenage boys.[1] He retired from the ministry and moved to New York City where he formed an association with the Newsboys Lodging House and other agencies offering aid to impoverished children. His sympathy for the working boys of the city, coupled with the moral values learned at home, were the basis of his many juvenile rags to riches novels illustrating how down-and-out boys might be able to achieve the American Dream of wealth and success through hard work, courage, determination, and concern for others. This widely held view involves Alger's characters achieving extreme wealth and the subsequent remediation of their "old ghosts." Alger is noted as a significant figure in the history of American cultural and social ideals. He died in 1899.
The first full-length Alger biography was commissioned in 1927 and published in 1928, and along with many others that borrowed from it later proved to be heavily fictionalized parodies perpetuating hoaxes and made up anecdotes that "would resemble the tell-all scandal biographies of the time."[2] Other biographies followed, sometimes citing the 1928 hoax as fact. In the last decades of the twentieth century a few more reliable biographies were published that attempt to correct the errors and fictionalizations of the past.
Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, the son of a Unitarian minister, Alger entered Harvard University at the age of sixteen. Following graduation, he briefly worked in education before touring Europe for almost a year. He then entered the Harvard Divinity School, and, in 1864, took a position at a Unitarian church in Brewster, Massachusetts. Two years later, he resigned following allegations he had sexual relations with two teenage boys.[1] He retired from the ministry and moved to New York City where he formed an association with the Newsboys Lodging House and other agencies offering aid to impoverished children. His sympathy for the working boys of the city, coupled with the moral values learned at home, were the basis of his many juvenile rags to riches novels illustrating how down-and-out boys might be able to achieve the American Dream of wealth and success through hard work, courage, determination, and concern for others. This widely held view involves Alger's characters achieving extreme wealth and the subsequent remediation of their "old ghosts." Alger is noted as a significant figure in the history of American cultural and social ideals. He died in 1899.
The first full-length Alger biography was commissioned in 1927 and published in 1928, and along with many others that borrowed from it later proved to be heavily fictionalized parodies perpetuating hoaxes and made up anecdotes that "would resemble the tell-all scandal biographies of the time."[2] Other biographies followed, sometimes citing the 1928 hoax as fact. In the last decades of the twentieth century a few more reliable biographies were published that attempt to correct the errors and fictionalizations of the past.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 10, 2012
(I have a copy old enough that goodreads doesn't show it. Hardbound.)
This book is exactly what you read about it being in social studies in high school.
Grant is a good little boy whose rich uncle wants him to go to college, but his minister father can't support the family himself.
CONFLICT!
So, he goes to work at a brokerage firm in New York, against the wishes of his uncle. An acquaintance from back home tries to take advantage of him, and . . .
This really isn't worth the effort.
Pretty dull and predictable. I was reminded of the Hardy Boys, and the themes and message of the book are orthodox to the point of making me want to puke.
The book lends some insight into the myth of working your way up from the bottom in business, and as such requires suspension of disbelief far beyond my capabilities.
I say this as a fan of James Cameron's Terminator franchise familiar with the basics of special relativity.
This book is exactly what you read about it being in social studies in high school.
Grant is a good little boy whose rich uncle wants him to go to college, but his minister father can't support the family himself.
CONFLICT!
So, he goes to work at a brokerage firm in New York, against the wishes of his uncle. An acquaintance from back home tries to take advantage of him, and . . .
This really isn't worth the effort.
Pretty dull and predictable. I was reminded of the Hardy Boys, and the themes and message of the book are orthodox to the point of making me want to puke.
The book lends some insight into the myth of working your way up from the bottom in business, and as such requires suspension of disbelief far beyond my capabilities.
I say this as a fan of James Cameron's Terminator franchise familiar with the basics of special relativity.
November 11, 2019
I liked this book. I quite like the encouragement of these books that tell about people overcoming odds. Somehow not such a topic for books these days.
In this book, the young man lives in a country village where his Father is the minister with a very small salary. The mother is the one who manages the finances, but as the salary is often delayed (so the deacon can benefit from the interest!) they owe money for much of what they need to get by, like groceries. It has come to the point where the grocer will no longer let them run their bill further. He does have a point that a Minister, even just for testimony, should keep his bills paid. But he doesn’t know the whole of it.
It bothers me that the Father is ‘not to be worried’ about the state of the finances. What would he do if they were suddenly made to pay or leave home, etc. Anyway, Grant, the teenage son, decides to do what he can to help his mother. He is able to take various steps to negotiate with those who are owed.
He attempts to speak to his uncle, who has determined that Grant should go to University. He wants him to be a scholar, under his patronage and so is very unwilling to think of Grant’s proposal. The uncle declares that if Grant chooses a different path, he will write him off and have nothing to do with him. Grant feels it would be unfair for his family to be in such straights while he had so much more than they.
In talking with his mother, they decide for him to go to New York to sell pearls she had been given when younger, but didn’t wear lest it would cause problems with the people in a poor parish.
So, he heads to New York. On the way he meets a young man from his village, who he would prefer Not to associate with, and a gentleman who recognises good qualities in Grant and offers to give him work.
From the first, Grant finds New York to be very different! But, as he has made acquaintances with people who have his best interest at heart, he is able to get help and advice. His kindness and good behaviour are noticed, and that stands him in good stead even when jealous people mean to bring his fall.
The readers were ok.
In this book, the young man lives in a country village where his Father is the minister with a very small salary. The mother is the one who manages the finances, but as the salary is often delayed (so the deacon can benefit from the interest!) they owe money for much of what they need to get by, like groceries. It has come to the point where the grocer will no longer let them run their bill further. He does have a point that a Minister, even just for testimony, should keep his bills paid. But he doesn’t know the whole of it.
It bothers me that the Father is ‘not to be worried’ about the state of the finances. What would he do if they were suddenly made to pay or leave home, etc. Anyway, Grant, the teenage son, decides to do what he can to help his mother. He is able to take various steps to negotiate with those who are owed.
He attempts to speak to his uncle, who has determined that Grant should go to University. He wants him to be a scholar, under his patronage and so is very unwilling to think of Grant’s proposal. The uncle declares that if Grant chooses a different path, he will write him off and have nothing to do with him. Grant feels it would be unfair for his family to be in such straights while he had so much more than they.
In talking with his mother, they decide for him to go to New York to sell pearls she had been given when younger, but didn’t wear lest it would cause problems with the people in a poor parish.
So, he heads to New York. On the way he meets a young man from his village, who he would prefer Not to associate with, and a gentleman who recognises good qualities in Grant and offers to give him work.
From the first, Grant finds New York to be very different! But, as he has made acquaintances with people who have his best interest at heart, he is able to get help and advice. His kindness and good behaviour are noticed, and that stands him in good stead even when jealous people mean to bring his fall.
The readers were ok.
March 18, 2018
Less dull and predictable than other Alger books. I really enjoyed this one!
January 20, 2015
This is a very good book about the virtues of family and putting others first.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews