The Definite Object

by Jeffery Farnol

A bored millionaire poses as a penniless loafer in New York's infamous Hell's Kitchen.

Genres: Fiction, Romance

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1917

About the author

John Jeffery Farnol was born in Aston, Birmingham, England, UK, son of Kate Jeffery and Henry John Farnol, a factory-employed brass-founder. The marriage had three more children, two boys and a girl.] He was brought up in London and Kent. He attended the Westminster School of Art, after he had lost his job in a Birmingham metal-working firm.

In 1900 he married Blanche Wilhelmina Victoria Hawley (1883–1955), the 16 years old daughter of the noted New York scenic artist H. Hughson Hawley; they moved to the United States, where he found work as a scene painter. The marriage had a daughter, Gillian Hawley. He returned to England around 1910, and settled in Eastbourne, Sussex. In 1938, he divorced and remarried with Phyllis Mary Clarke on 20 May, and adopted her daughter, Charmian Jane.

On 9 August 1952, he died aged 73 in Eastbourne, after a long battle with cancer.

Farnol published his first romance novel My Lady Caprice in 1907. The success of his early novels led Farnol toeventually become a professional writer. He produced around 40 novels and volumes of stories, and some non-fiction and children's books. His last book was completed by his second wife Phyllis.

From Wikipedia

Reviews

[Tahsina Syeda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cutesy and funny in true Farnol fashion.

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of skimmed it. Cute in sections, but there were whole chapters that failed to hold my interest, where the ne'er-do-wells plot and scheme in thick nineteenth century New York slang. The rest of the plot is about Geoffrey, a wealthy young man who decides he needs more purpose in life and finds it by renting a room at a tenement house for impoverished people and seeing how the other side lives. Of course, he immediately falls in love with a poor but noble gentlewoman who is bending her every effort to put food on the table and keep her young brother out of serious trouble.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Typical Jeffery Farnol.... great plot, swift moving action, and marvelous characters. May be old fashioned for some, but so much fun to read.

[L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

American millionaire Geoffrey Ravenshee decides to go slumming (as millionaires are wont to do) and finds Twu Wuv in Hell's Kitchen (as millionaires are wont to do).

[Liana9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked many of the characters and the way the author gives you a vivid glimpse into the working class's life in New York's Hell's Kitchen. That said, the novel also seemed a little too slow-paced occasionally and used a lot of regional dialect and slang. Hermione struck me as very good but entirely too self-sacrificial in taking care of her reckless younger brother. By the end, it started to annoy me how often he told her he was sorry and then repeated his behavior all over again. Other than that, I liked the message that life without a purpose of loving someone else besides yourself is entirely pointless, no matter how much money and influence you've got. But frankly, I'm not likely to look for another novel by Jeffery Farnol soon.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over-the-top romance, with an incredibly perfect hero, a saintly and beautiful heroine, and an annoying wastrel of a brother. However, the scenes of slum life were interesting, there was plenty of action, and occasional humor.

[Patrick Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precious story

Jeffrey Farnol has the best stories. This is another gem. Great characters, good plotline, and just an adorable love story. Great read.