Adrift in New York

by Horatio Alger Jr.

Horatio Alger was a man who lived with a terrible secret -- a secret dark and troubling -- something shameful, in fact. As a young man, that secret took hold of his life, and he left the life and the life's work he had made for himself in Boston, to take up residence among the poor in New York City. Ensconced there, he worked among the poor -- and took to writing tales of their success. His novels captured the imagination of a nation bursting with a new wave of immigrants who'd come to our shores -- come to the very port of New York City that was Alger's new home. He used the wealth that came to him to help the poor folks who he loved, and took his secret to the grave. It escaped from there, of course. You can find it if you look a bit. But for the purpose of this fine novel of the rise to riches, it will remain unstated . . .

Alger wrote approximately one hundred thirty-five "dime novels." His forte was rags-to-riches stories, describing how boys might be able to achieve the American Dream of wealth and success through hard work, courage, determination, and concern for others. His characters don't achieve great wealth, but rather stability, security, and a place in society which they earn through their efforts. He is considered significant figure in the history of American cultural and social ideals. Bestsellers in their own time, Alger's books rivaled those of Mark Twain in popularity.

Adrift in New York involves the disappearance of a son from the household of his wealthy father, John Linden. The boy has been kidnapped by the villainous Curtis Waring, John Linden's nephew, who hopes to inherit the family fortune. Grown up, the youngster lives a precarious life on the streets of New York. When Linden's ward Florence rejects the unwanted attentions of Waring, she is disinherited, forced to live in a tenement and work in a sweatshop . . . until it is discovered that the young man who befriends her is, in reality, Linden's long-lost son.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, American, New York, Audiobook, Childrens, Historical Fiction

156 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1902

About the author

Horatio 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.

Reviews

[John Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wholesome pot boiler from this 19th century American author who specialised in YA fiction – generally working class boys made good. A romp of a read, complete with pantomime villain in the guise of Curtis Waring. Undemanding, ever such a tad predictable but a fun read. A bit more vengeance would have gone down well with this reader!!

[Redbird · Rating 2 out of 5]

110 years after it was written, the plot today is simple and predictable - perhaps unfair criticism back then. Characters are moderately developed, although they change little even when their circumstances change dramatically. Overall - like lukewarm oatmeal: was probably good once, tolerable now, but not wonderful and won't ask for seconds.

[Zhiyuan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about a boy who is kidnapped from home and a girl of 18 who is prejudiced against her uncle by her cousin. When the girl runs away with Harvey, the cousin, not knowing that he is the kidnapped cousin, goes to New York. Florence gets a job as a teacher and the boy gets a job as a newsboy. But the girl's mean cousin brings the boy to...

Great book! Recommend it.

[Lorelei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like Ragged Dick, also by Alger, it has quite a few faults. But it is a delightful and entertaining tale regardless. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and wouldn't hesitate to read anything else by Alger that should come my way.

[Cassi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun but very predictable read. The characters are very Dickensian and you can see the plot twists coming from a mile away but I can see why his books were so influential in early america where this rags to riches, american dream idea was taking hold.

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Horatio Alger, if you've read one you've read them all ... I still love them though!

[Lilliah Bitecofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intriguing to say the least. This book has the most plot twists of any book I’ve ever read. Highly recommend. Even if you hate this book, you need yo read it just to understand how fast paced it is.

[Ejayen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the ending is a bit contrived and there is plenty of talk about marrying cousins, but it was fun.

[Angie Thompson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not one of the author's best. Quite a bit of melodrama and a number of inconsistencies. DNFed when a black assistant of the villain started being referred to as "n-----".

[Marc Chénier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not cerebral literature but there is something quite entertaining about this story. The end seems a little rushed but is still satisfying.

[Elena Câdă · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring

[Gillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Frances Hodgson Burnett: perhaps she was greatly influenced by him.

[Tommy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories were very simple and formulaic. I knew he was one of the best selling authors at the turn of the 19th century, and found a cheap copy at a used book store, so thought to check it out. It wasn't much.

You could read this to a child as a bedtime story but that's about the level it's written. I guess that just shows the increase in education and literacy in the US. I hope that's it, although I cringe to think how we'll be judged by our mass market fiction in a hundred years too.

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can hear Horatio Alger speak "Hey poor boy, I've got a story for you and something to eat if you come to my place. I can help you. You know, gentlemen always help boys with good heart."

[Abigail Rasmussen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of my brothers and sisters and I listened to this book, and we all liked it. Here is the LibriVox catalog page: http://librivox.org/adrift-in-new-yor... Read by Bridget Gaige

[Michelle Litton Ogaidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Very predictable. One of his later novels, lacking originality. Fun info about Old New York!

[Shann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Instead of writing that someone called or said something excitedly, he writes that they ejaculated. Other than that, it was an OK book.

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of Horatio Alger's books!

[Tobin Tullis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it, but it ended rather abruptly and the politeness of that time was difficult to digest in the matter of cumupance.

[Shalini Mehta · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first audio book to keep me company while I walked daily. Simple plot, predictable but kept my interest! set in old New York, liked it!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very juvenile type story. The story feels nostalgic and old timey and meant for younger readers.

[Asker Firas]

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