Over the Teacups

by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Excerpt from Over the Teacups
This series of papers was begun in March, 1888. A single number was printed, when it was interrupted by the course of events, and not resumed until nearly two years later, in January, 1890. The plan of the series was not formed in my mind when I wrote the first number. In returning to my task I found that my original plan had shaped itself in the underground laboratory of my thought so that some changes had to be made in what I had written. As I proceeded, the slight story which formed a part of my programme developed itself without any need of much contrivance on my part. Given certain characters in a writer's conception, if they are real to him, as they ought to be, they will act in such or such a way, according to the law of their nature. It was pretty safe to assume that intimate relations would spring up between some members of our mixed company; and it was not rash to conjecture that some of these intimacies might end in such attachment as would furnish us hints, at least.

Genres: Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1891

About the author

American physician Oliver Wendell Holmes, Senior, a professor of anatomy and physiology at Harvard from 1847 to 1882 and father of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Junior, wrote humorous conversational pieces, including The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table (1858).

This professional nevertheless achieved fame, regard, and knowledge among the best poets of the 19th century. Holmes nevertheless wrote numerous medical treatises, essays, novels, memoirs, and table-talk books.

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Astonishingly fresh for a book so old. Holmes writes in the voice of a blogger, friendly, zippy, funny, and with thrust. It's sad to think that all the clever pop culture references we make nowadays will someday be as impenetrable as Holmes's.

[Dushan Milinovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun light read for the park.