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Tom Playfair #2
Percy Winn: or the Making a Boy of Him
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.
First published January 1, 1891
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34 people want to read
About the author
Francis J. Finn
57 books11 followersFather Francis J. Finn, S.J. was born to Irish immigrant parents at St. Louis, Missouri in 1859.
As a boy, Francis was deeply impressed with Cardinal Wiseman’s famous novel of the early Christian martyrs, Fabiola. After that, religion really began to mean something to him. Eleven-year-old Francis was a voracious reader; he read the works of Charles Dickens, devouring Nicholas Nickleby and The Pickwick Papers. From his First Communion at age 12, Francis began to desire to become a Jesuit priest; but then his fervor cooled, his grades dropped, and his vocation might have been lost except for Fr. Charles Coppens. Fr. Coppens urged Francis to apply himself to his Latin, to improve it by using an all-Latin prayerbook, and to read good Catholic books. Fr. Finn credited the saving of his vocation to this advice and to his membership in the Sodality of Our Lady.
After graduating from St. Louis University, he became a Jesuit and was ordained a priest in 1893. He had already begun writing his debut novel Tom Playfair prior to this, as he was assigned to St. Mary s College in Kansas and dealt with unruly boys on a daily basis. He went on to write twenty-seven other books, and his novels for children were very successful. The books contain fun stories, likeable characters and themes that remain current in today's world. Each story conveys an important moral precept. He was much loved by young people, and thousands of them gathered to honor his death in 1928.
As a boy, Francis was deeply impressed with Cardinal Wiseman’s famous novel of the early Christian martyrs, Fabiola. After that, religion really began to mean something to him. Eleven-year-old Francis was a voracious reader; he read the works of Charles Dickens, devouring Nicholas Nickleby and The Pickwick Papers. From his First Communion at age 12, Francis began to desire to become a Jesuit priest; but then his fervor cooled, his grades dropped, and his vocation might have been lost except for Fr. Charles Coppens. Fr. Coppens urged Francis to apply himself to his Latin, to improve it by using an all-Latin prayerbook, and to read good Catholic books. Fr. Finn credited the saving of his vocation to this advice and to his membership in the Sodality of Our Lady.
After graduating from St. Louis University, he became a Jesuit and was ordained a priest in 1893. He had already begun writing his debut novel Tom Playfair prior to this, as he was assigned to St. Mary s College in Kansas and dealt with unruly boys on a daily basis. He went on to write twenty-seven other books, and his novels for children were very successful. The books contain fun stories, likeable characters and themes that remain current in today's world. Each story conveys an important moral precept. He was much loved by young people, and thousands of them gathered to honor his death in 1928.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 5, 2021
⭐0.5/10⭐
Estoy cansada de los libros con historias católicas y conformistas 😡😡
Nada, ni lo lean porque es ABURRIDISIMO.
Va de la vida de Percy Winn a quien le dicen maricon por ser un pretty boy y tranquilo, entonces empieza a cambiar para ser mAsCuLiNo.
Estoy cansada de los libros con historias católicas y conformistas 😡😡
Nada, ni lo lean porque es ABURRIDISIMO.
Va de la vida de Percy Winn a quien le dicen maricon por ser un pretty boy y tranquilo, entonces empieza a cambiar para ser mAsCuLiNo.
July 1, 2010
An AWESOME BOOK!
October 16, 2025
My 6th grade son loved this story, though a little less than the first book in the series, "Tom Playfair". Nevertheless he insisted on a 5-star rating. He thinks these books should be made into movies.
I took note of a few conversations about reading good books (and avoiding bad ones): "A really good book brings us into good company. When I've been reading about noble and brave men, I feel just as if I had been spending my time with them.". "Yes; but the pity is that the reverse is equally true. Those boys who are constantly reading about low characters and vile conduct come from their books as if they had been in evil company."..."Mama says that people like such stories only because they've been trained badly. She says that all boys are naturally good and religious, and naturally love what is brave and beautiful and noble; but by being led to consider fighting as brave, and slang as witty, they look upon everything the wrong way..."(p 145)
"Just as a skilled counterfeiter can palm off his false money on many ordinary grown people, and on very intelligent children, so a writer may cause boys to accept as really good what is in point of fact utterly vile."... "The author quite cleverly smooths over the real evil. In a counterfeit bill only a sharp and practiced eye can detect the fraud. Now that you are young, many things which are wrong may escape you in such a story. In fact, to analyze such a passage as I have just read supposes in a boy a power of reasoning which, as a rule, is developed later on in life. What is true of this book is true of thousands of the like publications. They are written in such a way as to catch the young imagination; but their effect in the long run is to cause boys unconsciously to admire what is ignoble and sinful. I have known boys to read these books for a time and not be corrupted. But they were warned of the danger betimes. Such reading indulged in continually cannot fail of distorting all that is truly noble in the best disposition.". (p 163-166)
I took note of a few conversations about reading good books (and avoiding bad ones): "A really good book brings us into good company. When I've been reading about noble and brave men, I feel just as if I had been spending my time with them.". "Yes; but the pity is that the reverse is equally true. Those boys who are constantly reading about low characters and vile conduct come from their books as if they had been in evil company."..."Mama says that people like such stories only because they've been trained badly. She says that all boys are naturally good and religious, and naturally love what is brave and beautiful and noble; but by being led to consider fighting as brave, and slang as witty, they look upon everything the wrong way..."(p 145)
"Just as a skilled counterfeiter can palm off his false money on many ordinary grown people, and on very intelligent children, so a writer may cause boys to accept as really good what is in point of fact utterly vile."... "The author quite cleverly smooths over the real evil. In a counterfeit bill only a sharp and practiced eye can detect the fraud. Now that you are young, many things which are wrong may escape you in such a story. In fact, to analyze such a passage as I have just read supposes in a boy a power of reasoning which, as a rule, is developed later on in life. What is true of this book is true of thousands of the like publications. They are written in such a way as to catch the young imagination; but their effect in the long run is to cause boys unconsciously to admire what is ignoble and sinful. I have known boys to read these books for a time and not be corrupted. But they were warned of the danger betimes. Such reading indulged in continually cannot fail of distorting all that is truly noble in the best disposition.". (p 163-166)
May 14, 2023
Well this was a cute read. One of those books I would never have picked up if a friend hadn’t asked me to read it. There were some scenes that made me roll my eyes. But overall this was a good book and probably one I would have liked more if I read it when I was younger
December 16, 2025
Percy Winn de Francisco Finn es un libro muy ameno, me entretuve bastante leyendo las aventuras de estos niños que están en un internado católico, si bien el autor recalca mucha de las acciones que toman cada uno de ellos con la religión (el catolicismo) me pareció muy emotivo y reflexivo.
Want to read
December 10, 2024SM
Read
September 15, 2025Very good, although shows its age. I do believe many values should still be taught, not everything.
November 29, 2025
90/100 (= 5.3/6) ≈ 5 Stars
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2nd Read: The delightful adventures continue. So many profound scenes packed into one little book! Lessons and inspiration abound. Earns the right to stand proudly beside the incredible first title of the trilogy. Fr. Finn shows no sign of running out of ideas. Catholic fiction doesn't get any better than this.
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1st Read (Many years ago, as a young adult. Some of my comments then were): The adventures continue. Riveting. Old English, same as before, but super!
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2nd Read: The delightful adventures continue. So many profound scenes packed into one little book! Lessons and inspiration abound. Earns the right to stand proudly beside the incredible first title of the trilogy. Fr. Finn shows no sign of running out of ideas. Catholic fiction doesn't get any better than this.
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1st Read (Many years ago, as a young adult. Some of my comments then were): The adventures continue. Riveting. Old English, same as before, but super!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews