Project Gutenberg
2004-09-16
Public domain in the USA.
565
Twain, Mark
1835
1910
Clemens, Samuel Langhorne
Twain, Mark (Samuel Clemens)
The Stolen White Elephant
Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stolen_White_Elephant
Produced by David Widger
"The Stolen White Elephant" by Mark Twain is a humorous short story written during the late 19th century, specifically reflecting the style of the literary period characterized by social commentary and satire. This work centers around the absurdities of a detective investigation following the theft of a sacred white elephant from Siam, offering a comical yet critical look at both the detective genre and societal issues of the time. The narrative unfolds as the protagonist recounts the misadventures encountered in the pursuit of the stolen elephant, which becomes a chaotic series of miscommunications, misinterpretations, and bumbling efforts by a team of detectives led by the eccentric Inspector Blunt. As the investigation progresses, the elephant's insatiable appetite causes widespread destruction, leading to exaggerated and farcical outcomes that draw laughter while subtly critiquing the inefficiencies of the law enforcement system. Ultimately, despite the chaos and the associated costs, the story concludes with a twist, illustrating Twain’s mastery in combining humor with incisive social observation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 71.3 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
en
Short stories
Detective and mystery stories
PS
Text
Category: Short Stories
Category: Crime, Thrillers and Mystery
Category: Humour
Category: American Literature
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