Project Gutenberg 2013-10-05 Public domain in the USA. 216 Collins, Wilkie 1824 1889 Collins, William Wilkie My Miscellanies, Vol. 1 (of 2) Sketches of character: I. Talk-stoppers -- Social grievances: I. A journey in search of nothing -- Nooks and corners of history: I. A queen's revenge -- Social grievances: II. A petition to the novel-writers -- Fragments of personal experience: I. Laid up in lodgings -- Sketches of character: II. A shockingly rude article -- Nooks and corners of history: II. The great (forgotten) invasion -- Curiosities of literature: I. The unknown public -- Social grievances: III. Give us room! -- Curiosities of literature: II. Portrait of an author, painted by his publisher -- Fragments of personal experience: II. My black mirror -- Sketches of character: III. Mrs. Badgery. Produced by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) "My Miscellanies, Vol. 1 (of 2)" by Wilkie Collins is a collection of essays and sketches composed in the mid-19th century. The work features a variety of writings that explore social issues, character sketches, and reflections on literature and history, embodying Collins's aim to present observations in a light yet thoughtful manner. As an author known for his novels, this collection showcases his ability to comment on society with humor and insight, making it an engaging read for those interested in social commentary or literary essays. The opening of the collection includes a preface in which Collins discusses his intention behind the various pieces—written originally for periodicals—and explains his desire to address readers in a relaxed and conversational tone. It then transitions into a sketch that critiques modern conversation, lamenting the decline of effective dialogue in society, exemplified by the humorous character of Colonel Hopkirk, who is a "Talk-Stopper." Further essays in the table of contents indicate a diverse range of topics that promise a mix of humor and critical observation, encouraging readers to reflect on social norms and human nature. This blend of wit with a keen eye for the absurdities of conversation sets an engaging tone for the collection. (This is an automatically generated summary.) file:///public/vhost/g/gutenberg/html/files/43893/43893-h/images/title-page.jpg Reading ease score: 66.3 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en English literature -- 19th century PR Text Category: Humour Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: British Literature 451163 2025-08-17T15:28:07.786407 text/html 434972 2024-10-23T18:55:14 text/html 211026 2025-08-17T15:28:12.905339 application/epub+zip 214127 2025-08-17T15:28:08.645358 application/epub+zip 214127 2025-08-17T15:28:08.236372 application/epub+zip 331835 2025-08-17T15:28:16.512342 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 295178 2025-08-17T15:28:12.482338 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 295286 2022-09-20T04:49:27.514649 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 418355 2025-08-17T15:28:07.233383 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 398402 2024-10-23T18:55:14 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17427 2025-08-17T15:28:16.655324 application/rdf+xml 7853 2025-08-17T15:28:08.328369 image/jpeg 1909 2025-08-17T15:28:08.288364 image/jpeg 192366 2025-08-17T15:28:07.825377 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia