Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Grosset & Dunlap 1910 (1910), Hardcover
Description
Classic Literature. Science Fiction. Young Adult Fiction. HTML: Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle is the first book in the original Tom Swift series. "Every boy possesses some form of inventive genius. Tom Swift is a bright, ingenious boy and his inventions and adventures make the most interesting kind of reading." "These spirited tales convey in a realistic way, the wonderful advances in land and sea locomotion and other successful inventions. Stories like these are impressed upon the memory and their reading is productive only of good." This series of adventure novels starring the genius boy inventor Tom Swift falls into the genre of "invention fiction" or "Edisonade"..
User reviews
LibraryThing member datrappert
The very first Tom Swift book, from 1910, is a bit of fun, but only a bit. It is a far cry from the science-fictional Tom Swift I read a few adventures of in the 1960s. Those books were from a later, much different second series. This book is very much grounded in 1910, and the setting (New York
Show More
State) is quite interesting. Not so interesting is the book's casual racism as Tom meets up with a black man named Eradicate Sampson, who is called a "darky" numerous times and refers to himself as a "coon". Each time Tom meets him, he is sitting haplessly while some machine or another fails to work, which Tom, of course, fixes quickly, leaving Eradicate marveling at how smart he is. Throughout the book, Tom is referred to as "the young inventor" or "our hero". Of course, this is hardly a book for adults. Kids are supposed to admire Tom for his intelligence and his industriousness, although he makes more than one mistake during the book that gets him into trouble (and prolongs the plot.) The plot itself is modern enough. A group of men, working for some unscrupulous lawyers, are trying to steal an invention from Tom's father, inventory Barton Swift. When reading a book like this, one knows it will have a happy ending, but dark clouds still loom ahead, as in the tradition of other books from the same publishing syndicate, the next adventure is introduced on the final pages. I can't say I didn't enjoy reading this, but it is definitely lacking the plotting and characterization of the best Hardy Boys books I remember from my youth. Show Less
Language
Original publication date
1910
Local notes
Tom Swift, 01
DDC/MDS
| Fic Childrens Tom Swift |
Similar in this library
Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat, or, under the Ocean for Sunken Treasure by Victor [pseud] Appleton
Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders, or, the Underground Search for the Idol of Gold by Victor [pseud] Appleton
Tom Swift and His Wireless Message: or, the castaways of Earthquake island by Victor [pseud] Appleton
Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera, or, Thrilling Adventures While Taking Moving Pictures by Victor [pseud] Appleton
Tom Swift and His Electric Locomotive, or, Two Miles a Minute on the Rails by Victor [Pseud] Appleton