So nobody will remember this but ... about a year ago (at Homer's) I mentioned a book by Robert Lois Stevenson and his son-in-law called, "The Tonkin". The story is about what happens to a family of 2 brothers that are entered into an insurance game which pays out a pool of matured investments to the last living member of the club.
Apparently I had been watching too many vietnam era documentaries on the history channel because I got the name wrong. Tonkin, of course was a gulf in southeast asia, not an investment game ... it is actually called a "tontine". To further confuse matters, the electronic copy that I read was called "The Tontine" when it was converted to ebook. The book is actually titled "The Wrong Box".
I heartilly recommend the story to those with taste for 1800's literature that dosen't involve a single character named Mr. Darcy. If however, you like a bit of romance in your stories - there is a satisfying love interest in one of the subplots.
To read "The Wrong Box", stop by Project Gutenburg. I recommend the HTML version.
5 comments:
I think that story was spoofed on the Simpsons. Grandpa Simpson and Mr. Burns are the last two people alive who have a key to a safe containing priceless artwork they obtained in WWII Germany.
Are there any "dead blue bottles" in this book?
I do like that era of literature. Including Mr. Darcy. Ebooks might be a nice little sideline at work. hmmm.
errrm ... who said anything about ummmmmm reading ebooks at work??/
Roamer I'm shocked...! Ah, the good old days in the brown water navy, listening to the Doors and cleaning the 50 cal. gun in the bow while my hootch buddy gets a tan in the aft of the boat. Nothing beats the gulf of tolkien during wartime.
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