Mark, the Match Boy

Summary

Horatio Alger, Jr. (1832-1899) was the son of a minister, a top graduate of Harvard, and a great admirer of Benjamin Franklin and the virtues of industry, frugality, and temperance he advocated. Alger’s mission in life was to write exciting stories for young adults which showed that the virtues of study, work, thrift, temperance, honesty, generosity, and bravery lead to prosperity, while vice results in ruin.

Alger wrote over 100 thrilling, full-length, “rags-to-riches” novels exemplifying virtue and vice in the struggle to escape poverty. Alger’s novels enjoyed immense popularity. According to Wikipedia’s “List of best-selling fiction authors”, Alger is one of the best-selling authors, not just in U.S. history but in world history.

Alger’s writing has had an incalculable effect by inspiring millions of people to adopt the virtues of prosperity. Alger’s novels in audiobook format provide a way to adopt a more prosperous way of thinking with a long-sustained program of listening. Millions of young adults and not-so-young adults might benefit from listening and adopting the virtues that Franklin and Alger advocate. Narrated and slightly edited for readability and current norms by Christopher Crennen.

Reviews of Alger's work: “thrilling episodes”, “bright and lively”, “exciting and interesting”, “spirited adventures”, “stirring”, “causes the sympathetic tear”, “entertaining”, “pure and simple”, “a delight”, “commendable”, “spirited and inspiring”, “most heartily recommend”, “admirable”, “excellent”, “phenomenal”, “swell”, “rattling good”, “bully”, “full of inspiration to honesty and industry”, “virtue rewarded and evil punished”, “hard work, ambition, and high moral character”, “cheerfulness, honesty, and good deeds”, “self-reliance, self-discipline, decency”, “full of excellent lessons”, “impressive and wholesome”, “good practical advice”.

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