The Complete Works of Josh Billings
Josh Billings was the pen name of Henry Wheeler Shaw, one of the most popular American humorists of the nineteenth century, and this collection gathers his comic essays and sayings. Billings wrote in a deliberately misspelled, phonetic English, and his short pieces on marriage, love, fashion, faith, kissing, farming, and a menagerie of animals from the mule and the codfish to the bumblebee and the robin mix rustic common sense with aphorisms that were quoted in newspapers across the country. A biographical introduction precedes the texts. The spelling takes some getting used to, but the dry wit underneath still lands, and Billings was a key figure in the tradition that led to Mark Twain. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first essay is free.
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Frequently asked questions about The Complete Works of Josh Billings
The Complete Works of Josh Billings by Josh Billings can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read The Complete Works of Josh Billings online?
Yes. The Complete Works of Josh Billings opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is The Complete Works of Josh Billings free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of The Complete Works of Josh Billings is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is The Complete Works of Josh Billings in the public domain?
Yes. The Complete Works of Josh Billings by Josh Billings is a public-domain work. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read The Complete Works of Josh Billings?
About 10 h 03 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is The Complete Works of Josh Billings?
The Complete Works of Josh Billings by Josh Billings is filed under "Classics" in the Vinteuil library.
