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John Kendrick Bangs
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The Enchanted Typewriter Hardcover – January 1, 2006

by John Kendrick Bangs (Author), 1stworld Library (Editor)
3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 15 ratings
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Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - It is a strange fact, for which I do not expect ever satisfactorily to account, and which will receive little credence even among those who know that I am not given to romancing - it is a strange fact, I say, that the substance of the following pages has evolved itself during a period of six months, more or less, between the hours of midnight and four o'clock in the morning, proceeding directly from a type-writing machine standing in the corner of my library, manipulated by unseen hands.
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  1. Print length
    116 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    1st World Library - Literary Society
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.44 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1421814749
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1421814742
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ 1st World Library - Literary Society (January 1, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 116 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1421814749
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1421814742
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.44 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 15 ratings

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John Kendrick Bangs

John Kendrick Bangs

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Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
3.7 out of 5
15 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Richard Chappell
4.0 out of 5 stars a very remarkable and well used typewriter
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2012
Verified Purchase
One morning the narrator (we never learn his name; I shall call him Mr. N) unearths an old 1870's type-writing apparatus from his attic. Mr. N has a wonderful time taking it apart and putting it back together. It receives a new ribbon and all the ink it can consume.

Several days later, Mr. N comes home from a night out and hears something that sounds like a click coming from the library. Here I quote one of my favorite lines from the book: "A man does not like to hear a click he cannot comprehend..."

It turns out that Mr. N has a very unusual typewriter and James Boswell, the editor of the Stygian Gazette, likes to use it to prepare the Sunday edition of the Gazette. Through Boswell we get to hear all about the goings-on in Hades. It makes for a very entertaining story!

This story is actually the 3rd in a series.
A House-Boat on the Styx (1895)
Pursuit of the House-Boat (1897)
The Enchanted Type-Writer (1899)
Mr. Munchausen: Being a True Account of Some of the Recent Adventures Beyond the Styx of the Late Hieronymus Carl Friedrich, Sometime Baron Munchausen of Bodenwerder (1901)

- posted by Poore Richard's wyfe
9 people found this helpful
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K. Daru
3.0 out of 5 stars More typewriter than enchantment
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2010
Verified Purchase
Bit of a disappointment. I bought the book for no other reason than I thought it had a cool title, and was expecting, if anything, a ghost story. It's really more of a social commentary. The premise is that the narrator discovers a mysterious typewriter in his attic; one that won't type correctly when he uses it, but that chatters away on its own after dark. It turns out that the keys are being manipulated by the unseen hands of hell's finest newspaper editor, "Jim - Jim Boswell". Each chapter in the book corresponds to Boswell's (and occasionally others') observations on a particular aspect of life in Hades, with direct parallels to life in early 20th-century America. Parts of it were admittedly funny, but the whole thing felt a little dated.

Still, it was a couple hours decent entertainment for less than a buck. Worth buying if you are interested in a humorous glimpse of life and times from another era.
2 people found this helpful
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Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars Contact with the dead.
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2015
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I enjoyed this book. There is nothing serious about it, and it isn't quite a mystery, but it is unusual. Not long, and no harm in reading it.
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Kevin A Farrell
3.0 out of 5 stars Saints preserve us.
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2014
Verified Purchase
Saint Rita, Saint Andre Bessette, Saint Judas Thaddeus and Blessed Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Guadalupe) pray for us.
Thank you Saint Judas.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

gypsy
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and hilarious in places.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is not a long story, but very entertaining. It is not a fairy story. The typewriter may be enchanted but it's uses are err......unusual. There are some philosophical points to ponder also. No spoilers or hints. If you are feeling bored or depressed in spirit give this book a go.
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K. A. Newton
3.0 out of 5 stars A good plot but - - -
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2012
Verified Purchase
The description of this book's plot was most encouraging.

Finding an old manual typewriter, the main character of the book brings the typewriter down from the dusty attic.

He carefully cleans and oils it with care.

One night coming home he hears a tap, then another tap and realises someone is using the typewriter.

But, there is no one there.

A voice introduces himself - the main character then has conversations with the voice and is allowed to read the typings made by the "visitor".

Other "visitors from the past" are allowed to use the typewriter and speak to the main character.

This book could have done or been so much more than it does or is.

Glad I did not spend too much dosh.

I had a better time after finishing reading the book imagining the people who could have come back and conversed with me. What fun, what knowledge etc., could have been enjoyed.
One person found this helpful
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Ms RT
3.0 out of 5 stars Odd
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2018
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Not quite what I expected and a bit too far fetched for my liking. It was certainly a surprise. Not sure if I would recommend this....probably not.
One person found this helpful
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