Not long after completing The Van Gelder Papers, I produced an initial transcription of this book, but then I got distracted by Edward P. Mitchell's "Ralph Roanoke" stories, which I subsequently incorporated into A Knickerbocker Anthology. During my research for that project, I was turned onto The Widow Bedott Papers, but before I tackled that, I decided to publish The Trippings of Tom Pepper. Well, after all that mucking about, here it finally is.

As I've written elsewhere, I was introduced to John Treat Irving, Jr., via The Knickerbocker Gallery, and wished to explore more of his work. At its best, this novel is a gritty, vivid, hard-boiled noir depiction of the mean streets of antebellum Manhattan and its occupants. At its worst, its clumsy attempts at humorous interludes may elicit an occasional roll of the eyes. Nonetheless, it succeeded in holding my attention, and by the time I reached the end, I decided to give it "The Treatment."

Two editions are readily available as online scans: an 1853 edition and an 1861 edition. The transcription is taken from the 1861 edition, being in better condition.

So here it is: the master HTML version, the home-brew Kindle version, and the actual Amazon publication.

As Mr. Quagley says: 'Gin slings is healthier for the liver...'

June 8, 2020

ffred's nearly-forgotten treasures