John Ingerfield, and Other Stories

"John Ingerfield and Other Stories" by Jerome K. Jerome is a collection of short stories written during the late 19th century. The stories appear to explore themes of human relationships, ambition, and societal expectations, with particular focus on the character of John Ingerfield, who is depicted as a businessman driven by success and wealth, yet struggling to connect emotionally in his marriage to Anne Singleton. At the start of the book, the narrator sets the tone by addressing the reader directly, indicating that some stories may not be intended for humor, which invites curious contemplation about their underlying messages. The opening tale, "In Remembrance of John Ingerfield, and of Anne, his Wife," describes the life of John Ingerfield, an oil and tallow refiner in London, whose relentless pursuit of wealth leads him to consider a practical marriage rather than one based on love. He seeks a wife through a friend, leading to the introduction of Anne Singleton, whose own emotional detachment complicates their relationship. Their marriage, based on an agreement rather than affection, becomes a canvas for exploring issues of duty and the human need for connection, setting a poignant stage for the ensuing events surrounding them. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Jerome Klapka Jerome was an English writer and humorist, best known for the comic travelogue Three Men in a Boat (1889). Other works include the essay collections Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow (1886) and Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow; Three Men on the Bummel, a sequel to Three Men in a Boat; and several other novels. Jerome was born in Walsall, England, and, although he was able to attend grammar school, his family suffered from poverty at times, as did he as a young man trying to earn a living in various occupations. In his twenties, he was able to publish some work, and success followed. He married in 1888, and the honeymoon was spent on a boat on the River Thames; he published Three Men in a Boat soon afterwards. He continued to write fiction, non-fiction and plays over the next few decades, though never with the same level of success.