Helping Himself, or Grant Thornton's Ambition
Horatio Alger, Jr.
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Helping Himself, or Grant Thornton's Ambition deals with the grit and determination of Grant, a 15 year old farmer's boy whose father is dead and in order to pay his minister father's debts, and to help his mother deal with their abject poverty young Grant postpones his college education to take a job as a Wall Street broker's clerk. The first step is to deal with the avaricious and greedy man who is keeping them from obtaining the meager amount due them and which will at least allow them to eat. Grant's wits, pluck and sheer determination are tested time and time again and each time he rises to the occasion. Read of his struggle to feed his mother and himself and then to rise in the world despite great odds. I can say with great confidence that in the end, he might succeed! (Summary by phil chenevert) (5 hr 34 min)
Chapters
| 01 - THE MINISTER'S SON | 8:05 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 02 - GRANT MAKES TWO BUSINESS CALLS | 8:51 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 03 - GRANT WALKS TO SOMERSET | 9:17 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 04 - A TIMELY RESCUE | 8:54 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 05 - MRS. THORNTON'S PEARLS | 9:43 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 06 - GRANT GETS INTO UNEXPECTED TROUBLE | 9:48 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 07 - MRS. SIMPSON COMES TO GRIEF | 8:36 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 08 - GRANT TAKES A DECISIVE STEP | 9:35 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 09 - UNCLE GODFREY PARTS FROM GRANT | 8:42 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 10 - A DAY IN WALL STREET | 9:04 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 11 -GRANT MAKES A FRIEND | 8:29 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 12 - MRS. ESTABROOK'S PLANS | 9:27 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 13 - TWO VIEWS OF TOM CALDER | 8:23 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 14 - WILLIS FORD'S NEW FRIENDS | 10:16 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 15 - AN ARTFUL TRAP | 8:17 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 16 - GRANT FALLS UNDER SUSPICION | 8:25 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 17 - THE TELLTALE KEY | 9:58 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 18 - GRANT'S ENEMIES TRIUMPH | 9:32 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 19 - IMPORTANT EVIDENCE | 9:04 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 20 - AT THE FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL | 8:33 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 21 - THE THIEF IS DISCOVERED | 9:27 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 22 - WILLIS FORD AT BAY | 9:03 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 23 - JUSTICE TRIUMPHS | 9:18 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 24 - STARTLING NEWS | 9:14 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 25 - ANXIOUS INQUIRIES | 6:34 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 26 - A WESTERN CABIN | 5:43 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 27 - THE RIDE TO BARTON'S | 6:12 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 28 - HERBERT IS PROVIDED WITH A NEW HOME | 9:12 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 29 - INTRODUCES MR. BARTON | 8:32 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 30 - A MODEL HOUSEHOLD | 8:36 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 31 - THE HOUSEKEEPER'S CRIME | 9:29 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 32 - HOPE DEFERRED | 5:05 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 32 - THE JOURNEY BEGINS | 5:04 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 34 - MRS. BARTON'S SURPRISE | 9:26 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 35 - HERBERT BREAKS DOWN | 9:29 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 36 - GRANT RECEIVES A LETTER | 4:56 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 37 - WILLIS FORD FINDS THE RUNAWAYS | 5:11 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 38 - FORD TAKES A BOLD STEP, BUT FAILS | 9:36 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
| 39 - THE HOUSEKEEPER'S RETRIBUTION | 6:43 | Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022) |
| 40 - CONCLUSION | 6:52 | Read by Sharon Kilmer |
Reviews
Horatio Alger's plots seem to be more or less the same...
lanternland
...but I like them anyway! They're simple minded and have happy endings. I wish real life was like that. And I always appreciate Alger's glimpses of a long ago New York City. I enjoyed this one but don't think it was one of his best. I was sort of let down by the ending. Why was the arch villain only sentenced for forgery and not hung for kidnapping? His no good mama should have also been arrested as an accomplice. I want to reopen this case! Most excellently read by what I suppose is the Killmer husband and wife team taking turns on the chapters.
Don't make this your introduction to Alger
Pvoelker
Helping Himself (1886) is another rags to riches Alger tale. Just when you think it's over though, a related lengthy story is tacked onto the end. I agree with lanternland. The conclusion is not as satisfying as typical Alger stories. The readers alternate chapters and do a nice job, warming up to the material as the story goes along. I'd check out other Horatio Alger books first and save this one for true fans.
great story
Lynn
The book is great and i love it, but it is not really based in reality; no one in real life gets that many breaks! The description of it is incorrect, though. His father is not dead; he is just a poor minister who struggles along on the small amount of money given him by the stingy deacon of his congregation.
Enjoyable Read!
JeanieCat
Very well read by the Kilmers! A typical Horatio Alger story! I enjoy them immensely even though I of course realize that they bear very little semblance to real life!
Excellent Story
A LibriVox Listener
Very good moral story.