The Crucial Moment: 1911: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
The Crucial Moment: 1911: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
The Crucial Moment: 1911 is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Craddock, Charles Egbert (1850–1922).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"The Crucial Moment" by Charles Egbert Craddock is a dramatic novella written in the early 20th century. The story unfolds in the context of a rural Southern community threatened by rising waters from the Mississippi River, exploring themes of conflict, vengeance, and the weight of a single fateful moment. The narrative follows the character Walter Hoxer, a levee contractor whose life spirals into chaos after an explosive confrontation with a wealthy landowner, Major Jeffrey. The plot centers on Hoxer, who seeks to defend his reputation and integrity after Major Jeffrey publicly accuses him of cutting corners in his levee construction. Tensions escalate into a violent encounter where Hoxer, feeling cornered, is compelled to shoot Jeffrey in self-defense. Following this fateful moment, Hoxer becomes a fugitive, evading the law while grappling with the moral implications of his actions. The story culminates in a desperate escape that ultimately leads to Hoxer's tragic demise in the river, leaving behind his loyal dog, whose devotion symbolically highlights Hoxer's lost humanity in the face of irrevocable choices.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The Crucial Moment: 1911
- Author credits: Craddock, Charles Egbert (1850–1922)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Mississippi River -- Fiction
- Short stories
Gutenberg collections
- Category: American Literature
- Category: Novels
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Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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