The Mysteries of Philo Gubb, School Detective (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. 17 Mysterious Cases: The Hard-Boiled Egg, The Pet, The Eagle's Claws, The Oubliette, The Un-Burglars, The Dragon's Eye, The Progressive Murder…By Ellis Parker Butler
Length10h 6m
About this audiobook
The Mysteries of Philo Gubb, School Detective gathers comic detective episodes centered on Philo Gubb, an earnest paperhanger turned correspondence-course sleuth. Butler's prose parodies the conventions of Sherlockian deduction, dime-novel melodrama, and the burgeoning mystery market of the early twentieth century. Its humor lies in deadpan misreadings, inflated professional jargon, and the gap between Gubb's methodical self-importance and the absurdity of his cases. Ellis Parker Butler (1869–1937), an American humorist best remembered for "Pigs Is Pigs," built his career in magazines, where concise comic plotting and recognizable social types flourished. Born in Iowa and long active in popular periodical culture, Butler understood both small-town manners and mass-market literary fashion. Philo Gubb reflects his fascination with self-improvement schemes, mail-order education, and America's faith in practical expertise. This book is recommended for readers who enjoy classic humorous fiction, early detective parody, and the lighter side of American literary modernity. It will especially please those interested in how popular genres were affectionately mocked while still being energetically enjoyed. Beneath its farce, Butler's work offers a sharp portrait of aspiration, language, and amateur professionalism in a rapidly commercializing culture.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★ 3.4 (43)
Includes Goodreads
GenreMystery and Thriller, Humor
Length10 hrs 6 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJun 28, 2019
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Mysteries of Philo Gubb, School Detective (Annotated)
13The Progressive Murder
2Introduction
14The Missing Mr. Master
3Historical Context
15Waffles and Mustard
4Synopsis (Selection)
16The Anonymous Wiggle
5The Hard-Boiled Egg
17The Half of a Thousand
Show all chaptersShow less
6The Pet
18Dietz’s 7462 Bessie John
7The Eagle’s Claws
19Henry
8The Oubliette
20Buried Bones
9The Un-Burglars
21Philo Gubb’s Greatest Case
10The Two-Cent Stamp
22Analysis
11The Chicken
23Reflection
12The Dragon’s Eye
24Memorable Quotes
More from Ellis Parker Butler
Laughter Therapy: 63 Classic Books of Humorous TalesEllis Parker Butler, Honoré de Balzac, Mark Twain, John Kendrick Bangs, Thorne Smith, Robert Fitzgerald, Harry Leon Wilson, H. C. Witwer, F. Anstey, S. R. Crockett, Marietta Holley, Sewell Ford, A. S. M. Hutchinson, Anne Warner, Dornford Yates, Charles Heber Clark, Rudolf Erich Raspe, Finley Peter Dunne, Robert W. Chambers, W. W. Jacobs, F. Morton Howard, Richard Marsh, H. H. Sir Bashford, J. Storer Clouston, O. Henry, Charles Battell Loomis, E. F. Benson, Anita Loos, Wallace Irvin, Lawrence Daniel Fogg, Terry Southern, Henry Wallace Phillips, George V. Hobart, Stephen Leacock, Daisy Ashford, W. A. Darlington, Kendell Foster Crossen, Israel Zangwill, Ring Lardner, Charles Eustace Merriman, Wallace Irwin, Howard Roger Garis, W. Heath Robinson, Lucretia P. Hale, Richmal Crompton, Peter Newell356h 18m$1.49 · $0.00
Detective Philo Gubb's Cases (Annotated)Ellis Parker Butler10h 6m3.4 (43)$2 · $0.00
Goat-FeathersEllis Parker Butler1h 3m3.4 (19)$2 · $0.00
Perkins of Portland: Perkins The GreatEllis Parker Butler3h 2m4.1 (10)$2 · $0.00
That PupEllis Parker Butler1h 33m3.6 (16)$2 · $0.00
Dominie DeanEllis Parker Butler8h 30m$2 · $0.00
The Incubator BabyEllis Parker Butler1h 59m3.3 (24)$2 · $0.00
The RevoltEllis Parker Butler43m$2 · $0.00
The Confessions of a DaddyEllis Parker Butler59m3.1 (13)$1 · $0.00
The Adventures of a SuburbaniteEllis Parker Butler3h 13m3.8 (16)$2 · $0.00
The Thin Santa Claus: The Chicken Yard That Was a Christmas StockingEllis Parker Butler30m3.4 (34)$1 · $0.00
KiloEllis Parker Butler6h 29m$2 · $0.00
The Mystery Cases of Detective Philo GubbEllis Parker Butler9h 55m3.4 (43)$2 · $0.00
The New Human Revolution, vol. 1Daisaku Ikeda7h 46m4.7 (669)$12 · $0.00
Meddlesome MoneyMildred Abbott8h 21m4.7 (1.3K)$20
Dark RisingJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 47m4.7 (1.3K)$27
Midnight ShadowsS.E. Smith5h 40m4.7 (2.5K)$17
CollateralBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson13h 8m4.6 (7K)$23
The ReunionJana Deleon6h 31m4.6 (1.6K)$26 · $0.00
Animal 3K’wan6h 33m4.6 (2.8K)$20
To Hold and ProtectSandra Owens7h 59m4.6 (1.1K)$8 · $0.00
Extinction WarNicholas Sansbury Smith12h 1m4.6 (6K)$23
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Complete Edition)Arthur Conan Doyle12h 28m4.6 (286.7K)$2 · $0.00
Savy WisdomPeggy McColl2h 53m4.7 (448)$15
3 a.m. Premium: Books 1–5Nick Pirog15h 27m4.6 (8.2K)$25
Farewell My Lovely (Annotated)Raymond Chandler10h 37m4.6 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
The Labyrinth of the SpiritsCarlos Ruiz Zafon27h 55m4.5 (77.2K)$53 · $0.00
Tracing Killer EvidenceJodie Bailey5h 46m4.7 (242)$12 · $0.00
Sign of the MakerBrian Shea7h 13m4.6 (2.5K)$17
No Sin UnpunishedLynDee Walker7h 43m4.6 (1.4K)$17
Sherlock HolmesMade for Success14h 22m4.5 (4.3K)$25
Sons of War 4: SoldiersNicholas Sansbury Smith, Tom Abrahams12h 54m4.6 (507)$25
Murder in the TowerRoy Lewis8h 23m4.6 (784)$20
Birdie & HarlowTaylor Wolfe7h 50m4.6 (6.5K)$26 · $0.00
The Facts of MidlifeRobyn Peterman4h 49m4.5 (7.2K)$15
Chaos in a CoupeDivya Dugar9h 18m4.7 (177)$18 · $0.00
The Life of DaiDai Henwood, Jaquie Brown8h 2m4.6 (790)$26 · $0.00
What If? 10th Anniversary EditionRandall Munroe7h 29m4.5 (41.4K)$23
Welcome to PawneeJim O'Heir6h 24m4.5 (5.3K)$24 · $0.00
Going PostalTerry Pratchett13h 36m4.5 (163.8K)$33 · $0.00
Woman UninterruptedBrodie Kane7h 1m4.6 (562)$24 · $0.00
1984 & Animal Farm (Annotated)George Orwell15h 54m4.5 (220.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
Kingsblood Royal (Annotated)Sinclair Lewis14h 42m4.6 (264)$2 · $0.00
Hot Cowgirl Sh*tLacie Evans2h 15m4.7 (103)$15
This Is Going to HurtAdam Kay5h 47m4.4 (444.7K)$24 · $0.00
You Will Get Through This NightDaniel Howell6h 56m4.4 (11.8K)$24 · $0.00
Northanger Abbey (Annotated)Jane Austen10h 7m4.5 (1.6K)$2 · $0.00
My Dear HamiltonStephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie23h 7m4.4 (63.6K)$46 · $0.00
THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS & SCREWTAPE PROPOSES A TOAST (Annotated)C. S. Lewis5h 6m4.4 (471K)$2 · $0.00
Jungle UpNick Pirog10h 8m4.4 (3.1K)$20
The 13½ Lives of Captain BluebearWalter Moers16h 10m4.4 (34.3K)$28
Damon Runyon OmnibusDamon Runyon27h4.5 (242)$2 · $0.00
WotchaKev Saunders14h 41m5.0 (18)$8 · $0.00
You may also like
Minnie and Moo: The Case of the Missing Jelly DonutDenys Cazet13m4.2 (770)$4 · $0.00
The Club of Queer TradesG.K.Chesterton4h 56m3.9 (5.2K)$2.30
The Templeton CaseVictor L. Whitechurch6h 41m4.0 (287)$23
Fletch WonGregory Mcdonald6h 30m3.9 (3K)$20
Have His CarcaseDorothy L. Sayers15h 40m4.2 (21.9K)$2 · $0.00
Murder Must Advertise (Annotated)Dorothy L. Sayers14h 25m4.3 (25.6K)$2 · $0.00
Constable in the DaleNicholas Rhea5h 58m4.4 (532)$17
My Weirder School #9: Ms. Sue Has No Clue!Dan Gutman1h 3m4.2 (700)$13 · $0.00
The Club of Queer TradesG. K. Chesterton4h 57m3.9 (4.1K)$12
More Work for the Undertaker (Annotated)Margery Allingham10h 44m4.1 (4.2K)$2 · $0.00
Detective Philo Gubb's Cases (Annotated)Ellis Parker Butler10h 6m3.4 (43)$2 · $0.00
The Mystery Cases of Detective Philo GubbEllis Parker Butler9h 55m3.4 (43)$2 · $0.00
The Mystery Of A Wheel-BarrowW. Humer Ferguson5h 57m$2 · $0.00
The Thin Santa Claus: The Chicken Yard That Was a Christmas StockingEllis Parker Butler30m3.4 (34)$1 · $0.00
The Diamond Pin & The Eternal FeminineCarolyn Wells8h 14m$2.30
The Petaluma Radio Players Present: The Misadventure of the Disgruntled PhysicianVince Stadon26m$2
The Taking Of Cloudy McGee & Too Much Progress For PiperockW. C. Tuttle1h 58m$2.30
My Weirdtastic School #8: Mr. Plummer Is Dumber!Dan Gutman1h 3m4.7 (74)$13 · $0.00
The Duke in the SuburbsEdgar Wallace5h 53m3.5 (132)$2.30
The Green Overcoat (Annotated)Hilaire Belloc7h 27m3.1 (18)$2 · $0.00