About Reminiscences of a Stock Operator
What it's about
The thinly disguised life of the speculator Jesse Livermore, told in his own voice as 'Larry Livingston'. A boy who posts prices on a board learns that there is nothing new in Wall Street, an old customer teaches him that the big money comes from sitting tight, and a veteran warns that a trader's worst enemies are his own hope and fear.
Who it's for
Anyone who invests or is thinking of starting, and readers of the Korean edition who want to read the famous lines in their original English.
- Level
- CEFR B2
- Length
- 3 parts · about 665 words
- Reading time
- about 6 minutes (~2 min per part)
- Author
- Edwin Lefèvre
If you liked this, read
- Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds · B2
- The Art of Money Getting · B2
- As a Man Thinketh · B2
Looking for something easier or harder? See Easy English books by level (A1–B2).
Reading Reminiscences of a Stock Operator in English: quick answers
- What English level is Reminiscences of a Stock Operator on SeoJae Story?
- Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefèvre is retold in simplified English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate). It is split into 3 short parts, and every sentence has a Korean translation you can show or hide, so a learner at that level can follow the story without a dictionary.
- Is Reminiscences of a Stock Operator hard to read in English?
- The original is written for native readers, with long sentences and older vocabulary, so most learners find it hard. This retelling keeps the story but uses simpler English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate), so if you read English at that level you can follow it, and the Korean translation is there for any line that stops you. If it feels too hard, start with an easier book one level down.
- How long does it take to read Reminiscences of a Stock Operator in simple English?
- About 6 minutes of reading in total — roughly 2 minutes per part across 3 parts. Listening to the audio narration, reviewing the vocabulary and taking each part's comprehension check adds a little more.
- Is this the full, unabridged text of Reminiscences of a Stock Operator?
- No. It is an abridged graded retelling written for English learners that follows the story of the original in 3 parts. Every part also lets you read the matching unabridged chapters from the original, split into short readings.
- Is Reminiscences of a Stock Operator free to read here?
- Yes. All 3 parts are free to read online, with the Korean translation, audio narration, vocabulary flashcards and comprehension questions included.
- Is Reminiscences of a Stock Operator in the public domain?
- Yes. Edwin Lefèvre's Reminiscences of a Stock Operator is in the public domain, and the original text is freely available from Project Gutenberg (eBook #60979). SeoJae Story's simplified retelling and Korean translation are original text written for learners.