T.E. W. (terez93) reviewed Three Supernatural Novels of the Victorian Period on + 345 more book reviews
I kind of hate to rate a Victorian collection of the supernatural this low, but it should be about a two-and-a-half rating, if based on actual reading enjoyment. It was, in fact, in a word, interminable, to the point that I was reading other books at the same time I was trying to get through this one, which took about a week, because I so quickly became bored with it. Committing to reading every book I start, however, I endeavored to finish it.
The volume does bring together in a collection a series of short novels which are rather difficult to find, so I'll add half a star for accessibility. The first question readers will undoubtedly have upon completing it, however, will be: where are the ghosts?! The third story, "The Lost Stradivarius," is undoubtedly the best, and the reason I located this rather hard-to-find volume in the first place.
The first story was composed by a moderately well-known author in England, Wilkie Collins, who had mixed success. Apparently this manuscript was sold in 1939 at auction for a measly $100, and, honestly, for good reason. I'm glad it was published, as it does have some (few) merits, but it's certainly nothing to write home about. The author (1824-1889) was apparently most famous for Victorian detective literature; mystery writing is clearly not his forte. It really should begin at about Chapter 17: I think it would be salvageable, if it were entirely reorganized to begin at the actual haunted hotel (which might better read "cursed," as signs of a classic haunting are regrettably few). The prior 70 pages are simply a verbose, rather irrelevant, slow and disjointed account of intrigue among the characters, which could almost be cut in its entirety without losing much of the story, or at least significantly shortened, and incorporated into the material about the actual location, in Venice.
Honestly, I think this is one of those works which suggests that the author is simply trying to take up space to reach novel length. Gradually unfolding the history of these characters and how they are connected, along with the mystery of the hotel, would have certainly made for better reading... but not by much. The editor here states that it's been "praised highly in England and will excite American readers with its sustained storytelling..." Well, no.
The second story is somewhat better, but it still falls far below the standard of other horror writers of the day. It tells the story of a young man whose cold and unfeeling elder relative marries a very young girl, has five children with her, and then subsequently dies. Is it HE who haunts the house they live in? No. In fact, the "haunted" house, a "haunt" for smugglers and other derelicts, initially belonged to the narrator's friend, from whom he acquires it under rather false pretenses. The only evidence of a "haunting," however, is the feeling that one is not alone in the bedrooms at night, at least initially; there are a few scattered sightings and the appearance of a mysterious ring at the story's end.
Like the first story, much of the content revolves around the misadventures of the characters, so it's rather complex (excessively so) and isn't what I would describe as a "ghost" story. It's certainly more well-paced and organized than the first, however. It also has something of an upbeat ending, which can't really be said for the other two.
The third was undeniably my favorite: it tells the story of a wealthy Oxford student who comes across some sheet music, which seems to have a strange allure, which the student plays with an almost obsessive fervor. When playing the piece, he gets the sense that someone unseen is sitting in his wicker chair; he later sees an apparition, whereupon his fate is sealed. His fortunes take a turn for the worse when he discovers, hidden in a secret cabinet in his room at university, an incredibly rare and valuable red Stradivarius violin, which is determined to be genuine by an expert, the most superlative example of the famous maker's work, in fact. The young man's new-found fortune is short-lived, however, as even his new bride can attest. Over a period of time, his condition worsens, until both the music and the violin itself seemingly consume him...
Overall, this is a worthwhile volume, if not the first story, especially for lovers of Victorian fiction.
The volume does bring together in a collection a series of short novels which are rather difficult to find, so I'll add half a star for accessibility. The first question readers will undoubtedly have upon completing it, however, will be: where are the ghosts?! The third story, "The Lost Stradivarius," is undoubtedly the best, and the reason I located this rather hard-to-find volume in the first place.
The first story was composed by a moderately well-known author in England, Wilkie Collins, who had mixed success. Apparently this manuscript was sold in 1939 at auction for a measly $100, and, honestly, for good reason. I'm glad it was published, as it does have some (few) merits, but it's certainly nothing to write home about. The author (1824-1889) was apparently most famous for Victorian detective literature; mystery writing is clearly not his forte. It really should begin at about Chapter 17: I think it would be salvageable, if it were entirely reorganized to begin at the actual haunted hotel (which might better read "cursed," as signs of a classic haunting are regrettably few). The prior 70 pages are simply a verbose, rather irrelevant, slow and disjointed account of intrigue among the characters, which could almost be cut in its entirety without losing much of the story, or at least significantly shortened, and incorporated into the material about the actual location, in Venice.
Honestly, I think this is one of those works which suggests that the author is simply trying to take up space to reach novel length. Gradually unfolding the history of these characters and how they are connected, along with the mystery of the hotel, would have certainly made for better reading... but not by much. The editor here states that it's been "praised highly in England and will excite American readers with its sustained storytelling..." Well, no.
The second story is somewhat better, but it still falls far below the standard of other horror writers of the day. It tells the story of a young man whose cold and unfeeling elder relative marries a very young girl, has five children with her, and then subsequently dies. Is it HE who haunts the house they live in? No. In fact, the "haunted" house, a "haunt" for smugglers and other derelicts, initially belonged to the narrator's friend, from whom he acquires it under rather false pretenses. The only evidence of a "haunting," however, is the feeling that one is not alone in the bedrooms at night, at least initially; there are a few scattered sightings and the appearance of a mysterious ring at the story's end.
Like the first story, much of the content revolves around the misadventures of the characters, so it's rather complex (excessively so) and isn't what I would describe as a "ghost" story. It's certainly more well-paced and organized than the first, however. It also has something of an upbeat ending, which can't really be said for the other two.
The third was undeniably my favorite: it tells the story of a wealthy Oxford student who comes across some sheet music, which seems to have a strange allure, which the student plays with an almost obsessive fervor. When playing the piece, he gets the sense that someone unseen is sitting in his wicker chair; he later sees an apparition, whereupon his fate is sealed. His fortunes take a turn for the worse when he discovers, hidden in a secret cabinet in his room at university, an incredibly rare and valuable red Stradivarius violin, which is determined to be genuine by an expert, the most superlative example of the famous maker's work, in fact. The young man's new-found fortune is short-lived, however, as even his new bride can attest. Over a period of time, his condition worsens, until both the music and the violin itself seemingly consume him...
Overall, this is a worthwhile volume, if not the first story, especially for lovers of Victorian fiction.
