The Purcell Papers - Volume 1

by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Fiction, Weird Fiction

89 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu was an Irish writer of Gothic tales and mystery novels. He was the leading ghost-story writer of the nineteenth century and was central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era. M.R. James described Le Fanu as "absolutely in the first rank as a writer of ghost stories". Three of his best-known works are Uncle Silas, Carmilla and The House by the Churchyard.

Reviews

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good collection of classic short stories. Some horrific, some not so much. It seemed that all of them had a little bit of humor, which I liked. I also like Le Fanu's writing style, which flows easily, despite its age. A Drunkard's Dream was my favorite story in this collection.
Recommended for fans of classic horror short stories.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3⭐

Memoir of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu • (1880) • Alfred Perceval Graves 3.5⭐
The Drunkard's Dream • [The Purcell Papers • 3] • (1838) 3⭐
The Fortunes of Sir Robert Ardagh • [The Purcell Papers • 2] • (1838) 4.25⭐
The Ghost and the Bone-Setter • [The Purcell Papers • 1] • (1838) 2.5⭐
The Last Heir of Castle Connor • (1838) 3.25⭐

[Sudipta Nandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Le Fanu is one of my top authors. I can devour, I repeat, devour any of his masterpieces.

"Purcell papers" was one of his initial pieces and his brother used to share the same with pride in his friend circle. Apart from that nostalgic and cute backstory, volume 1 offers every Fanu elements. That Irish atmospheric elements are so pungent that the narratives sound other worldly. For instance, the Ardagh castle description, it's mysterious French valet and stillborns are highly gothic while duellist Fitzgerald makes you desperately angry with his nasty conspiracy.

I hated that duell part but loved that Irish cry description.
Dreamer's odd incidents are somewhat cosmic with a sense of terror.

Overall, that same Fanu flavored stories, I am hopelessly in love with.

[Ken B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of four early Le Fanu short stories and the first of the manuscripts by Rev. Francis Purcell. The stories cross several genres, all with a dark theme though not necessarily supernatural.

The four included short stories are:

The Ghost and the Bone-Setter (first published January 1838)
The Fortunes of Sir Robert Ardagh (March 1838)
The Last Heir of Castle Connor (June 1838)
The Drunkard's Dream (August 1838)

It would be hard for me to pick a favorite as each of them is so different in style.

4 STARS

[Laura]

Available at Gutenberg project.