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Penny Dreadfuls: Sensational Tales of Terror
Murder! Body-snatching! Premature burial! Cannibalism! Writers of the Victorian era sure knew how to spice up their fiction and tell ripping yarns! Penny Dreadfuls is an anthology of sensational terror tales all first published in the nineteenth century. The original penny dreadfuls were cheaply printed, inexpensive publications written to entertain the masses with shocking thrills and lurid horrors. Over time, "penny dreadful" became a catch-hrase for any story steeped in gothic horror that pushed the limits of what was acceptable in popular fiction. The twenty stories collected for this volume include two full-length novels--The String of Pearls, the novel that immortalized Sweeney Todd, the demon-barber of Fleet-street; and the original 1818 edition of Mary Shelleys classic tale of a man-made monster, Frankenstein--as well as tales by Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson, Bram Stoker, Louisa May Alcott, and Arthur Conan Doyle.
944 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2015
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Various
455k books1,345 followersVarious is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).
If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.
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If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.
Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 10, 2023
Overall I like the idea of penny dreadfuls - spreading stories in (news)papers and having longer ones carry into the following printing, however 900+ pages in this collection is A LOT...like seriously a lot. This collection has many stories...like MANY stories. Some short. Some long. Out of the 20 stories, I only managed to read 15 of them fully. I'd give it an average rating of 3 out of 5. Each individual rating and comments are below.
(1) Frankenstein or, the modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
? out of 5 stars
DNF. It's been a long time since I read Frankenstein, but reading this original piece it seems different somehow. The story within a story is kinda fun though. DNF and probably will not. Honestly was a little rough to read. "Paused" at chapter IV out of XXIII. Wowza. Forgot how long that one was.
(2) The Adventure of the German Student by Washington Irving
4 out of 5 stars
Super abrupt ending, but entertaining and short nonetheless.
(3) The Wehr-Wolf a legend of the limousin by Richard Thomson
2 out of 5 stars
The language in this one is a little old timey and it's throwing me off a bit with following each sentence and conversation. While the story was short I kinda skimmed it to get the gist.
(4) The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe
3 out of 5 stars
It's probably been a long while since I read this story by Poe. It's short, which I appreciated. The phrase "unclosed my eyes" was weird to me throughout, but that aside it's a good read.
(5) Sawney Beane the man eater
2.5 out of 5 stars
Short, sweet and to the point, story of cannibals and their existence and demise.
(6) Aurelia or, the tale of a ghoul by E.T.A. Hoffmann
? out of 5 stars
DNF. While this is a shorter read, started skimming half way through and opted not to finish. Perhaps it's because of the language used, but it was a little rough to read.
(7) Wake Not the Dead or The Bride of the Grave by Johann Ludwig Tieck
4 out of 5 stars
I get caught up in the language so it gets a little tricky to follow, but this story had a slow beginning, better middle, slow feeling near the end and then a better ending itself. The phrase 'wake not the dead' made more than one appearance to reiterate the point so that was amusing. Overall not a terrible story if you can follow the words.
(8) The Dream-Woman by Wilkie Collins
5 out of 5 stars
I actually really enjoyed this one. The story was open-ended, but it reads easy and it was spooky as well.
(9) A Night in the Grave or, the Devil's Receipt by Anonymous
? out of 5 stars
DNF. The really ol timey language is making it hard for me to follow. Read only 5 pages (on an e-reader) and decided it wasn't worth trying to make sense of it so passing.
(10) The Case of Landy Sannox by Arthur Conan Doyle
3 out of 5 stars
While it was quick read I did not really enjoy this story. It's a little predictable, but decently written.
(11) The Diary of a Madman by Guy de Maupassant
3 out of 5 stars
Diary of a Madman is right. Geesh. I kinda liked how the entries got shorter and shorter and the one who wrote it got more and more mad.
(12) George Dobson's Expedition to Hell by James Hogg
2 out of 5 stars
The title explains it all, however overall I wasn't feeling it.
(13) Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
? out of 5 stars
Skipping this one as I've read it in the past (I'm pretty sure anyway), but very familiar with the story regardless. Opting for a collective 4 stars even if a reread might make it untrue.
(14) The Apparition of Lord Tyrone to Lady Beresford by Anonymous
2 out of 5 stars
Short read regarding an apparition. Wasn't particularly a fan of this one.
(15) Lost in a Pyramid or, the Mummy's Curse by Louisa May Alcott
2 out of 5 stars
A slightly spooky short story. Didn't really enjoy it.
(16) In Kropfsberg Keep by Ralph Adams Cram
3.5 stars out of 5
I'm easily tripped up with names so this got a little weird for me before we got to the story within the story. But the story itself was slightly predictable. Short and a decent read.
(17) The Buried Alive by John Galt
3.5 out of 5
The title says it all. Definitely a little eerie, but short, sweet and to the point.
(18) The Dualitists or, the Death-doom of the Double-born by Bram Stoker
? out of 5 stars
DNF. Somehow chapter VII was missing in the print (there was a space for a chapter marking so maybe it was supposed to go there), but I got about two pages into chapter VIII of VIII total chapters and I couldn't focus enough to finish it. Not at all sorry about it either.
(19) The Executioner by William Godwin
2.5 out of 5 stars
Read it. Skimmed it. Not a too terrible story (which was broken down to two chapters), I just wasn't too invested or overall interested as I read on.
(20) The String of Pearls or Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet-Street by James Malcolm Rymer
4.5 out of 5 stars
Pretty familiar with this story (from musical and movie versions of Sweeney Todd specifically) and almost opted out of reading it. Decided to give it a go and I was pleasantly surprised. A few times there were some funny phrasing used acknowledging to the reader as almost a narrator-character (author actually talking to the reader as if narrating). Overall a story we know, a few dull lulls, but overall an enjoyable story.
(1) Frankenstein or, the modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
? out of 5 stars
DNF. It's been a long time since I read Frankenstein, but reading this original piece it seems different somehow. The story within a story is kinda fun though. DNF and probably will not. Honestly was a little rough to read. "Paused" at chapter IV out of XXIII. Wowza. Forgot how long that one was.
(2) The Adventure of the German Student by Washington Irving
4 out of 5 stars
Super abrupt ending, but entertaining and short nonetheless.
(3) The Wehr-Wolf a legend of the limousin by Richard Thomson
2 out of 5 stars
The language in this one is a little old timey and it's throwing me off a bit with following each sentence and conversation. While the story was short I kinda skimmed it to get the gist.
(4) The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe
3 out of 5 stars
It's probably been a long while since I read this story by Poe. It's short, which I appreciated. The phrase "unclosed my eyes" was weird to me throughout, but that aside it's a good read.
(5) Sawney Beane the man eater
2.5 out of 5 stars
Short, sweet and to the point, story of cannibals and their existence and demise.
(6) Aurelia or, the tale of a ghoul by E.T.A. Hoffmann
? out of 5 stars
DNF. While this is a shorter read, started skimming half way through and opted not to finish. Perhaps it's because of the language used, but it was a little rough to read.
(7) Wake Not the Dead or The Bride of the Grave by Johann Ludwig Tieck
4 out of 5 stars
I get caught up in the language so it gets a little tricky to follow, but this story had a slow beginning, better middle, slow feeling near the end and then a better ending itself. The phrase 'wake not the dead' made more than one appearance to reiterate the point so that was amusing. Overall not a terrible story if you can follow the words.
(8) The Dream-Woman by Wilkie Collins
5 out of 5 stars
I actually really enjoyed this one. The story was open-ended, but it reads easy and it was spooky as well.
(9) A Night in the Grave or, the Devil's Receipt by Anonymous
? out of 5 stars
DNF. The really ol timey language is making it hard for me to follow. Read only 5 pages (on an e-reader) and decided it wasn't worth trying to make sense of it so passing.
(10) The Case of Landy Sannox by Arthur Conan Doyle
3 out of 5 stars
While it was quick read I did not really enjoy this story. It's a little predictable, but decently written.
(11) The Diary of a Madman by Guy de Maupassant
3 out of 5 stars
Diary of a Madman is right. Geesh. I kinda liked how the entries got shorter and shorter and the one who wrote it got more and more mad.
(12) George Dobson's Expedition to Hell by James Hogg
2 out of 5 stars
The title explains it all, however overall I wasn't feeling it.
(13) Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
? out of 5 stars
Skipping this one as I've read it in the past (I'm pretty sure anyway), but very familiar with the story regardless. Opting for a collective 4 stars even if a reread might make it untrue.
(14) The Apparition of Lord Tyrone to Lady Beresford by Anonymous
2 out of 5 stars
Short read regarding an apparition. Wasn't particularly a fan of this one.
(15) Lost in a Pyramid or, the Mummy's Curse by Louisa May Alcott
2 out of 5 stars
A slightly spooky short story. Didn't really enjoy it.
(16) In Kropfsberg Keep by Ralph Adams Cram
3.5 stars out of 5
I'm easily tripped up with names so this got a little weird for me before we got to the story within the story. But the story itself was slightly predictable. Short and a decent read.
(17) The Buried Alive by John Galt
3.5 out of 5
The title says it all. Definitely a little eerie, but short, sweet and to the point.
(18) The Dualitists or, the Death-doom of the Double-born by Bram Stoker
? out of 5 stars
DNF. Somehow chapter VII was missing in the print (there was a space for a chapter marking so maybe it was supposed to go there), but I got about two pages into chapter VIII of VIII total chapters and I couldn't focus enough to finish it. Not at all sorry about it either.
(19) The Executioner by William Godwin
2.5 out of 5 stars
Read it. Skimmed it. Not a too terrible story (which was broken down to two chapters), I just wasn't too invested or overall interested as I read on.
(20) The String of Pearls or Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet-Street by James Malcolm Rymer
4.5 out of 5 stars
Pretty familiar with this story (from musical and movie versions of Sweeney Todd specifically) and almost opted out of reading it. Decided to give it a go and I was pleasantly surprised. A few times there were some funny phrasing used acknowledging to the reader as almost a narrator-character (author actually talking to the reader as if narrating). Overall a story we know, a few dull lulls, but overall an enjoyable story.
December 28, 2024
Beautifully written, keep me on my toes and wanting to keep reading. Definitely a great read
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews