Extravaganza

by William Shepard Walsh

Extravaganza by William Shepard Walsh is a 19th-century anthology of humorous and fantastical tales compiled by Walsh. The volume collects pieces ranging from witty social satire to whimsical fairy-tale burlesque, illustrating the editor’s aim to showcase the many forms of extravagant humor. Contents include Grey Dolphin by Richard Harris Barham, a satirical miracle tale; Moses, the or The Disguised Duke by Artemus Ward; Mr. Columbus Coriander’s Gorilla by Max Adeler; The Fate of Young Chubb by Adeler; Boots at the Holly-Tree Inn by Charles Dickens; The Enthusiast in Anatomy by John Oxenford; The Light Princess by George MacDonald, a playful fairy tale about gravity and transformation; and The Legend of the Little Weaver by Samuel Lover. The editor’s Preface explains the collection’s aim to present humor in its mild to grotesque forms. It was published in Boston by William F. Gill & Company in 1875.

222 pages, Paperback

Published August 21, 2019

About the author

William S. (Shepard) Walsh, (1854-1919) was an American author and editor.