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The Lock and Key Library: Classic Mystery and Detective Stories: Old Time English
The Lock and Key Classic Mystery and Detective Old Time English is a collection of stories that
CHARLES DICKENS (1812-70)
The Haunted House
No. I Branch The Signal Man
BULWER-LYTTON (1803-73)
The Haunted and the Haunters; or, The House and the Brain
The Incantation
THOMAS DE QUINCEY (1785-1859)
The Avenger
CHARLES ROBERT MATURIN (1782-1824)
Melmoth the Wanderer
LAURENCE STERNE (1713-68)
A Mystery with a Moral
WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY (1811-63)
On Being Found Out
The Notch on the Ax
ANONYMOUS
Bourgonef
The Closed Cabinet
Odin's Library Classics is dedicated to bringing the world the best of humankind's literature from throughout the ages. Carefully selected, each work is unabridged from classic works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama.
CHARLES DICKENS (1812-70)
The Haunted House
No. I Branch The Signal Man
BULWER-LYTTON (1803-73)
The Haunted and the Haunters; or, The House and the Brain
The Incantation
THOMAS DE QUINCEY (1785-1859)
The Avenger
CHARLES ROBERT MATURIN (1782-1824)
Melmoth the Wanderer
LAURENCE STERNE (1713-68)
A Mystery with a Moral
WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY (1811-63)
On Being Found Out
The Notch on the Ax
ANONYMOUS
Bourgonef
The Closed Cabinet
Odin's Library Classics is dedicated to bringing the world the best of humankind's literature from throughout the ages. Carefully selected, each work is unabridged from classic works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama.
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2012
15 people want to read
About the author
Charles Dickens
12.7k books31.4k followersCharles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was a writer and social critic who created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.
Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.
On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.
(from Wikipedia)
Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.
On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 15, 2015
I read this for Melmoth the wanderer, which is only one tale out of many in the collection, and even that is a seletion from the whole story. Most of the others are really good suspenseful tales. The Avenger and My Wife's Seducer have an antisemetic and antimormon twist respectively (but were worth listening to anyway as suspense/mystery stories).
For me, Melmoth was the best story in this book.
I don't really care for Melmoth as a character (maybe I would in the full version) but he is definitely one cunning dude.
But the thing I liked most about it was the whole dynamic of Melmoth setting people up in these really horrible situations trying to get them to think a really horrible choice is the only choice they have. He has this phenomenonal power over people's lives but he can't take their ability of self determination, or their ability to choose.
Warning spoilers below:
Melmoth contrives all of these life circumstances to put Mr S. into miserable predicament; Mr S is at THE lowest point in his life and doesn't see a way out, and then gives Melmoth tempts him with this proposal that will fix everything...And as low as he feels, Mr S STILL does not fall for the bait.
So I thought, "Well that's great...he didn't sell his soul to the devil, he's still screwed."
BUT HE WASN'T!!!
Everything about his situation that seemed hopeless was really only temporary.
It was a really hopeful message (unless of course you're melmoth, then your existence is a living hell...until your noncatonical sequel that is)
For me, Melmoth was the best story in this book.
I don't really care for Melmoth as a character (maybe I would in the full version) but he is definitely one cunning dude.
But the thing I liked most about it was the whole dynamic of Melmoth setting people up in these really horrible situations trying to get them to think a really horrible choice is the only choice they have. He has this phenomenonal power over people's lives but he can't take their ability of self determination, or their ability to choose.
Warning spoilers below:
Melmoth contrives all of these life circumstances to put Mr S. into miserable predicament; Mr S is at THE lowest point in his life and doesn't see a way out, and then gives Melmoth tempts him with this proposal that will fix everything...And as low as he feels, Mr S STILL does not fall for the bait.
So I thought, "Well that's great...he didn't sell his soul to the devil, he's still screwed."
BUT HE WASN'T!!!
Everything about his situation that seemed hopeless was really only temporary.
It was a really hopeful message (unless of course you're melmoth, then your existence is a living hell...until your noncatonical sequel that is)
Displaying 1 of 1 review