Other editions of book The Purcell Papers

"The Purcell Papers" is a collection of thirteen Gothic, supernatural, historical and humorous short stories by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu originally written for the Dublin University Magazine.In considering Le Fanu as a writer in the mystery and detective tradition, one might be tempted to call his novels mysteries without a detective.He is better known today as a short-story writer than as a novelist and he is considered to be the father of the Victorian ghost story. His many tales first appeared in periodicals, later to be combined into collections. In addition to having genuine intrinsic merit, the stories are important to an understanding of Le Fanu the novelist, for in them he perfected the techniques of mood, characterisation, and plot construction that make his later novels so obviously superior to his early efforts.

"The Purcell Papers" is a collection of thirteen Gothic, supernatural, historical and humorous short stories by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu originally written for the Dublin University Magazine.In considering Le Fanu as a writer in the mystery and detective tradition, one might be tempted to call his novels mysteries without a detective.He is better known today as a short-story writer than as a novelist and he is considered to be the father of the Victorian ghost story. His many tales first appeared in periodicals, later to be combined into collections. In addition to having genuine intrinsic merit, the stories are important to an understanding of Le Fanu the novelist, for in them he perfected the techniques of mood, characterisation, and plot construction that make his later novels so obviously superior to his early efforts.

The Purcell Papers is a collection of thirteen short stories by Irish Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu who is also the author of the more famous Uncle Silas and the vampire classic Carmilla. Le Fanu is one of the leading writers of Gothic tales. Along with novelists like Bram Stoker and Robert Louis Stevenson, he has contributed to the second Gothic wave that has developed in the late-Victorian period. Being originally published in Dublin University Magazine, the stories deal with Gothic themes and motifs such as supernatural elements, haunting ghosts, damsels in distress, usurpation, vengeance, Catholic paraphernalia, horror and fear of the unknown. The title of the collection is related to the name of the Catholic priest Rev. Francis Purcell and the stories purport to be found among his personal notes. In stories like The Ghost and the Bone-Setter, The Last Heir of Castle Connor and The Bridal of Carrigvarah, the first-person point of view used by the narrator contributes to the creation of more suspense, charm and horror by making the events appear highly personal and close to the reader.

A noble Huguenot family, owning considerable property in Normandy, the Le Fanus of Caen, were, upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, deprived of their ancestral estates of Mandeville, Sequeville, and Cresseron; but, owing to their possessing influential relatives at the court of Louis the Fourteenth, were allowed to quit their country for England, unmolested, with their personal property. We meet with John Le Fanu de Sequeville and Charles Le Fanu de Cresseron, as cavalry officers in William the Third's army; Charles being so distinguished a member of the King's staff that he was presented with William's portrait from his master's own hand. He afterwards served as a major of dragoons under Marlborough.

Memoir Of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. The Ghost And The Bone-Setter. The Fortunes Of Sir Robert Ardagh. The Last Heir Of Castle Connor. The Drunkard's Dream. Passage In The Secret History Of An Irish Countess. The Bridal Of Carrigvarah. Strange Event In The Life Of Schalken The Painter. Scraps Of Hibernian Ballads. Jim Sulivan's Adventures In The Great Snow. A Chapter In The History Of A Tyrone Family. An Adventure Of Hardress Fitzgerald. A Royalist Captain. 'The Quare Gander'. Billy Malowney's Taste Of Love And Glory

The Purcell Papers is a collection of thirteen Gothic, supernatural, historical and humorous short stories by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu originally written for the Dublin University Magazine. The first twelve purport to be extracts from the 'MS. Papers of the late Rev. Francis Purcell, of Drumcoolagh', a Catholic priest. The thirteenth and last tale on the collection, Billy Maloney's Taste of Love and Glory dates from is not connected with Father Purcell. The tales comprise: The Ghost and the Bone-Setter The Fortunes of Sir Robert Ardagh The Last Heir of Castle Connor The Drunkard's Dream Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess The Bridal of Carrigvarah Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter Scraps of Hibernian Ballads Jim Sulivan's Adventures in the Great Snow A Chapter in the History of a Tyrone Family An Adventure of Hardress Fitzgerald, a Royalist Captain The Quare Gander Billy Maloney's Taste of Love and Glory

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) was an Irish writer of Gothic tales and mystery novels. He was the premier ghost story writer of the nineteenth century and had a seminal influence on the development of this genre in the Victorian era. Le Fanu studied law at Trinity College in Dublin. He soon abandoned law for journalism. In 1838 he began contributing stories to the Dublin University Magazine. He became owner of several newspapers from 1840, including the Dublin Evening Mail and the Warder. Le Fanu worked in many genres but remains best known for his mystery and horror fiction. He was a meticulous craftsman, with a penchant for frequently reworking plots and ideas from his earlier writing in subsequent pieces of writing. He specialised in tone and effect rather than "shock horror", often following a mystery format. Key to his style was the avoidance of overt supernatural effects. Among his famous works are: The House by the Church-Yard (1863), Uncle Silas (1864), Carmilla (1872), The Purcell Papers (1880), and The Evil Guest (1895).

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A noble Huguenot family, owning considerable property in Normandy, the Le Fanus of Caen, were, upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, deprived of their ancestral estates of Mandeville, Sequeville, and Cresseron; but, owing to their possessing influential relatives at the court of Louis the Fourteenth, were allowed to quit their country for England, unmolested, with their personal property. We meet with John Le Fanu de Sequeville and Charles Le Fanu de Cresseron, as cavalry officers in William the Third's army; Charles being so distinguished a member of the King's staff that he was presented with William's portrait from his master's own hand. He afterwards served as a major of dragoons under Marlborough.

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu (28 August 1814 – 7 February 1873) was an Irish writer of Gothic tales and mystery novels. He was a 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.