The Curse of the Catafalques E-Book

F. Anstey

• Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

In 'The Curse of the Catafalques,' F. Anstey crafts a whimsical yet insightful narrative that intertwines elements of comedy with satirical commentary on societal norms of the late Victorian era. The story revolves around a series of misadventures that unfold in the wake of a seemingly cursed funeral procession, revealing the absurdities and hypocrisies of the people involved. Anstey's clever use of irony and his deft characterizations breathe life into a plot that skillfully balances humor and poignancy, drawing readers into a world that simultaneously entertains and provokes thought about life, death, and the rituals surrounding them. F. Anstey, born as Thomas Anstey Guthrie, was known for his keen wit and unique ability to blend humor with deeper reflections on contemporary society. His background in law and his experiences in various professions endowed him with a distinctive perspective, which is evident in the societal critique embedded in 'The Curse of the Catafalques.' Anstey was an acute observer of human folly, and this book reflects not only his sharp intellect but also his ability to unveil the layers of human behavior amidst a tapestry of lighthearted narrative. I recommend 'The Curse of the Catafalques' to readers who appreciate literary humor intertwined with social critique. Anstey's deft storytelling and rich character portrayals create an engaging experience that invites laughter while encouraging introspection. This novel is a delightful journey through the quirks of human nature, making it a must-read for those interested in the interplay of comedy and critique during a transformative period in literature. In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience: - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

Leseprobe

F. Anstey

The Curse of the Catafalques

Enriched edition. A Victorian Satire of Supernatural Absurdity

In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience.

Introduction, Studies and Commentaries by Tessa Benson

Edited and published by Good Press, 2022

[email protected]

EAN 4066338064189

Table of Contents

Introduction

Synopsis

Historical Context

The Curse of the Catafalques

Analysis

Reflection

Memorable Quotes

Notes

Introduction

Table of Contents

When the ordinary rhythms of life collide with the sly pressure of the uncanny, the result is a contest between reason, ritual, and the stubborn human impulse to laugh at what we both dread and desire to believe.

F. Anstey—pen name of Thomas Anstey Guthrie (1856–1934), a British novelist and humorist associated with the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries—built his reputation on nimble comic fantasies that flirt with the supernatural while skewering social habits. The Curse of the Catafalques belongs to this comic-fantastic tradition, aligning with the period’s fascination with ghosts, séances, and rational skepticism. Though specific original-issue details can vary by edition, readers may situate the tale within the broader Victorian-to-Edwardian milieu that shaped Anstey’s career and humor, alongside better-known works such as Vice Versa and The Brass Bottle, which display his deft blend of satire and imaginative conceit.

Without disclosing its turns, this story offers a compact, slyly escalating narrative that treats the idea of a curse not as a portentous doom-laden certainty but as a catalyst for troublesome entanglements. The title signals ceremonial gravity; the telling pricks that solemnity with wit, allowing formal anxieties to generate comic friction. Expect a brisk progression from a seemingly manageable problem to a more elaborate tangle of obligations, misunderstandings, and social pressures, delivered with a tone that stays straight-faced even as the situation tilts toward the absurd. The pleasure lies in the clean setup, the steady complications, and the final impression of something both unsettling and cheerfully human.

Anstey’s voice typically balances polished, urbane prose with a magician’s timing, letting a plausible premise blossom into disconcerting hilarity. The mood oscillates between lightly sardonic and politely unnerved, a register that keeps readers alert to small textual winks and to the logic of events that feels impeccable until it suddenly doesn’t. Dialogue and narrative asides—measured, never showy—sustain a civilized surface under which embarrassment, anxiety, and credulity simmer. Readers who enjoy the deadpan momentum of classic comic fiction will recognize the technique: a reasonable tone applied to unreasonable circumstances, producing humor that does not dispel unease so much as domesticate it into something recognizably social.

Themes likely to engage contemporary readers include the friction between skepticism and belief, the burdens that tradition can impose on individuals, and the spectacle of public ritual shaping private feeling. Anstey’s satire often targets the way rules, customs, and reputations become their own kind of enchantment, binding people as effectively as any overt supernatural force. Here, the notion of a curse functions as a mirror for social expectation: what we fear may be less a metaphysical penalty than the consequences of being seen to defy what “ought” to be done. The story explores how deference, pride, and self-preservation jostle under the polite umbrella of propriety.

For modern audiences, the relevance is twofold: first, the work models how comedy can interrogate fear without trivializing it; second, it invites reflection on institutions that demand deference—legal, familial, ceremonial—and how they shape our decisions. The era’s fascination with spiritualism and rational inquiry anticipates contemporary debates about evidence, tradition, and the stories we tell to organize uncertainty. Readers may also appreciate how Anstey’s restraint amplifies both humor and unease: the lighter the touch, the sharper the questions about what we owe to the past, and at what cost we maintain the gestures that make us feel orderly and safe.

Approach this tale as a social comedy with a shadow at its elbow: read for the rhythm of accumulating complications, for the elegance of the sentences, and for the little ironies tucked between solemn words. Attentiveness pays off—patterns of phrasing often hint at where the next hinge will swing—yet the experience remains accessible and swift. It is a story to savor in a single sitting, then to revisit for its craft: how it turns a simple premise into a layered meditation on belief, obligation, and the comic dignity of muddling through the inexplicable.

Synopsis

Table of Contents

The Curse of the Catafalques opens with a capable young professional whose practical habits are interrupted by an introduction to the distinguished but eccentric family of the Catafalques. Their name, long associated with somber ceremonial and elaborate mourning, carries a reputation that both attracts and unsettles society. Invited into their orbit through polite obligations and a budding attachment, the protagonist discovers a household governed by ritual and by a tradition that is spoken of in careful euphemism. The narrative sets a lightly satirical tone as it contrasts the hero’s modern sensibility with the family’s archaic customs, foreshadowing a conflict between appearance and sincerity.

The inciting incident unfolds during a visit to the family seat, where a portrait gallery, ancestral banners, and funeral emblems hint at a legacy that refuses to be laid to rest. In guarded terms, the elders acknowledge a hereditary affliction that manifests whenever the Catafalques are tempted to confuse public pageantry with private truth. The curse, as it is delicately named, seems less a specter than a stubborn etiquette that enforces itself in alarming ways. Skeptical yet intrigued, the protagonist promises discretion. Almost at once, a minor social occasion is unsettled by a symbolic intrusion, turning a routine gathering into an uneasy tableau.