Victorian humour generally doesn't time-travel well. 'The Wrong Box' is one of the exceptions. The plot revolves around the supposed death of Joseph Finsbury who, as a youth, with his brother Masterman joined a tontine-a scheme whereby each entrant pays a fixed amount and the sum total, with interest, is given to the one who lives the longest. At the beginning of the story there are three survivors and then two—the Finsbury brothers.Joseph is guardian to two boys and a girl, Morris, John and Julia. He was responsible for the boys' legacy of £30,000 and invested it unwisely in his failing leather business. The money has all but disappeared and, on reaching adulthood, they want their inheritance back! Uncle Joe must be kept alive at all costs. Then there is a train crash...The novel was either ignored or strongly criticised when first published, not least one suspects because of the irreverent attitude to death and its attendant rituals, subjects which commanded huge respect and veneration almost amounting to obsession from the Victorians. It is, however, a hugely entertaining story with a convoluted, complicated plot that can defy comprehension, but it is of no matter!A cast of gloriously eccentric characters certainly had a comic effect on one notable literary figure of the period. 'I laughed over it dementedly when I read it. That man [ Stevenson ] has only one lung but he makes you laugh with your whole inside' Rudyard Kipling.
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
-
Creators
-
Series
-
Publisher
-
Release date
February 13, 2018 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781860153655
- File size: 216485 KB
- Duration: 07:31:00
-
-
Languages
- English
Loading
Why is availability limited?
×Availability can change throughout the month based on the library's budget. You can still place a hold on the title, and your hold will be automatically filled as soon as the title is available again.
The Kindle Book format for this title is not supported on:
×Read-along ebook
×The OverDrive Read format of this ebook has professional narration that plays while you read in your browser. Learn more here.