Premium Short Stories Collection - Blackmailing, Crank, Spook & Classic Tales (Unabridged) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Edwardian Ghost Stories, Social Satire, and Tales of MenaceBy E. F. Benson
Length17h 22m
About this audiobook
This unabridged collection gathers E. F. Benson's short fiction across several of his most characteristic modes: tales of social malice, psychological eccentricity, supernatural disturbance, and polished Edwardian comedy. Whether treating blackmail, crankish obsession, or ghostly visitation, Benson writes with urbane precision, turning drawing rooms, seaside houses, and respectable households into theatres of anxiety and revelation. His prose belongs to the late Victorian and Edwardian tradition of the crafted tale, combining the social acuity of comedy of manners with the eerie restraint of classic supernatural fiction. Edward Frederic Benson (1867–1940), son of the Archbishop of Canterbury and a member of a notably literary family, was educated at Marlborough and King's College, Cambridge. His privileged yet observant position within upper-middle-class English society furnished him with a keen ear for snobbery, rivalry, and concealed cruelty. Best known for the Mapp and Lucia novels, he was also a prolific writer of ghost stories, memoirs, biographies, and popular fiction. Readers who value elegant prose, sharp social intelligence, and atmospheric storytelling will find this collection especially rewarding. It is an excellent introduction to Benson's range: witty, unsettling, and consistently attentive to the thin line between civility and menace.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
Audiobook details
GenreGeneral Fiction, Horror
Length17 hrs 22 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateAug 11, 2015
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Premium Short Stories Collection - Blackmailing, Crank, Spook & Classic Tales (Unabridged) (Annotated)
10The Countess of Lowndes Square, and Other Stories
2Introduction
11BLACKMAILING STORIES
3Historical Context
12GENERAL STORIES
4Synopsis (Selection)
13CAT STORIES
5Premium Short Stories Collection - Blackmailing, Crank, Spook & Classic Tales (Unabridged)
14CRANK STORIES
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6The Room in the Tower, and Other Stories (pt. 1)
15SPOOK STORIES
7The Room in the Tower, and Other Stories (pt. 2)
16Analysis
8The Room in the Tower, and Other Stories (pt. 3)
17Reflection
9The Room in the Tower, and Other Stories (pt. 4)
18Memorable Quotes
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