Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Gothic Ghost Story of Art, Haunting, and Supernatural Dread in Seventeenth-Century LeidenBy Sheridan Le Fanu
Length1h 58m
About this audiobook
Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter is one of Sheridan Le Fanu's most accomplished Gothic tales, framed as an anecdote arising from the eerie chiaroscuro of a Dutch painting. Set among the studios and domestic interiors of seventeenth-century Leiden, it follows the young painter Godfrey Schalken, his beloved Rose Velderkaust, and the sinister, deathly suitor Vanderhausen. Its prose is restrained yet atmospheric, blending antiquarian realism, visual detail, and supernatural dread in a manner that anticipates later psychological ghost fiction. Le Fanu, the Irish master of Victorian Gothic, brought to the tale his fascination with folklore, family secrets, spectral visitation, and the unstable boundary between the seen and unseen. A journalist, editor, and author of works such as Uncle Silas and Carmilla, he often transformed historical anecdote and local legend into subtle studies of fear, repression, and moral unease. This story is highly recommended to readers interested in Gothic fiction, art and haunting, or the evolution of the literary ghost story. Compact but resonant, it rewards close reading for its symbolism, narrative ambiguity, and unforgettable atmosphere of mortal terror.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to 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.
Audiobook details
GenreHorror
Length1 hr 58 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 6, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
5Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter
2Introduction
6Analysis
3Synopsis
7Reflection
4Historical Context
8Memorable Quotes
More from Sheridan Le Fanu
In a Glass DarklySheridan Le Fanu13h 23m$2 · $0.00
Passage in the Secret History of an Irish CountessSheridan Le Fanu2h 7m$1 · $0.00
Mr Justice HarbottleSheridan Le Fanu$1 · $0.00
The House by the Churchyard (Summarized Edition)Sheridan Le Fanu5h 11m$2
The House by the ChurchyardSheridan Le Fanu23h 52m$2 · $0.00
Haunting Tales from the Victorian Era – 3 Classic Victorian Gothic NovelsSheridan Le Fanu, Elizabeth Gaskell, Mrs. Henry Wood34h 11m$1
Carmilla (Annotated)Sheridan Le Fanu3h 57m$2 · $0.00
CarmillaSheridan Le Fanu3h 57m$5 · $0.00
CarmillaSheridan Le Fanu3h 18m$18 · $0.00
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Complete Edition)Arthur Conan Doyle12h 28m$2 · $0.00
DRACULA (Annotated)Bram Stoker17h 56m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Stories & Poems of Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe63h$2 · $0.00
A Long Way from OrdinaryAnn Charles, Sam Lucky9h 13m$20
Warrior’s FateWalt Browning10h 37m$20
The Picture of Dorian Gray: The Uncensored 13 Chapter Version + The Revised 20 Chapter Version (Annotated)Oscar Wilde16h 16m$2 · $0.00
The Skull of the WorldKate Forsyth10h 28m5.0 (1)$20
Reign Of AngelsBen Reeder8h 54m5.0 (1)$20
We’re AliveKc Wayland5h 10m$15
The Undead PoolKim Harrison16h 13m$33 · $0.00
Glacier's EdgeR. A. Salvatore13h 44m$33 · $0.00
Haint BlueStephanie Alexander11h 55m$23
The King in Yellow (Annotated)Robert W. Chambers8h 53m$2 · $0.00
Good OmensNeil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett12h 33m$33 · $0.00
Dark of NightJonathan Maberry, Rachael Lavin4h 59m2.0 (1)$20 · $0.00
The Renegade HunterLynsay Sands10h 7m$29 · $0.00
The Fall of the House of CabalJonathan L. Howard14h 54m$23
Lost GodsBrom14h 50m$33 · $0.00
The Complete Works of E. F. Benson (Illustrated)E. F. Benson335h 9m$1 · $0.00
The AccusedJana DeLeon6h 32m5.0 (1)$12 · $0.00
You may also like
In a Glass Darkly, Complete, Volume 1-3Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu12h 35m$2.30
In the Shadow of Edgar Allan PoeLeslie S. Klinger, Ambrose Bierce, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Théophile Gautier13h 5m$20 · $0.00
The Big Book of Spooky Tales - Horror Classics AnthologyEdgar Allan Poe, Guy de Maupassant, William Archer, Brander Matthews, Lafcadio Hearn, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Wilkie Collins, M. R. James, Margaret Oliphant, W. F. Harvey, Fitz-James O'Brien, Katherine Rickford, Pliny the Younger, Villiers Adam, C. Moffett, F. Marryat, Théopile Gautier, C. B. Fernando, R. L. Stevenson, Joseph L. French41h 19m$2 · $0.00
Masterpieces of Mystery in Four Volumes: Ghost StoriesJoseph Lewis French6h 29m$2.30
The Watcher, and Other Weird StoriesJoseph Sheridan Le Fanu6h 59m$2.30
For the Blood Is the Life and Other Creepy Classics, Volume 2F. Marion Crawford, Edgar Allen Poe, Washington Irving, M. R. James, Ambrose Bierce, Bram Stoker, Robert W. Chambers, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, H. P. Lovecraft, various authors8h 36m$23
Dracula’s Guest, The Chain of Destiny, A Star Trap & Other StoriesBram Stoker8h 17m$20
THE PANIC ROOM: 30+ Ghost Tales by Sheridan Le FanuJoseph Sheridan Le Fanu40h 59m$2 · $0.00
In a Glass DarklySheridan Le Fanu13h 23m$2 · $0.00
The Ghost of Guir HouseCharles Willing Beale4h 8m$2.30
"To Let"B. M. Croker4h 35m$2.30
Madam Crowl's Ghost and the Dead SextonJoseph Sheridan Le Fanu1h 28m$2.30
The Thing in the HallEdward Frederic Benson26m$2 · $0.00
Carnacki, The Ghost FinderWilliam Hope Hodgson5h 37m$2.30
THE PANIC ROOM: 30+ Ghost Tales by Sheridan Le Fanu (Annotated)Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu41h 57m$2 · $0.00
Spooky StoriesTanushree Podder5h 5m$24 · $0.00
Great Classic Ghost Storiesvarious authors7h 19m$22
The Turn of the ScrewHenry James4h 46m$14
The Red RoomH. G. Wells27m$2.30 · $0.00
In A Glass DarklyJoseph Sheridan Le Fanu13h 34m$1 · $0.00