Horror

Mystery and Thriller

The House by the Church-Yard

Secrets Unveiled in a Haunting Irish TownBy Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

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Length18h 5m

About this audiobook

In 'The House by the Church-Yard,' Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu masterfully weaves a tapestry of Gothic horror and psychological drama set against the backdrop of a small Irish village. The novel employs a rich, atmospheric prose style, interspersed with elements of dark humor and pathos, capturing the complexities of human desires and fears. The interplay between the supernatural and the mundane reflects the Victorian preoccupation with death, an anxiety heightened by the turbulent social and political landscape of 19th-century Ireland. Through its intricate characterizations and interlacing narratives, Le Fanu not only entertains but also invites profound reflection on mortality and legacy. Le Fanu, a contemporary of literary giants such as Charles Dickens, was deeply influenced by the folklore and eerie tales of his Irish heritage. His background in Gothic fiction and his passion for exploring the uncanny enabled him to craft this profound narrative, which combines local color and cultural critiques. An adept journalist and playwright, Le Fanu'Äôs works often engage with themes of madness and the supernatural, stemming from his keen interest in the psychological intricacies of human nature. Readers who appreciate finely tuned narratives rich in atmosphere and psychological depth will find 'The House by the Church-Yard' both captivating and intellectually stimulating. The novel stands as a significant contribution to the Gothic genre, offering not just thrilling encounters with the unknown but also a poignant exploration of the human condition, making it essential for enthusiasts of classic literature.

Mystery Crime Hidden Identity Ghost Story Historical Romance Thriller Betrayal

Audiobook details

Rating★★★★ 3.8 (736)

Includes Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing, StoryGraph

GenreHorror, Mystery and Thriller

Length18 hrs 5 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateNov 20, 2019

LanguageEnglish

1Introduction

2A PROLOGUE—BEING A DISH OF VILLAGE CHAT.

3CHAPTER I.: THE RECTOR&#x27;S NIGHT-WALK TO HIS CHURCH.

4CHAPTER II.: THE NAMELESS COFFIN.

5CHAPTER III.: MR. MERVYN IN HIS INN.

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6CHAPTER IV.: THE FAIR-GREEN OF PALMERSTOWN.

7CHAPTER V.: HOW THE ROYAL IRISH ARTILLERY ENTERTAINED SOME OF THE NEIGHBOURS AT DINNER.

8CHAPTER VI.: IN WHICH THE MINSTRELSY PROCEEDS.

9CHAPTER VII.: SHOWING HOW TWO GENTLEMEN MAY MISUNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER, WITHOUT ENABLING THE COMPANY TO UNDERSTAND THEIR QUARREL.

10CHAPTER VIII.: RELATING HOW DOCTOR TOOLE AND CAPTAIN DEVEREUX WENT ON A MOONLIGHT ERRAND.

11CHAPTER IX.: HOW A SQUIRE WAS FOUND FOR THE KNIGHT OF THE RUEFUL COUNTENANCE.

12CHAPTER X.: THE DEAD SECRET, SHOWING HOW THE FIREWORKER PROVED TO PUDDOCK THAT NUTTER HAD SPIED OUT THE NAKEDNESS OF THE LAND.

13CHAPTER XI.: SOME TALK ABOUT THE HAUNTED HOUSE—BEING, AS I SUPPOSE, ONLY OLD WOMAN&#x27;S TALES.

14CHAPTER XII.: SOME ODD FACTS ABOUT THE TILED HOUSE—BEING AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE OF THE GHOST OF A HAND.

15CHAPTER XIII.: IN WHICH THE RECTOR VISITS THE TILED HOUSE, AND DOCTOR TOOLE LOOKS AFTER THE BRASS CASTLE.

16CHAPTER XIV.: RELATING HOW PUDDOCK PURGED O&#x27;FLAHERTY&#x27;S HEAD—A CHAPTER WHICH, IT IS HOPED, NO GENTEEL PERSON WILL READ.

17CHAPTER XV.: ÆSCULAPIUS TO THE RESCUE.

18CHAPTER XVI.: THE ORDEAL BY BATTLE.

19CHAPTER XVII.: LIEUTENANT PUDDOCK RECEIVES AN INVITATION AND A RAP OVER THE KNUCKLES.

20CHAPTER XVIII.: RELATING HOW THE GENTLEMEN SAT OVER THEIR CLARET, AND HOW DR. STURK SAW A FACE.

21CHAPTER XIX.: IN WHICH THE GENTLEMEN FOLLOW THE LADIES.

22CHAPTER XX.: IN WHICH MR. DANGERFIELD VISITS THE CHURCH OF CHAPELIZOD, AND ZEKIEL IRONS GOES A FISHING.

23CHAPTER XXI.: RELATING AMONG OTHER THINGS HOW DOCTOR TOOLE WALKED UP TO THE TILED HOUSE; AND OF HIS PLEASANT DISCOURSE WITH MR. MERVYN.

24CHAPTER XXII.: TELLING HOW MR. MERVYN FARED AT BELMONT, AND OF A PLEASANT LITTLE DEJEUNER BY THE MARGIN OF THE LIFFEY.

25CHAPTER XXIII.: WHICH CONCERNS THE GRAND DINNER AT THE KING&#x27;S HOUSE, AND WHO WERE THERE, AND SOMETHING OF THEIR TALK, REVERIES, DISPUTES, AND GENERAL JOLLITY.

26CHAPTER XXIV.

27IN WHICH TWO YOUNG PERSONS UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER BETTER, PERHAPS, THAN EVER THEY DID BEFORE, WITHOUT SAYING SO.

28FOOTNOTE:

29CHAPTER XXV.: IN WHICH THE SUN SETS, AND THE MERRY-MAKING IS KEPT UP BY CANDLE-LIGHT IN THE KING&#x27;S HOUSE, AND LILY RECEIVES A WARNING WHICH SHE DOES NOT COMPREHEND.

30CHAPTER XXVI.: RELATING HOW THE BAND OF THE ROYAL IRISH ARTILLERY PLAYED, AND, WHILE THE MUSIC WAS GOING ON, HOW VARIOUSLY DIFFERENT PEOPLE WERE MOVED.

31CHAPTER XXVII.: CONCERNING THE TROUBLES AND THE SHAPES THAT BEGAN TO GATHER ABOUT DOCTOR STURK.

32CHAPTER XXVIII.: IN WHICH MR. IRONS RECOUNTS SOME OLD RECOLLECTIONS ABOUT THE PIED HORSE AND THE FLOWER DE LUCE.

33CHAPTER XXIX.: SHOWING HOW POOR MRS. MACNAMARA WAS TROUBLED AND HAUNTED TOO, AND OPENING A BUDGET OF GOSSIP.

34CHAPTER XXX.: CONCERNING A CERTAIN WOMAN IN BLACK.

35CHAPTER XXXI.: BEING A SHORT HISTORY OF THE GREAT BATTLE OF BELMONT THAT LASTED FOR SO MANY DAYS, WHEREIN THE BELLIGERENTS SHOWED SO MUCH CONSTANCY AND VALOUR, AND SOMETIMES ONE SIDE AND SOMETIMES T&#x27;OTHER WAS VICTORIOUS.

36CHAPTER XXXII.: NARRATING HOW LIEUTENANT PUDDOCK AND CAPTAIN DEVEREUX BREWED A BOWL OF PUNCH, AND HOW THEY SANG AND DISCOURSED TOGETHER.

37CHAPTER XXXIII.: IN WHICH CAPTAIN DEVEREUX&#x27;S FIDDLE PLAYS A PRELUDE TO &#x27;OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY.&#x27;

38CHAPTER XXXIV.: IN WHICH LILIAS HEARS A STAVE OF AN OLD SONG AND THERE IS A LEAVE-TAKING BESIDE THE RIVER.

39CHAPTER XXXV.: IN WHICH AUNT BECKY AND DOCTOR TOOLE, IN FULL BLOW, WITH DOMINICK, THE FOOTMAN, BEHIND THEM, VISIT MISS LILY AT THE ELMS.

40CHAPTER XXXVI.: NARRATING HOW MISS LILIAS VISITED BELMONT, AND SAW A STRANGE COCKED-HAT IN THE SHADOW BY THE WINDOW.

41CHAPTER XXXVII.: SHOWING HOW SOME OF THE FEUDS IN CHAPELIZOD WAXED FIERCER, AND OTHERS WERE SOLEMNLY CONDONED.

42CHAPTER XXXVIII.: DREAMS AND TROUBLES, AND A DARK LOOK-OUT.

43CHAPTER XXXIX.: TELLING HOW LILIAS WALSINGHAM FOUND TWO LADIES AWAITING HER ARRIVAL AT THE ELMS.

44CHAPTER XL.: OF A MESSENGER FROM CHAPELIZOD VAULT WHO WAITED IN THE TYLED HOUSE FOR MR. MERVYN.

45CHAPTER XLI.: IN WHICH THE RECTOR COMES HOME, AND LILY SPEAKS HER MIND, AND TIME GLIDES ON, AND AUNT REBECCA CALLS AT THE ELMS.

46CHAPTER XLII.: IN WHICH DR. STURK TRIES THIS WAY AND THAT FOR A REPRIEVE ON THE EVE OF EXECUTION.

47CHAPTER XLIII.: SHOWING HOW CHARLES NUTTER&#x27;S BLOW DESCENDED, AND WHAT PART THE SILVER SPECTACLES BORE IN THE CRISIS.