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Topic: Fantasmagoriana: Tales Of The Dead (Read 1985 times) |
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demonik
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Fantasmagoriana: Tales Of The Dead
« Thread started on: Jul 16th, 2006, 12:25am » |
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Tales Of The Dead: Ghost Stories Of The Villa Diodati (Gothic Society, 1992)
(originally Fantasmagoriana (Paris, 1812: London, 1813)
Simon Marsden
Introduction - Terry Hale
Anon - The Family Portraits
Friedrich Shultz - The Fated Hour
Friedrich Shultz - The Death's Head
Friedrich Shultz - The Dead-Bride
Sarah Elizabeth Brown Utterson - The Storm
J. K. Musaus - The Spectre Barber
From the back cover blurb:
This highly influential little book was the first English translation of the Famous Fantasmagoriana; Ou Recueil d'Histories d'Apparitions, de Spectres, Revenans, Fantomes, etc. which was of such critical importance in the development of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Polidori's The Vampyre. Lord Byron, Mary and Percy Shelley, Claire Clairmont and Dr. Polidori were all inspired by the book to write their own ghost stories.
Along with their classy quarterly magazine Udolpho, Jennie Gray's Gothic Society were responsible for a series of invaluable reprints (including an edition of Peter Haining's The Shilling Shockers). The stories in Tales Of The Dead are some way short of terrifying when stood against the blood-splattered, nihilistic likes of M. G. Lewis (but then most novels are) or Hoffman's caper The Sandman, but they're entertaining enough on their own slightly hysterical terms.
Marjorie Bowen reprinted a number of these in her collection Great Tales Of Horror (John Lane, 1933).
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| « Last Edit: Oct 7th, 2007, 07:46am by demonik » |
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The inn sign ... was in the nature of a coffin supported by six headless bearers goose-stepping towards a white headstone, and underneath this somewhat forbidding daub with grim irony, the legend 'Ye Journey's End' - Guy Preston, The Inn.
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Mary
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Re: Fantasmagoriana: Tales Of The Dead
« Reply #1 on: Sep 12th, 2006, 03:43am » |
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From Wikipedia :
In 2005, the first full English translation of Fantasmagoriana was published by Fantasmagoriana Press. This edition included three additional tales that Mrs Utterson had omitted from her translation; translations of "Le Revenant," "La Chambre grise" and "La Chambre noire." The book also provided an academic essay by A.J.Day with possible evidence for Mary Shelley's visit to Burg Frankenstein in Germany, prior to the writing of her novel
From www.fantasmagoriana.com:
Owing to the fact that the full version of Fantasmagoriana had previously not been available in the English language, few scholars had an opportunity to explore the intertextual nature that this book played in relation to mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
In searching for the Muse (the academic essay included in the new translation of Fantasmagoriana) editor A.J.Day demonstrates some interesting similarities between the text of Frankenstein and one of the, previously untranslated, stories in Fantasmagoriana.
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demonik
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Re: Fantasmagoriana: Tales Of The Dead
« Reply #2 on: Sep 12th, 2006, 05:30am » |
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Thanks for that, Mary.
I'd have appreciated it if A.J.Day had listed the contents of this full version (or did I miss them?), if only to see if it includes the Anonymous The Old Tower Of Frankenstein. According to Peter Haining - who revived it for his The Shilling Shockers - The Old Tower ... appeared in the edition of Fantasmagoriana read by the Byron-Shelley part at Diodati, and he concludes that this is most likely where Mary got the name from.
The story itself is hardly remarkable. Two lovers (unnamed) rendezvous in the haunted castle at midnight despite the maiden's trepidation. The place has a bad reputation because "the spirit of a woman and her children were once sacrificed to the monster and [are] said to haunt the tower, though the creature lay slain by the Baron Frankenstein these many years".
As to the rest: the ghost duly appears, the curse is lifted and the murdered woman ascends to heaven.
"Mercy! Mercy!" was chanted in the air above. sweet sounds of harps were heard, and all had vanished in a flood of morning splendour. Soon all had disappeared, and in a calm and lovely morning, with the sun shedding brilliancy upon the waters of the noble Rhine, the guiltless lovers descended from the old tower of Frankenstein.
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The inn sign ... was in the nature of a coffin supported by six headless bearers goose-stepping towards a white headstone, and underneath this somewhat forbidding daub with grim irony, the legend 'Ye Journey's End' - Guy Preston, The Inn.
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Mary
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Re: Fantasmagoriana: Tales Of The Dead
« Reply #3 on: Sep 13th, 2006, 08:36am » |
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Hi,
I bought my copy from a link on the fantasmagoriana website. There was also a free downloadable pdf intro which listed the contents as follows:
The Spectre Barber (J. Masaus)
The Family Portraits (A. Apel)
The Fated Hour (F. Laun)
The Death Head (F. Laun)
The Death-Bride (F. Laun)
The Ghost of the Departed (F. Laun)
The Grey Room (H.C)
The Black Chamber (A. Apel)
Afterword (A.Day)
The download is at http://www.lulu.com/items/volume_4/157000/157386/4/preview/Fantasmagoriana_Tales_of_The_Dead.pdf
The contents are also on the 'ghost Stories' part of the website.
I really enjoyed the stories. The essay was a bit heavy going but it did seem to proove that Shelley got the name from the real castle Frankenstein which her stepmother may have told her about!
I havn't heard of the 'Tower' story. I will look it up...it's like a treasure hunt 
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demonik
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The Old Tower Of Frankenstein
« Reply #4 on: Sep 13th, 2006, 09:10am » |
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As luck would have it, you can download The Old Tower Of Frankenstein, and much else of interest besides, from the excellent Horror Masters site: It's in the 'Anonymous' section.
http://www.horrormasters.com/Themes/Early_gothic.htm
The Bride Of The Isles is worth a read too.
Thanks for the additional info on this complete fantasmagoriana. I'm tempted ...
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The inn sign ... was in the nature of a coffin supported by six headless bearers goose-stepping towards a white headstone, and underneath this somewhat forbidding daub with grim irony, the legend 'Ye Journey's End' - Guy Preston, The Inn.
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Calenture
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Re: Fantasmagoriana: Tales Of The Dead
« Reply #5 on: Sep 16th, 2006, 02:23am » |
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As I was saying, Dem', Mary's posts here are another strong argument against locking the threads. Yes, as you said, the site does get some great posts made by guests, and I found these interesting.
Unfortunately, even as I write this, I think you're probably deleting the latest spam entry on The Savage West thread... 
But, The Old Tower of Frankenstein, I knew nowt about that!
Less than an hour later: And another one on that Western thread...oh hell.
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| « Last Edit: Sep 16th, 2006, 02:38am by Calenture » |
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demonik
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Re: Fantasmagoriana: Tales Of The Dead
« Reply #6 on: Sep 16th, 2006, 03:00am » |
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on Sep 16th, 2006, 02:23am, Calenture wrote:Unfortunately, even as I write this, I think you're probably deleting the latest spam entry on The Savage West thread...
Less than an hour later: And another one on that Western thread...oh hell. |
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Yeah, but cheer up because I'm thinking that we can probably use one of them as an endorsement for the site, or maybe Filthy Creations.
on Sep 16th, 2006, 02:10am, Guest-Jenna wrote:| Hi, you have amazing site.. Look at Britney boobs and ass, exclusive photo and video. see you. |
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But you're right. We've had several interesting 'guest' posts and I don't see why people should have to join anything. If it gets too out of hand, I could add a Guest Book but that wouldn't work half as well as it does now where people can pop in and say their bit on relevant threads.
There are some terrific pieces in Shilling Shockers, but The Old Tower ... isn't really one of them. I actually prefer it to Fantasmagoriana but then I never claimed to have any taste.
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| « Last Edit: Sep 16th, 2006, 03:04am by demonik » |
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The inn sign ... was in the nature of a coffin supported by six headless bearers goose-stepping towards a white headstone, and underneath this somewhat forbidding daub with grim irony, the legend 'Ye Journey's End' - Guy Preston, The Inn.
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Colin
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Re: Fantasmagoriana: Tales Of The Dead
« Reply #7 on: Sep 16th, 2006, 06:27am » |
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I'm wondering about A.J. Day's academic credentials....He seems to attribute different authors for some of the stories than in previous editions of Fantasmagoriana, is quite free with what seems to me unfounded accusations of plagiarism vis-a-vis Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' and then seems to have himself invented a story of visit to Castle Frankenstein by her...
Has he taken up the mantle of Haining, I wonder...
Colin
Note: the first mention of Castle Frankenstein in relation to Mary Shelley's story was in 1935 with the release of the film 'Bride of Frankenstein'. In Mary Shelley's original story Victor Frankenstein lives in a bijou residence on Lake Geneva and is not a baron, or in any-way connected with the nobility. All these Gothic trappings came a lot, lot later (in 1935....).
Colin
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