The Burglar Caught by a Skeleton (Paperback)
And Other Singular Tales from the Victorian Press
Jeremy Clay
HOLIDAYMAKER FIGHTS OFF AFRICAN LION IN WELSH HOTEL ROOM MAN SWALLOWS MOUSE AND DIES WIFE DRIVEN MAD BY HUSBAND TICKLING FEET PALLBEARER KILLED BY COFFIN IN GRAVEYARD LIBERALS EAT DOG From the newspaper archives of the British Library, Jeremy Clay has unearthed the long-lost stories that enthralled and appalled Victorian Britain. Within these pages are the riotous farces and tragedies of nineteenth-century life, a time when life was hard, pleasures short-lived, and gloating over other people’s misfortune a thoroughly acceptable form of entertainment. Deliciously dreadful and deliriously funny, The Burglar Caught by a Skeleton will have you, one way or another, in tears.
‘If you like black humour you will like Clay’s eclectic compilation.’
‘Clay takes us on a delightful romp through the seedy, saucy and sensational stories hidden away in the Victorian press … All the minutiae of Victorian life is here.’
‘You will laugh, cry, cringe and feel queasy, but you will not fail to enjoy this treasure trove of fascinating tales.’
‘As these potty tales from Victorian Britain show, being bonkers isn’t a new thing …’
‘It’s a fun account of the more lurid side of Victorian life’
