The Curse of the Catafalques

The Curse of the Catafalques (1882) by F. Anstey is a humorous Victorian novelette about a fortune-hunting bachelor who must face a Christmas Eve, supernatural “haunted” curse to marry an heiress, Chlorine. It is a satirical, lighthearted horror story where the protagonist, after being pledged to the family, tries to avoid the terrifying consequences of the curse. A blending of supernatural horror and comedy, often considered a satirical Victorian tale.

This story has all 4 chapters featured on this site, containing a total of 12,417 words.