Victorians! discussion

Links to ‘In the Confessional’ …

Project Gutenberg: (see Table of Contents)
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/...

YouTube:
https://youtu.be/5s8ogy6sVjI?si=pnV9O...

Eight Day Clocks: https://antiquevintageclock.com/2021/...
(An explanation for anyone unfamiliar with the term. It is not essential to the story.)

Summary of ‘In the Confessional’ by Amelia Edwards:

The narrator begins by letting us know that while his story is first hand experience, it happened long ago. At that time, he was traveling Europe aimlessly, eventually finding himself on the border between Germany and Switzerland where he entered an ancient-looking churchyard. There he found an inscription which piqued his curiosity:

To the Sacred Memory of
THE REVEREND PÈRE CHESSEZ,
For twenty years the beloved Pastor of
this Parish.
Died April 16th, 1825. Aged 44.
HE LIVED A SAINT; HE DIED A MARTYR.

Upon entering the church, the narrator found himself drawn toward the confessional where he beheld a silent, staring, eerie stranger. Having hurried to a local inn owned by a clock-maker, he learned the history of the clerical brothers, an adulterous wife, and her murderous husband. Eventually, a pastor in the churchyard gives our narrator the key to what his vision truly was.


How does this tale compare to the story, ‘Was it an Illusion?’ How are they similar? How do they differ?

Personally, I found this story to be the most “gothic” of those we have read so far. (Other than the charming addition of the inn full of broken clocks, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I have to wonder if AE found such a place in her travels.)

I can easily imagine this tale being read (or told) in front of a fire at night, giving the shivers to everyone before sending them off to their cozy beds.

I liked this story best of those we have read. The setting is very different, and the pacing seems a little better than in the other stories. Also, it had a definite creep factor but with a fairly happy ending. I’m enjoying these simple stories so much that I just purchased a recording of the book from Audible. I think they might be fun to listen to in front of the fire on some winter night.

Nice! I am more and more disposed to think of AE’s stories that way.

I enjoyed the clock quirks of this one too, a funny touch. I wonder if it was meant in a merry jest at the Swiss.

This was definitely one with a higher creep factor!

Also, with this latest story I had a thought - I wonder if there was a specific reason she always took up narration as a man?

Side note, thank you so much for taking the time to dig up all these stories for us!

Appreciated! You are very welcome. :)

This story, combined with the others we have read (and the novel I am reading) really emphasised Amelia Edward’s love of travel, embracing new places and experiences with the delight of an inquisitive mind.

Her descriptions of the Rhineland landscape, particularly the medieval town were detailed and informative. They brought back memories of some ancient European towns I have visited, off the usual beaten track of tourists, still resplendent today with ramparted city walls, entrance gateways and sleepy squares.

The actual story was probably the most brutal of the ones we have read and the author did not spare us the gory details. Interesting that the innkeeper’s wife considered that the woman hacked to death was ‘light’ ( a term I had not come across since reading Ross Poldark) whilst her husband thought she was just ‘flirty.’

Nevertheless ‘In the confessional’ was an apt title, because that small box and all it stood for caused the deaths of three people.

The label “light” made me think of all the Regency Romances of my youth, where being called a “light-skirt” was particularly bad. But despite the giggle, you’re right, it was an unfair double standard.

This is a well-structured gothic tale-and the ending was just right in this one. The Priest could die knowing he was sane.
I wouldn't want to sleep in a room full of noisy clocks either!

Rosemarie wrote: "This is a well-structured gothic tale-and the ending was just right in this one. The Priest could die knowing he was sane.
I wouldn't want to sleep in a room full of noisy clocks either!"

I thoroughly enjoyed the humor in the description of these clocks ringing at different times as they awaited repair. It got worse with each word of description!