Fans of Victorian pulp literature are in for a treat with Volume 5 of Penny Dreadful Multipacks. The theme is True Crime with excerpts from the widely read Newgate Calendar, a rogue's gallery of London criminals; an anonymous novella exploring the Spring Heeled Jack phenomenon; Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, one of the first ever vampire stories and a major influence on Bram Stoker's Dracula; two Jack Harkaway adventures; a memoir of Le Fanu and THE HOOLIGAN NIGHTS, a riveting look at the world of crime in London's East End.
Included in this anthology:
Spring-Heeled Jack - The Terror of London
There are many theories about the nature and identity of Spring-heeled Jack. This urban legend was very popular in the mid-1900s due to the tales of Jack's bizarre bat-like appearance and ability to make extraordinary leaps, to the point that he became the topic of several works of fiction.
Spring-heeled Jack was described by people who claimed to have seen him as having a terrifying and frightful appearance, with diabolical physiognomy, clawed hands, and eyes that "resembled red balls of fire". One report claimed that, beneath a black cloak, the bat-man wore a helmet and a tight-fitting white garment like an oilskin. Many stories also mention a Devil-like aspect. Others said he was tall and thin, with the appearance of a gentleman. He could breathe out blue and white flames and wore sharp metallic claws at his fingertips.
The Hooligan Nights by Clarence Rook
Being the Life and Opinions of a Young and Unrepentant Criminal
A remarkable document that blends fiction and True Crime. The book is told through a series of interviews with its teenage protagonist, the charismatic 'Alf' - we learn about his upbringing, his criminal exploits, including burglary, pickpocketing, passing counterfeit money and bare-knuckle fights. Alf is a magnificent character, full of spirit and charm, but capable of evoking our pity. Each interview leaves the reader wanting to know more about his fate - not least, will the 'coppers' catch up with him? The book is a unique description of 'low life', written at the zenith of Queen's Victoria's reign.
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
First published in 1871 as a serial narrative in The Dark Blue, it tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire named Carmilla. Carmilla predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by 26 years, and has been adapted many times for cinema.
Selections from The Newgate Calendar
The Newgate Calendar was one of those books, along with a Bible, Foxe's Book of Martyrs and The Pilgrim's Progress, most likely to be found in any English home between 1750 and 1850. Children were encouraged to read it because it was believed to inculcate principles of right living -- by fear of punishment if not by the dull and earnest morals appended to the stories of highwaymen and other felons. Charles Dickens's Barnaby Rudge, Bulwer Lytton's Eugene Aram, Henry Fielding's Jonathan Wild and Gerald Griffin's The Collegians are only a few of the many novels directly based on stories in The Newgate Calendar. Even the illiterate would have seen stage versions of the stories, which were a staple of the popular drama of the time. Some of them - e.g. Dick Turpin, Sawney Bean, Captain Kidd -- are seen even today in pantomimes.
Jack Harkaway in New York and Jack Harkaway and His Son's Escape From the Brigands of Greece
Two more adventures from the protean action adventure hero first seen in Penny Dreadful Multipacks Volume 2.
Also included:
A Memoir of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
