Tales of Fantasy and Fact

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

23678

Title

Tales of Fantasy and Fact

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Brander Matthews blends fact and fiction in this eclectic collection, weaving tales of imaginary geography, spectral rivalries, and detective ingenuity. With a witty, self-reflective tone, the author challenges the boundaries between invention and reality, inviting readers to explore the whimsical and the wondrous.

Summary up to 500 words

In "Tales of Fantasy and Fact," Brander Matthews presents a diverse array of stories that blur the line between the real and the imagined. The collection opens with "A Primer of Imaginary Geography," where the narrator encounters a mysterious captain aboard a ship bound for legendary places like Ultima Thule and the Fortunate Islands. Here, the Flying Dutchman, Captain Vanderdecken, shares his maritime adventures and introduces the reader to a collection of curiosities gathered from literary history, including artifacts associated with Rip Van Winkle, Hester Prynne, and Don Quixote. The narrative expands to include the Wandering Jew, Ahasuerus, and explores mythical lands like Arcady and the Forest of Arden, populated by creatures from folklore and literature. The second tale, "The Rival Ghosts," introduces Eliphalet Duncan, a lawyer who inherits a Scottish title and a haunted house in Salem. He is pursued by two distinct ghosts: a benign guardian spirit attached to his family title and a mischievous house spirit. The two spirits clash, causing supernatural disturbances that drive Duncan's friend away. Eventually, Duncan finds solace in a romance with Miss Kitty Sutton, only to be warned by his guardian ghost against the match. The story concludes with the spirits separating when Duncan leaves town, allowing Duncan to pursue his happiness. "Sixteen Years Without a Birthday" recounts the tragic loss of a Scottish baron and his son in a storm, leading to the inheritance of the title by their American cousin, Eliphalet Duncan. The narrative highlights the contrast between the romantic expectations of nobility and the pragmatic reality of maintaining a title with insufficient funds. "The Twinkling of an Eye" features a clever detective story where a young man uses a camera linked to a clock to capture a thief in the act of robbing a cash drawer. The device takes a photograph every ten minutes, eventually capturing the culprit. The story is followed by a postscript where Matthews reflects on the nature of his writing, acknowledging that his tales often draw from real-life events or literary sources, challenging the notion of pure invention. He discusses the criticism he received for allegedly plagiarizing from Washington Irving and notes that real-life events often anticipated his fictional plots. The collection concludes with a humorous confession that his own experiences, such as an interview with Count Cagliostro, were part of the fictional narrative.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Fantasy
• American Fiction