In contrast to the previous reviewer, I found this to be one of the best Dedalus anthologies, full of rip-roaring Gothic adventure and grue from the writers of the early nineteenth century, most of them little-known in English. The mood, however is quite different from the Decadence anthologies with which Dedalus is associated. Short, intense pieces, nicely sequenced, and served up with a fine introduction.

Contains many very rare texts, including one of Petrus Borel's Immoral Tales: 'Monsieur de l'Argentiere, Public Prosecutor', probably the only accessible sample of Borel's work in English. ( )

I'm a huge fan of the Dedalus Publishing Company, especially their anthologies but this one was really tough to get through. I just couldn't get into the writing style of the French 19th Century authors. If you enjoy Charles Baudelaire, Marquis De Sade, Alexander Dumas, J.K Huysmans and Guy de Maupassant (all of whom are represented in this anthology) then I'd suggest giving this anthology a go despite my review. Personally, I found most of the stories pretty boring and lacking in the creepy eeriness that Dedalus anthologies usually generate for me. The most memorable stories were The Hanged Man by Charles Cros and The Prisoner of his Own Masterpiece by Edmund Haraucourt, the latter was particularly creative and horrifying. ( )