What do you think?
Rate this book
The Wrong Box
Unique Elements
Historical contextDetailed 19th century analysis
About The Wrong Box
“It was all dark within; but Gideon knew his room, he knew where the matches stood on the end of the chimney-piece; and he advanced boldly, and in so doing dashed himself against a heavy body; where (slightly altering the expressions of the song) no heavy body should have been.”
The Wrong Box is a black comedy mystery novel, co-written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson and American Lloyd Osbourne, first published in 1889. It was the first of three novels co-written by Stevenson and his stepson.
The story follows two brothers who are the last two surviving members of a tontine; an investment providing an income during the nominated individuals’ lifetimes. A fortune is now contingent on which of two brothers outlives the other. A humorous classic, satirizing the Railway Novel genre which was popular at that time, it is also an early example of police detective fiction.
Historical contextDetailed 19th century analysis
About The Wrong Box
“It was all dark within; but Gideon knew his room, he knew where the matches stood on the end of the chimney-piece; and he advanced boldly, and in so doing dashed himself against a heavy body; where (slightly altering the expressions of the song) no heavy body should have been.”
The Wrong Box is a black comedy mystery novel, co-written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson and American Lloyd Osbourne, first published in 1889. It was the first of three novels co-written by Stevenson and his stepson.
The story follows two brothers who are the last two surviving members of a tontine; an investment providing an income during the nominated individuals’ lifetimes. A fortune is now contingent on which of two brothers outlives the other. A humorous classic, satirizing the Railway Novel genre which was popular at that time, it is also an early example of police detective fiction.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2022
About the author
Lloyd Osbourne
188 books2 followersSamuel Lloyd Osbourne was an American author and the stepson of Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson with whom he co-authored three books. He provided input and ideas on others.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.