A Midsummer's Nightmare; or, the Amateur Detecti
The story follows an author and press writer who also dabbles as an amateur detective. Burdened with a large family and financial pressures, he is tasked with writing a section on "The Origin of Dreams" for a cyclopedia. However, his chaotic home life makes it impossible to work. An opportunity arises when Captain Rivers seeks his help to find Julian Cockleboat, a young man who has run away after falling in love with an unsuitable woman. The protagonist sees this as a chance to work on his writing in peace and agrees to travel to Norwich. In Norwich, he finds lodging in a quiet, old house, perfect for his needs. However, he soon discovers the house is haunted by mysterious noises at night, including footsteps, groans, and voices. Intrigued rather than frightened, he decides to investigate the supernatural occurrences, seeing it as an opportunity to explore his interest in spiritualism. He enlists the help of his landlords, Mr. and Mrs. Bizzey, to hold a séance and communicate with the spirits. During the séance, they are interrupted by a figure, whom Mrs. Bizzey believes to be her deceased sister. However, it turns out to be Julian Cockleboat, who has been secretly lodging in the house under the alias Mr. Montmorency. Julian had been using the upper rooms for night rehearsals, causing the disturbances. The protagonist reveals his true purpose for being in Norwich and successfully convinces Julian to return to his guardian, Lord Seaborne. The trip proves fruitful, as he completes his writing task and earns a reputation as a clever amateur detective.
By Florence Marryat · First published 1871 · Genre: Mystery/Detective Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Gothic Fiction · 7,699 words
First lines
I am an author. I am something worse than that-I am a Press writer. I am worse than that still-I am a Press writer with a large wife and a small family. And I am an Amateur Detective! I don't mean, of course, that I reckon the last item as part of my profession, but my friends always come to me if they are in any difficulty, and set me to do all kinds of queer jobs, from restoring and reconciling a truant husband to his wife, to making the round of the ‘Homes for Lost Dogs' in order to find Lady Softsawder's pet poodle. Even Jones couldn't complete his great work, ‘The Cyclopedia of the Brain,' without asking my assistance (for a consideration, of course) with his fifth section, ‘The Origin of Dreams. ' Jones is full of fire and imagination, but he does not care for plodding, and he knew me of old for a good steady compiler. I agreed with alacrity. ‘The Origin of Dreams' would fill those hungry little mouths of mine for three months at the very least. But how to do it whilst they gaped around me! -how to cover the one table in my solitary sitting-room with valuable works of reference at the risk of their being touched by greasy fingers! -how to wade through volume after volume, placing a mental mark there and a material one here, whilst my offspring either surreptitiously removed the one or irretrievably obliterated remembrance of the other, by attracting my attention to the manner in which they attempted to scalp each other's heads or gouge out each other's eyes! I tried it for a week in vain.
What this Textopian page supports
A Midsummer's Nightmare; or, the Amateur Detective is listed on Textopian as a short story by Florence Marryat, dated 1871 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Florence Marryat
- Date: 1871 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery/Detective Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Occult Fiction
- Length: 7,699 words
- Structure: 1 section, 118 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Midsummer's Nightmare; or, the Amateur Detective by Florence Marryat
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Genres
- Mystery/Detective Fiction — The narrative revolves around the amateur detective investigating disappearances and unexplained disturbances, making it fundamentally a mystery.
- Supernatural Fiction — The presence of ghostly apparitions, séances, and occult phenomena firmly classifies the work within supernatural themes.
- Gothic Fiction — The eerie settings, haunted houses, and unsettling atmosphere evoke classic Gothic elements throughout the story.
- Humorous Fiction — The witty, satirical tone and playful critique of detective and ghost story conventions add a strong element of humor.
Tags
mystery · detective · amateur sleuth · crime investigation · thriller · suspense · Gothic · supernatural · Victorian · period piece · classic fiction · puzzle