A Terribly Strange Bed by Wilkie Collins (1852): A Review

Title: A Terribly Strange Bed

Author: Wilkie Collins

Publication Year: 1852

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Pages: 48

Source: audiobook @storytel.tr

Genre: short story, horror, mystery

In this story, an English visitor to a Parisian gambling house wins a fortune and decides to stay overnight in the building—only to find himself nearly killed by a sinister, specially constructed bed. That’s the entire premise, and yet it’s more than enough to keep you hooked.

What really caught my attention was how much this deadly bed reminded me of the nightmarish contraptions in Poe’s "The Pit and the Pendulum" (1842) and William Mudford’s "The Iron Shroud" (1830). The story captures the same mysterious, chilling atmosphere, but there are some key differences: first, there’s an actual motive behind the horror, unlike the more existential dread of its predecessors; second (and, spoiler alert), the protagonist exercises agency and manages to save himself; and third, there’s a distinctly modern sensibility to the setting. Maybe that’s why, for me, this story doesn’t quite reach the heights of those earlier masterpieces—but it’s still a gripping, memorable read.

#shortstories #shortstoryreview #ATerriblyStrangeBed #WilkieCollins

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