"Our Booking Office"

"Our Booking Office"

A satirical account of several Victorian stories, including "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime."

This satirical article from Punch discusses several new book releases, including selections from Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories. One of the stories discussed is the titular one of "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime," which the reviewer finds laughable, as he calls Savile "a deeply conscientious man to whom murder very properly presents itself as a duty." Now this idea of murder as a duty is laughable, especially given how Victorian society viewed murderers. In fact, the way in which they were regarded is evidenced in Lord Savile's devastated reaction when Podgers informs him that he is destined to be a murderer. This article is excellent at illustrating Lord Savile's incompetence when it comes to the murder itself, as he is unsuccessful in committing murder twice, and in quite laughable ways. The premise of the story itself is quite ridiculous, which is why Punch found such a great "punching bag" in this article

Anonymous

Punch

New York Public Library

September 19, 1891

PDF

English

Satirical article