Cover of Uncle Silas
Gothic FictionHorror

Uncle Silas

a tale of Bartram-Haugh

by

  • 1864 first published
  • 480 pages
  • ★ 4.5 (11 ratings)
  • 214 editions
  • 🎧 18 h 38 min free audiobook
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Published in 1864, Uncle Silas is a gothic fiction and horror novel by Sheridan Le Fanu. It deals with uncles, orphans, governesses and murderers.

Open Library readers give it an average of 4.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, and 47 more have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 214 editions. On Project Gutenberg it was downloaded 1,587 times in the last 30 days.

At about 480 pages, most readers finish it in 8–9 hours. It is in the public domain, so you can read it free on Project Gutenberg or listen to the 18 h 38 min LibriVox audiobook.

About Uncle Silas

One of the most significant and intriguing Gothic novels of the Victorian period and is enjoyed today as a modern psychological thriller. In UNCLE SILAS (1864) Le Fanu brought up to date Mrs Radcliffe's earlier tales of virtue imprisoned and menacedby unscrupulous schemers. The narrator, Maud Ruthyn, is a 17 year old orphan left in the care of her fearful uncle, Silas. Together with his boorish son and a sinister French governess, Silas plots to kill Maud and claim her fortune. The novel established Le Fanu as a master of horror fiction.
Description from Open Library

Free audiobook

Uncle Silas — LibriVox recording, 18 h 38 min in 67 sections.

Public-domain recording by volunteer readers. Listen online, download MP3s or stream from the Internet Archive.

Opening line

“It was winter - that is, about the second week in November - and great gusts were rattling at the windows, and wailing and thundering among our tall trees and ivied chimneys - a very dark night, and a very cheerful fire blazing, a pleasant mixture of good round coal and spluttering dry wood, in a genuine old fireplace, in a sombre old room.”

Themes, setting & tropes

Genres

Subjects

  • Uncles
  • Orphans
  • Governesses
  • Murderers
  • Thrillers
  • England
  • Psychological
  • Horror
  • Suspense thrillers
  • Suspense
  • Psychological fiction
  • Gothic fiction, Literary genre
  • Literature and fiction, mystery and suspense
  • Gothic fiction

Quick answers

Who wrote Uncle Silas?

Uncle Silas was written by Sheridan Le Fanu and first published in 1864.

What genre is Uncle Silas?

It is usually shelved as Gothic Fiction and Horror.

How long is Uncle Silas?

The median edition has 480 pages, about 8–9 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.

Is Uncle Silas free to read?

Yes. It is in the public domain in the United States and can be read free on Project Gutenberg in EPUB, Kindle and HTML formats.

Is there a free audiobook of Uncle Silas?

Yes — LibriVox volunteers recorded it; the recording runs 18 h 38 min.

What books are similar to Uncle Silas?

Readers who like it often enjoy We Have Always Lived in the Castle, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Bram Stoker's Dracula omnibus.

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