Buzz
Some dark classics are more famous for their names than for their readership. But those who take the time to delve into them often uncover delightful surprises. Hidden gems such as advanced character traits or moments that are humorously out of place can be found. If nothing else, they allow you to impress others by knowing obscure, counterintuitive quotes. More importantly, these moments remind us that even the darkest literary classics have more depth than they seem at first.
10. The Time Machine
H. G. Wells' 1895 novel The Time Machine is credited with birthing the time travel genre of science fiction. It paints a grim picture of the future, where an unbridgeable class divide leads to humanity splitting into the idle Eloi on the Earth's surface and the brutish, pale Morlocks who dwell underground, emerging only to hunt the Eloi. The lone bright spot in this dismal future is the bond between the protagonist and Weena, an Eloi woman.
In Chapter 11, titled 'The Palace of the Green Porcelain,' the time traveler and Weena stumble upon a box of matches, still functional after countless millennia. As it's already been established that the Morlocks fear fire, this is how the time traveler reacts:
'Dance,' I called out to her in her own language... I solemnly carried out a blend of dances, whistling 'The Land of the Leal' as brightly as I could manage. It was partly a modest cancan, partly a step dance, partly a skirt dance (as far as my tailcoat allowed), and partly my own creation.
Before and after, the Time Traveler maintains the persona of a reserved Victorian gentleman. Yet suddenly, he’s 'solemnly' performing a victory dance over a box of matches. It feels like a scene straight out of a DreamWorks Animation film from the early 2000s.
9. Frankenstein
Has any novel ever been more overshadowed in popular culture by a vastly different film version than Mary Shelley's groundbreaking 1816 novel? Certainly, more people recognize the name of Igor, the lab assistant, than Robert Walton—who, unlike Igor, actually appears in the original book! The first two chapters are entirely dedicated to Walton's arctic journey. In the second chapter, Walton recounts a story from the life of a shipmaster he employed, a character who plays a minimal role in the novel:
'Some years ago, he loved a young Russian lady... the girl's father approved of the union... she was overcome with tears... admitting that she loved another, though he was poor... My generous friend comforted the girl... He had already purchased a farm with his own money... He gave the entire farm to his rival, along with the remainder of his prize money to help buy stock…'
This tragic tale is buried in the narrative of a man whose excessive pride leads him to create a being made from the bodies of the dead, causing the destruction of much of his family. Shelly prevents the story from becoming overly sentimental about this minor character by having Walton describe the shipmaster as someone to whom “ignorant carelessness attends him.”
8. Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
According to Lithub.com, this 1886 novel has been adapted so many times that there are five known adult-only versions alone. In addition, countless cartoons have parodied the premise. However, the humor didn’t originate there.
In the second chapter, titled “Search for Mr. Hyde”, Doctor Jekyll’s friend Gabriel Utterson sets out to investigate why his companion is associating with the ruffian Edward Hyde. Utterson is depicted as having “a rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile,” yet Stevenson has him think this:
“If he be Mr. Hyde,” he had thought, “I shall be Mr. Seek.”
That seems more like something you would see in a Looney Tunes cartoon rather than in the original horror tale. However, considering the book was written in a whirlwind six-week stretch, it’s possible that while the story became a cultural landmark, the author himself might not have taken it quite as seriously.
7. A Study in Scarlet
This 1887 Sherlock Holmes tale was not only the first to feature the iconic detective, but also the longest. Given that the story is named after the bloodstained state of a room where a victim is discovered, it’s undoubtedly one of, if not the most grisly. It also includes the most absurd moment of characterization ever given to Holmes:
“My surprise reached a climax, however, when I found incidentally that he was ignorant of the Copernican Theory and of the composition of the Solar System…
…”What the deuce is it to me?” he interrupted impatiently; “you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work.”
Perhaps it was simply a quirky addition to make Sherlock Holmes more unforgettable when he was first introduced. Given Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s belief in things like the Cottingley Fairies, it’s possible that this was him intentionally or unintentionally shaping the character based on himself.
6. H. P. Lovecraft’s Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath
In 1927, cosmic horror master Lovecraft penned a novella that was never published during his lifetime, which follows Randolph Carter’s journey to find a stunning city from his dreams. Along the way, he encounters various groups, including ghouls that consume their own dead. Among the most peculiar are an army of cats that can communicate with humans and are organized enough to form armies with generals. The following scene occurs after Carter’s feline allies have triumphed over a horde of monsters:
“Randolph Carter walked with dignity through that enchanted and phosphorescent wood of titan trees, talking of his quest with the old general and his grandson whilst others of the band indulged in fantastic gambols or chased fallen leaves.”
So despite all his writings about interdimensional creatures hunting humans in a merciless universe, even Lovecraft could appreciate the simple joys of cats playing. This was likely inspired by Lovecraft’s own feline companion.
5. The Raven
While often regarded as the quintessential poem of the 19th Century, 'The Raven' wasn't always met with unanimous approval when it was first released. As highlighted in another article from Mytour, the poem's reception was not entirely positive at the time. Today, however, it has become so ingrained in popular culture that the Baltimore Ravens, a National Football League team, derive their name from it. Yet, a crucial stanza is often overlooked in many adaptations of the work.
“Then this ebony bird, so captivating, drew a smile from my sorrowful thoughts, With the grave and serious expression it wore upon its face, ‘Though your crest may be torn and stripped, still I said, ‘You are no coward, Mournful and ancient Raven, you who wander from the shores of night—’”
The protagonist, initially struck with fear as the curtains parted, soon finds himself offering lighthearted quips. But the mood swiftly shifts back to one of terror when he senses the air becoming heavier, seemingly from some invisible censor. Despite this, Poe injects a brief moment of comic relief.
4. The Invisible Man
As recently as 2020, H.G. Wells’s seminal 1897 novel continues to inspire new adaptations. This enduring popularity can largely be attributed to the chilling nature of its central character, the invisible man, Griffin. Even before his descent into madness after taking the invisibility serum, Griffin was an amoral man, with little regard for the lives of others. For instance, in Chapter 20, Griffin coldly recounts how he felt no sorrow when his father took his own life, dismissing his father's death as a result of ‘foolish sentimentality.’
Despite Griffin’s remarkable scientific breakthrough, the novel opens with him hiding in an ordinary inn in the quiet town of Iping, desperately searching for a way to reverse his invisibility. His arrival sparks great curiosity among the townspeople, particularly due to his mysterious, bandaged appearance. One local begins to form his own theories.
“As conceived by Mr. Gould, the probationary assistant at the National School, this theory proposed that the stranger was an Anarchist in disguise, plotting something sinister with explosives. Mr. Gould, eager to investigate, resolved to take matters into his own hands. His ‘detective work’ mostly involved staring intently at the stranger whenever they crossed paths or asking those who had never seen him leading questions about the stranger’s identity.”
This humorous character seems to have been inspired by real life. Wells, a committed socialist, no doubt encountered his fair share of individuals like Mr. Gould during his own time. It’s likely that Wells couldn’t resist having a little fun by incorporating such characters into his work.
3. Dracula
Bram Stoker’s 1897 masterpiece, which essentially redefined the horror genre, initially did not achieve significant commercial success. It was the stage adaptations of Dracula in the 1920s that propelled it to widespread fame. Despite its current iconic status, there remains a significant gap between the common perception of Dracula and the actual narrative of the novel. A notable example of this disconnect is the character of Abraham van Helsing, the vampire expert. Stoker's original portrayal of Van Helsing includes a peculiar fondness for malapropisms:
“‘If only we had known earlier!’ he exclaimed, ‘then perhaps we could have saved poor Lucy. However, ‘the milk that is spilt cries not out afterwards,’ as you say.’”
Van Helsing is far from foolish. He holds multiple doctorates from Amsterdam and is adept at unraveling the mysteries he encounters. What makes his character especially interesting is the blend of sagacity and comic relief in one figure—an intriguing twist within one of the most influential works of modern horror.
2. 1984
In Chapter 8, Winston Smith, the protagonist, is frustrated by his confusion regarding whether life was indeed better before the rise of Big Brother's regime. Seeking answers, he visits a bar populated by the proles and buys an old man a beer in hopes of asking him about the past. However, the old man keeps fixating on outdated words like ‘top hats’ and ‘lackeys,’ prompting Winston to eventually push for a more direct conversation.
'Perhaps I haven’t been clear enough,' he said. 'Would you consider life in 1925 to be better or worse than it is now?'
'I know what you’re expecting me to say,' he remarked. 'You want me to claim that I’d prefer to be young again. Most people would say they'd rather be young, if you asked them.'
The way the conversation unfolds resembles a comedic routine. Orwell could have simply had the old man express confusion or claim the questions were making him uncomfortable. Instead, it seems as if Orwell is poking fun at the protagonist's attempt at such an inquiry.
1. Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck's 1937 novel, 'Of Mice and Men,' became an iconic piece of literature from the Depression era almost immediately. Before it was even published, it had sold over 100,000 copies and spent much of the year at the top of the bestseller list. The characters are masterfully crafted, with Lenny being both a danger and a symbol of innocence, with his only wish being to tend to rabbits – a profound contradiction in itself.
Despite the otherwise gritty and realistic tone of the story, one scene stands out. After Lenny accidentally kills someone, he waits in the hiding spot that he and George had previously planned. Struggling with the thought that George will likely be furious with him, Lenny begins to experience hallucinations.
Suddenly, a massive rabbit emerged from Lennie’s mind. It sat upright in front of him, flicking its ears and scrunching its nose.
It spoke: 'Tend rabbits,' it mocked him. 'You crazy bastard…'
Steinbeck clearly sought to depict Lennie’s turmoil from a subjective point of view. Yet, a talking giant rabbit, even if merely a hallucination, feels strikingly out of place in a novel otherwise grounded in realism. It’s no wonder the scene was omitted from both the 1939 and 1992 film adaptations.
