The Body Snatcher and Other Stories

Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Body Snatcher and Other Stories. 2009. 146 mins. ISBN 9789626349823.

Written in 1884, The Body Snatcher and other stories continue to elicit horror and goose bumps more than a hundred years later. When two former medical students coincidentally meet in a small inn late one evening, the horrors of their experience as dealers of cadavers is revealed and relived. Back when anatomists were clamoring for bodies to dissect and learn from, unscrupulous individuals would dig up freshly buried bodies and, when none were to be had, cause a few deaths to keep delivering to medical schools. Unscrupulous men would look the other way and purchase victims of foul play, all in an effort to make the next great discovery. For these two doctors, a victim they were responsible for murdering and disposing of through dissection returns to haunt their conscience, creating tension and culminating in a chilling denouement. 

Several other tales are included, but the other most interesting one is that of The Bottle Imp. In this story, owning a bottle grants any wishes you may have, but at a cost. If you die while in possession of the bottle, your soul will burn in hell. And you can only get rid of the bottle by selling it at a loss, meaning for cheaper than you bought it. Thus, eventually it will be impossible to sell, since it will have no value. When Keawe buys the bottle from a wealthy elderly man, he is forewarned of the dangers, but he purchases it nonetheless. The sudden death of his uncle following his wish for a large home in his native Hawaii leaves him with enough money to purchase and build a wonderful estate, and he then quickly sells the bottle for less than he purchased it so as not to lose his soul. But when he falls in love and discovers at the same time that he has leprosy, he desperately seeks the bottle again. The problem? He can only buy it for 1 cent, and he will be the last owner of the bottle.

Each short story features an atmosphere of dread and fear, and the audiobook narrator does a wonderful join dripping chills down the listener's spine. Fans of short content will appreciate these classic tales!