Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne's *The Wrong Box* is a hilarious Victorian comedy that transforms a peculiar financial arrangement into pure chaos. When a tontine—a bizarre investment scheme where subscribers wait for all but one to die—reaches its final days, the last two survivors and their scheming relatives will stop at nothing to claim the prize. What follows is a magnificent farce involving a catastrophic train crash, mysteriously vanished uncles, an embarrassing surplus of dead bodies, and a parade of hapless bystanders caught in the crossfire.
Originally published as a serialized adventure, this witty novel showcases Stevenson's gift for irreverent humor and absurdist plotting. The story spirals delightfully as each character pursues their own misguided schemes, with deception piling upon deception in increasingly ridiculous ways. The authors themselves acknowledged their tongue-in-cheek approach, noting that "nothing like a little judicious levity" justified their lighthearted romp through Victorian society's more eccentric corners.
Perfect for fans of classic comedic fiction and those who appreciate clever wordplay, *The Wrong Box* offers genuine entertainment wrapped in nineteenth-century charm. If you enjoy satirical humor that doesn't take itself seriously, or simply want to experience a masterfully crafted tale of mishap and misadventure, this audiobook delivers laughs alongside literary craftsmanship from one of literature's greatest storytellers.
