Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu is studied today as Victorian gothic writer. Although he wrote several gothic mystery novels, some of his best work, however, may be discovered within his shorter tales such as "Green Tea," "Carmilla," etc. The House by the Churchyard was his first gothic novel, but it was unlike his other gothic novels due to the comical nature of the work. Although the gothic elements are indeed present, the humor which is found within this text is truly delightful; I could not help but to chuckle at a few select scenes. Unfortunately, this work seems to be falling out of print. Therefore, I would recommend to the literary student, who may be trying to acquire Le Fanu's work, to locate a good used copy on Amazon. This particular edition (Pocket Classics) is a good copy with a thick and durable paperback cover.