A House-Boat on the Styx

An elderly ferryman on the river of the dead discovers an opulent rival house-boat and is drawn into a society of illustrious shades whose gatherings mix conviviality and social manoeuvre. The narrative proceeds through a series of comic episodes and conversational set-pieces in which mythic surroundings intersect with topical wit and anachronistic jokes. Social pretension, clubly etiquette, and the desire for status are treated satirically as famous personages trade barbs, reminiscences, and schemes, producing a light, episodic portrait that skewers vanity and celebrates spirited repartee among the afterlife’s notables.