- Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: Modern Library (Oct 12 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0812973062
- ISBN-13: 978-0812973068
- Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 0.8 x 20.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 113 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,598,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
On Christmas Eve, a party of friends descends on a purportedly haunted country retreat, charged with the task of discovering evidence of the supernatural. Sequestered in their rooms for the holiday, the friends reconvene on Twelfth Night at a great feast and share their stories of spectral encounter. “Conducted” by Charles Dickens and counting Elizabeth Gaskell and Wilkie Collins among its contributors, The Haunted House examines quintessentially Victorian themes–sex and longing, nostalgia and loss–in ways that continue to resonate today. Ingeniously conceived and written, and spiked with flashes of Dickensian humor, this volume is a strange and sheer delight.
From the Publisher
Hesperus Press, as suggested by their Latin motto, Et remotissima prope, is dedicated to bringing near what is far—far both in space and time. Works by illustrious authors, often unjustly neglected or simply little known in the English–speaking world, are made accessible through a completely fresh editorial approach or new translations. Through these short classic works, which feature forewords by leading contemporary authors, the modern reader will be introduced to the greatest writers of Europe and America. An elegantly designed series of exceptional books.
--This text refers to an alternate
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First Sentence
Under none of the accredited ghostly circumstances, and environed by none of the conventional ghostly surroundings, did I first make acquaintance with the house which is the subject of this Christmas piece. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
Under none of the accredited ghostly circumstances, and environed by none of the conventional ghostly surroundings, did I first make acquaintance with the house which is the subject of this Christmas piece. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
If you like Victorian literature, Nov 12 2009
By Kurt A. Johnson - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Haunted House (Paperback)
Charles Dickens (1812-70) is widely remembered today as an author of high quality, socially conscious literature. However, another work of Dickens was his weekly literary magazine called All the Year Round, which was published from 1859 to 1895. In 1854, Dickens decided to revisit the theme of his wildly successful Christmas novels - five books that began with A Christmas Carol.This book is a collection of eight short stories from All the Year Round, taking the form of a group of people spending three months in a haunted house, and then discussing their experiences. The authors of the stories are quite a mixed bag. First of all three of the eight stories were written by Mr. Dickens himself. Then, there was Hesba Stretton (1832-1911) an author of children's books, George Augustus Sala (1828-95) a journalist and author, Adelaide Anne Procter (1825-64) a poet of some renown, Wilkie Collins (1824-89) the famous novelist and playwright, and Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-65) a very famous English novelist.
Overall, I found this to be an entertaining short story collection. Yes, the styles of the stories do vary widely, with Ms. Procter's obviously being in the form of verse. The stories were all written during the early part of the Victorian Era, and as such are more in the form of Victorian popular literature, rather than modern horror literature. If you like Victorian literature, then you will no doubt like this book, but if you don't...well, I would recommend you give this one a pass.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasant Surprise, Nov 10 2010
By Jennifer Turner - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Haunted House (Paperback)
This book was an unexpected delight. I had never even heard of it before when I found it in a bookshop in London. It sounded rather interesting, and I was intrigued by the collaboration of Elizabeth Gaskell and Wilkie Collins (along with a few others) with Charles Dickens. On first glance, I thought it was simply a collection of short stories, but I was surprised to discover how they all worked together. It appears to be a sort of creative experiment, and for me at least, I found that it works.I began reading this just before Halloween, thinking it an appropriate time, but it may have been more appropriate around Christmas because the story is very much connected with that holiday. I was expecting something Gothic in nature, based on the tittle, but what I received was even more pleasurable and I can't wait to share it with others. It is not really a scary story, but rather an enjoyable and interesting exploration of the creative mind.
9 of 17 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointment !, Jan 26 2007
By RUN "DMC" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Haunted House (Paperback)
Quite a disappointing book. I was hoping for a much better story. This book is a collection of stories by several different authors. Some of the authors are downright bad. I enjoyed the chapters written by Dickens and Sala. Do not read the book if you're expecting a haunting or scary tale...haunting or scary this book is not. Boring is more appropriate. It should not be presented as a Dickens book as it is a collection, perhaps inspired by Dickens, but not written entirely by him.
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