Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s Reviews > The Canterville Ghost

A Victorian ghost story by Oscar Wilde!

4.5 stars. Wilde deftly combines an occasionally grisly haunting, old-fashioned sentiment, a small droplet of romance, and a large helping of dry wit in this 1887 novella about a rather brash American family that buys a haunted mansion in Victorian England. This story makes fun of some British and American stereotypes of the day, but is oddly touching at the same time.

Mr Otis, the American Minister (whatever that means, or meant), moves his family into a mansion called Canterville Chase, despite earnest warnings from the prior owner, Lord Canterville ("a man of the most punctilious honour"), about the ghost that's been haunting the home for 300 years, since 1584. Mr Otis dismisses the story, stating categorically that there's no such thing as a ghost.

The Otis family--the parents, an older son ("christened Washington by his parents in a moment of patriotism, which he never ceased to regret"), a gravely sweet 15 year old daughter named Virginia, and two younger twin boys who would give Red Chief a run for his money--has a surprise coming. There is in fact a ghost and, like a true artiste, he takes a great deal of pride in his work ... you know, appearing in various bloody guises, breaking up engagements, driving people to suicide and such. It doesn't take the Otis family long to admit they were wrong about the existence of ghosts. But the ghost, too, has a surprise or two coming.

It's a bit predictable, perhaps, but great fun for a ghost story, and a quick, light and enjoyable read. I love Oscar Wilde's brand of humor.

Read it online or download it free here at Project Gutenberg. The illustrated version has some wonderful old drawings.