The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton
Review by Carol Strametz
BOOKCLUB @ AWCHAMBURG . ORG
With Halloween just around the corner , we decided to read this collection of masterly stories of horror and unease by Edith Wharton ( 1862-1937 ). Wharton is one of America ’ s greatest writers , who is best known for her novels of social realism ( The Age of Innocence , Ethan Frome , The House of Mirth ) but who is also a master of the traditional New England ghost story genre . Her ghost stories link the unconscious with the haunted house , and her captivating descriptions of the rooms , halls , and grounds eerily take the reader into the supernatural world . Here the ghost stories remain well-grounded in worldly manners and are a social commentary on issues such as violence against women , the corruption of capitalism , fear of death , and the loneliness of old age .
It was a good read and perfect for the season . The stories in the collection : The Lady ‘ s Maid ‘ s Bell ( 1904 ), The Eyes ( 1910 ), Afterward ( 1910 ), Kerfol ( 1916 ), The Triumph of Night ( 1914 ), Miss Mary Pask ( 1925 ), Bewitched ( 1925 ), Mr . Jones ( 1928 ), Pomegranate Seed ( 1931 ), The Looking Glass ( 1935 ), and All Souls ‘ ( 1937 )
The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton : Our Take
“ One can only relish the writing — the best way possible to get ghosted .” — Tine Hestbaek
“ Wharton can really create a scene and knows her way around sprawling manor homes , creating just enough of a chill to hint at the presence of ghosts in her delightful choice of words and ideas in precise prose .”
— Venita Kaleps
One can only relish the writing — the best way possible to get ghosted .
The Candy House : Our Take
“ It was such a pleasure to hear Jennifer Egan talk about her work . My only complaint was the reading of her work , in German , three times , about fifteen minutes long each . I would rather that time was spent on interviewing her ! She is very eloquent and it was fascinating to hear the connections between A Visit From the Goon Squad and The Candy House .”
— Michaela Anchan
“ Getting to hear Jennifer Egan speak was an exceptional treat ! She ’ s one of my all-time favorite authors , and it was lovely to hear her speak about the motivations behind and inspiration to continue with the characters from A Visit from the Goon Squad .” — Adelina G .