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Afterward : A Ghost Story for Christmas
Or, rather, Ned answered, in the same strain, "why, amid so much that's ghostly, it can never affirm its separate existence as THE ghost." And thereupon their invisible housemate had finally dropped out of their references, which were numerous enough to make them promptly unaware of the loss.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1910
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About the author
Edith Wharton
1,349 books5,134 followersEdith Wharton emerged as one of America’s most insightful novelists, deftly exposing the tensions between societal expectation and personal desire through her vivid portrayals of upper-class life. Drawing from her deep familiarity with New York’s privileged “aristocracy,” she offered readers a keenly observed and piercingly honest vision of Gilded Age society.
Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.
Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.
Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.
Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.
Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.
Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.
In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.
Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.
Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.
Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.
Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.
Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.
Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.
In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
December 29, 2022
Occasionally, especially if I’m in an independent bookstore, I’ll buy a book because of the way it looks. The artist Seth has illustrated a series of short stories: “a ghost story for Christmas,” each is labeled. Having already read the Dickens story and the Shirley Jackson in the series, I chose another sure thing—an Edith Wharton.
On the surface, Seth and Wharton might seem an odd pairing, but the combination works well. As with Seth's illustrations for the Lemony Snicket-penned All the Wrong Questions, these too give a pleasant unsettledness of time period. Is it the remote past, modern day, or somehow both? Fittingly, Wharton’s story also plays with time: the couple’s flippant desire for a ghost in the present; their resignation for waiting for it to appear in the future; the realization of not recognizing the ghost until it’s past.
On the surface, Seth and Wharton might seem an odd pairing, but the combination works well. As with Seth's illustrations for the Lemony Snicket-penned All the Wrong Questions, these too give a pleasant unsettledness of time period. Is it the remote past, modern day, or somehow both? Fittingly, Wharton’s story also plays with time: the couple’s flippant desire for a ghost in the present; their resignation for waiting for it to appear in the future; the realization of not recognizing the ghost until it’s past.
December 4, 2018
boof. when edith wharton sets out to write a ghost story, she does not mind taking her sweet time about it. which is a little zzzzz for some readers (koff handraise koff) but absolutely perfect when you consider the story’s beginning. i am going to type out about a page of the text, which may seem like a lot, but i had to read a lot more than one page, so you’re welcome.
to gloss: american couple (boyne, mary)is planning to move to the english countryside and making enquiries of a friend (alida) about suitable choices for their preferences - they are looking for a rustic experience with few amenities and hopefully also a g-g-g-ghost.
lyng is proposed:
and wait you shall! both characters and readers will have to wait for wharton’s elaborate stage-setting - the house, the grounds, mary’s relationship to her husband and her relationship to his working life, manners and etiquette and female modernity and etc etc etc.
there are a lot of very long sentences, making this twice as long as any other in the series (although the de la mare one published this year might be close; we'll see):
let’s shave this down some, edith: boiler broken. man come fix. nice day. many flowers. man not come.
now let’s get to the ghost, shall we?
because eventually, there is a ghost. i’m not going to fault anything written in 1910 as being ’predictable,’ since things written in the longago are how things get to be predictable in the first place, but it’s a long road to get to an ending neither scary nor surprising nor even charmingly antiquated.
if you like wharton’s writing, you will probably like this. i’m not sure if i do quite yet - i liked Ethan Frome, didn't like Summer, and this one is too short to tell for sure (although too long in pretty much every other way).
ONWARDS!
mission statement copied from my review for One Who Saw
this holiday season, i am going to read through 'seth's christmas ghost stories' line on biblioasis, and i encourage you to do the same. the books are so cute and tiny, you can stuff someone's stocking or dreidel with 'em! the cover art and interior illustrations are by seth, and they are seasonally spoooooky, blending the spirit of halloween with christmas cheer the way nature, and jack skellington, intended.
5 more to go!
come to my blog!
to gloss: american couple (boyne, mary)is planning to move to the english countryside and making enquiries of a friend (alida) about suitable choices for their preferences - they are looking for a rustic experience with few amenities and hopefully also a g-g-g-ghost.
lyng is proposed:
”Oh, Dorsetshire’s full of ghosts, you know.”
“Yes, yes; but that won’t do. I don’t want to have to drive ten miles to see somebody else’s ghost. I want one of my own on the premises. Is there a ghost at Lyng?”
His rejoinder had made Alida laugh again, and it was then that she had flung back tantalizingly: “Oh, there is one, of course, but you’ll never know it.”
“Never know it?” Boyne pulled her up. “But what in the world constitutes a ghost except the fact of its being known for one?”
“I can’t say. But that’s the story.”
“That there’s a ghost, but that nobody knows it’s a ghost?”
“Well— not till afterward, at any rate.”
“Till afterward?”
“Not till long, long afterward.”
“But if it’s once been identified as an unearthly visitant, why hasn’t its signalment been handed down in the family? How has it managed to preserve its incognito?”
Alida could only shake her head. “Don’t ask me. But it has.”
“And then suddenly—“ Mary spoke up as if from some cavernous depth of divination— “suddenly, long afterward, one says to one’s self, ‘That was it?’”
She was oddly startled at the sepulchral sound with which her question fell on the banter of the other two, and she saw the shadow of the same surprise flit across Alida’s clear pupils. “I suppose so. One just has to wait.”
and wait you shall! both characters and readers will have to wait for wharton’s elaborate stage-setting - the house, the grounds, mary’s relationship to her husband and her relationship to his working life, manners and etiquette and female modernity and etc etc etc.
there are a lot of very long sentences, making this twice as long as any other in the series (although the de la mare one published this year might be close; we'll see):
There was something wrong about the piping of the hot house, and she was expecting an authority from Dorchester, who was to drive out between trains and make a diagnosis of the boiler. But when she dipped into the damp heat of the greenhouses, among the spiced scents and waxy pinks and reds of old-fashioned exotics,—even the flora of Lyng was in the note!—she learned that the great man had not arrived, and the day being too rare to waste in an artificial atmosphere, she came out again and paced slowly along the springy turf of the bowling-green to the gardens behind the house. At their farther end rose a grass terrace, commanding, over the fish-pond and the yew hedges, a view of the long house-front, with its twisted chimney-stacks and the blue shadows of its roof angles, all drenched in the pale gold moisture of the air.
let’s shave this down some, edith: boiler broken. man come fix. nice day. many flowers. man not come.
now let’s get to the ghost, shall we?
because eventually, there is a ghost. i’m not going to fault anything written in 1910 as being ’predictable,’ since things written in the longago are how things get to be predictable in the first place, but it’s a long road to get to an ending neither scary nor surprising nor even charmingly antiquated.
if you like wharton’s writing, you will probably like this. i’m not sure if i do quite yet - i liked Ethan Frome, didn't like Summer, and this one is too short to tell for sure (although too long in pretty much every other way).
ONWARDS!
mission statement copied from my review for One Who Saw
this holiday season, i am going to read through 'seth's christmas ghost stories' line on biblioasis, and i encourage you to do the same. the books are so cute and tiny, you can stuff someone's stocking or dreidel with 'em! the cover art and interior illustrations are by seth, and they are seasonally spoooooky, blending the spirit of halloween with christmas cheer the way nature, and jack skellington, intended.
5 more to go!
come to my blog!
October 3, 2024
A group read came up for some collected short stories of Edith Wharton. I'm not a big reader of the paranormal, but I do love Wharton, so I just read this one on Gutenberg Australia & used this edition to record my read as I'm a fan of Seth's covers.
I had to read this very short short story twice to get the point of it, but it is beautifully written & quite satisfying. I liked the structure.
The subtitle on this edition (tsk, tsk!) implies it is a Christmas read, & although the short story starts in December it really isn't!
Edit: I've just realised the structure (if you are a fan of Dickens) does make it Christmassy!
I had to read this very short short story twice to get the point of it, but it is beautifully written & quite satisfying. I liked the structure.
The subtitle on this edition (tsk, tsk!) implies it is a Christmas read, & although the short story starts in December it really isn't!
Edit: I've just realised the structure (if you are a fan of Dickens) does make it Christmassy!
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
November 5, 2024
#lerosclássicos2021
#lêseteatreves
Lyng was not one of the garrulous old houses that betray the secrets entrusted to them. Its very legend proved that it had always been the mute accomplice, the incorruptible custodian, of the mysteries it had surprised.
Como autora prolífica que foi, a Edith Wharton não lhe faltou sequer escrever histórias de fantasmas e “Afterward” foi a primeira deste género que li dela. Neste conto fez-me lembrar o seu conterrâneo Henry James, ao instalar em Inglaterra um casal de americanos que deseja uma casa do estilo Tudor, sem aquecimento, nem eletricidade, nem água canalizada, mas com o mais importante: um fantasma.
“I should never believe I was living in an old house unless I was thoroughly unconfortable”, Ned Boyne, the more extravagant of the two, had jocosely insisted. (...) “And the ghost? You’ve been concealing from us the fact that there is no ghost!”
Diz a crendice local que sim, que há um fantasma na velha casa, mas que os moradores só se apercebem de que o viram depois, passado muito tempo. É aqui que a aparente ligeireza da história termina e se torna ominosa.
But the house knew; the library where she spent her long lonely evenings knew. For it was here that the last scene had been enacted, here that the stranger had come. (...) The books on the shelves had seen his face.
Apesar de não ser a maior apreciadora de histórias de terror, não há sobranceria que resista à escrita de Edith Wharton e à profundidade que dá aos seus enredos.
#lêseteatreves
Lyng was not one of the garrulous old houses that betray the secrets entrusted to them. Its very legend proved that it had always been the mute accomplice, the incorruptible custodian, of the mysteries it had surprised.
Como autora prolífica que foi, a Edith Wharton não lhe faltou sequer escrever histórias de fantasmas e “Afterward” foi a primeira deste género que li dela. Neste conto fez-me lembrar o seu conterrâneo Henry James, ao instalar em Inglaterra um casal de americanos que deseja uma casa do estilo Tudor, sem aquecimento, nem eletricidade, nem água canalizada, mas com o mais importante: um fantasma.
“I should never believe I was living in an old house unless I was thoroughly unconfortable”, Ned Boyne, the more extravagant of the two, had jocosely insisted. (...) “And the ghost? You’ve been concealing from us the fact that there is no ghost!”
Diz a crendice local que sim, que há um fantasma na velha casa, mas que os moradores só se apercebem de que o viram depois, passado muito tempo. É aqui que a aparente ligeireza da história termina e se torna ominosa.
But the house knew; the library where she spent her long lonely evenings knew. For it was here that the last scene had been enacted, here that the stranger had come. (...) The books on the shelves had seen his face.
Apesar de não ser a maior apreciadora de histórias de terror, não há sobranceria que resista à escrita de Edith Wharton e à profundidade que dá aos seus enredos.
June 27, 2018
Alla luce del sole.
Un racconto breve, lineare, limpido, oserei definirlo trasparente, quello composto da Edith Wharton, la storia di una coppia di giovani sposi nordamericani che si trasferisce in una casa nel Dorsetshire in Inghilterra, forse infestata dai fantasmi.
In fondo è quello che forse si augurano entrambi, così desiderosi dopo aver accumulato un sostanzioso patrimonio di ritirarsi in campagna e godere della tranquillità delle loro passioni, libri pittura e giardinaggio, e della compagnia elettrizzante, capace di scuotere con un brivido di eccitazione lo scorrere monotono e prevedibile di quelle che saranno le loro giornate future, dei consueti ornamenti soprannaturali.
Tutto ruota, secondo me, intorno a due frasi chiave, due affermazioni che l'autrice colloca a inizio e fine racconto: “Oh, ce n'è uno, naturalmente, ma non lo riconoscerete mai”, dice un'amica alla coppia che si informa se la casa che ha deciso di affittare è corredata anche della presenza di un fantasma e, solo poche pagine dopo, “be'…no se non dopo, in ogni caso […] Se non molto, molto dopo”.
La scrittura di Edith Wharton è pulita, cristallina, trasparente, dicevo, l'atmosfera, nonostante le premesse e quello che ci si potrebbe aspettare, solare, quieta, serena, un trascorrere dove tutto avviene alla luce del sole, eppure...
Eppure, si parla di fantasmi, cosa c'è di più misterioso, torbido e intricato dei fantasmi che si manifestano alla luce del sole e che vengono in carne e ossa dal passato?
Il desiderio, adesso, è quello di procurarmi al più presto i “Racconti di uomini e di fantasmi” e leggerli tutti.
Un racconto breve, lineare, limpido, oserei definirlo trasparente, quello composto da Edith Wharton, la storia di una coppia di giovani sposi nordamericani che si trasferisce in una casa nel Dorsetshire in Inghilterra, forse infestata dai fantasmi.
In fondo è quello che forse si augurano entrambi, così desiderosi dopo aver accumulato un sostanzioso patrimonio di ritirarsi in campagna e godere della tranquillità delle loro passioni, libri pittura e giardinaggio, e della compagnia elettrizzante, capace di scuotere con un brivido di eccitazione lo scorrere monotono e prevedibile di quelle che saranno le loro giornate future, dei consueti ornamenti soprannaturali.
Tutto ruota, secondo me, intorno a due frasi chiave, due affermazioni che l'autrice colloca a inizio e fine racconto: “Oh, ce n'è uno, naturalmente, ma non lo riconoscerete mai”, dice un'amica alla coppia che si informa se la casa che ha deciso di affittare è corredata anche della presenza di un fantasma e, solo poche pagine dopo, “be'…no se non dopo, in ogni caso […] Se non molto, molto dopo”.
La scrittura di Edith Wharton è pulita, cristallina, trasparente, dicevo, l'atmosfera, nonostante le premesse e quello che ci si potrebbe aspettare, solare, quieta, serena, un trascorrere dove tutto avviene alla luce del sole, eppure...
Eppure, si parla di fantasmi, cosa c'è di più misterioso, torbido e intricato dei fantasmi che si manifestano alla luce del sole e che vengono in carne e ossa dal passato?
Il desiderio, adesso, è quello di procurarmi al più presto i “Racconti di uomini e di fantasmi” e leggerli tutti.
October 9, 2013
I read this as part of the Classic Horror Lovers group, Tales to Chill Your Blood series that we started in October. A member reminded me that it was available in the Tales of Men and Ghosts collection, which is free on Kindle, so I was jazzed.
Overall, it didn't catch my interest. I found my attention wandering and boredom setting in as I read it. I think it was probably a situation where the writing style didn't work for me. Wharton seems to have a sort of elaborate, flowery style, and I usually don't care for that kind of writing. I didn't feel the tension build that much, even after the pivotal events occur. I was looking for that moment, I'll call it the 'crunch moment', although that is probably not the best word, and when it occurs, I didn't feel anything. I am a reader who likes to be involved in the story, and I felt detached from this story. I really didn't care about the characters. It's hard to feel horror or fear when you don't care and aren't drawn into the story.
While the idea was good, the execution didn't work for me. I'm disappointed because I was definitely looking for a good vintage ghost story to get my October Scare Fest started, and this wasn't the one.
Edith Wharton is obviously touted as a well-respected author, and I won't even try to dispute that. I do have to say she had quite a vocabulary, which is always enviable. Unfortunately, I'd have to say that this ghost story didn't work for me. I read it late, late at night in bed on my Kindle with the lights off, and I didn't feel a single chill. Not good for a ghost story. I'll try her again though.
Overall rating: 2.5/5.0 stars.
Overall, it didn't catch my interest. I found my attention wandering and boredom setting in as I read it. I think it was probably a situation where the writing style didn't work for me. Wharton seems to have a sort of elaborate, flowery style, and I usually don't care for that kind of writing. I didn't feel the tension build that much, even after the pivotal events occur. I was looking for that moment, I'll call it the 'crunch moment', although that is probably not the best word, and when it occurs, I didn't feel anything. I am a reader who likes to be involved in the story, and I felt detached from this story. I really didn't care about the characters. It's hard to feel horror or fear when you don't care and aren't drawn into the story.
While the idea was good, the execution didn't work for me. I'm disappointed because I was definitely looking for a good vintage ghost story to get my October Scare Fest started, and this wasn't the one.
Edith Wharton is obviously touted as a well-respected author, and I won't even try to dispute that. I do have to say she had quite a vocabulary, which is always enviable. Unfortunately, I'd have to say that this ghost story didn't work for me. I read it late, late at night in bed on my Kindle with the lights off, and I didn't feel a single chill. Not good for a ghost story. I'll try her again though.
Overall rating: 2.5/5.0 stars.
October 31, 2021
This is one of the longest short stories in the collection 'Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories' written in 1902. What a wordy, pretentious mess. This is my least favorite story from the collection. I simply did not enjoy this story. It made me angry simply reading it. It felt like Wharton, who I do enjoy her other stories, was trying so hard to be writerly and its overwritten.
The ghost story told wasn't bad. She is making fun of Americans here, I feel. A couple moves to England and they want to be isolated with no convenances (which doesn't sound very American) and they want to have a ghost on the property. They are told this perfect has does have a ghost, but no one sees it or knows its there until much later, which is weird.
The husband has some underhanded dealings of some kind and it all makes the ghost story up. I didn't think the ghost story was all that great and I could not stand the writing.
PASS
Happy Halloween!
The ghost story told wasn't bad. She is making fun of Americans here, I feel. A couple moves to England and they want to be isolated with no convenances (which doesn't sound very American) and they want to have a ghost on the property. They are told this perfect has does have a ghost, but no one sees it or knows its there until much later, which is weird.
The husband has some underhanded dealings of some kind and it all makes the ghost story up. I didn't think the ghost story was all that great and I could not stand the writing.
PASS
Happy Halloween!
April 14, 2019
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-sto...
Easy, quick story about a Dahmer victim that got away to tell his story to a reporter. Was going good until the end. Got confused.
Easy, quick story about a Dahmer victim that got away to tell his story to a reporter. Was going good until the end. Got confused.
December 2, 2024
5 Retrospectively Spooked Stars downgraded to 4 "for Christmas" Stars.
Hrumph, this was like opening your present on Christmas morning and finding white cotton underwear in the festive wrapper (not that there's anything wrong with white cotton underwear). BUT, I feel more than a little disappointed!
Turns out I was totally foiled by gr: the gr book page showed
Afterward: A Ghost Story for Christmas when I entered "Afterward" in the search bar. My gripe is that this is titled to mislead the uninitiated into falsely believing it is a "for Christmas" story. (Note: The author's original story title is AFTERWARD, one word, no colon, no 'elucidating' text following a colon.)
Did I enjoy the eloquent prose➔yes; the well drawn characters➔of course; the setting and time period➔without a question; the suspense/pressure/pacing➔absolutely; the Karmic resolution➔you betcha! This is undeniably a 5 star story!
This may be a great Story, but much like great white cotton underwear, there is absolutely nothing "for Christmas" about it. False advertising via deceptive titling. Was I set up to feel disappointed➔ aye, jingle all the way good reads.
This was read for Christmas Short Story week one (Dec 1-7) with the group Retro Reads traditional Christmas short story reads!
I encourage you to read AFTERWARD for free here: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/...
(you will need to scroll down the page until you see the sought after title) 🧚♀️🙋🏼
Hrumph, this was like opening your present on Christmas morning and finding white cotton underwear in the festive wrapper (not that there's anything wrong with white cotton underwear). BUT, I feel more than a little disappointed!
Turns out I was totally foiled by gr: the gr book page showed
Afterward: A Ghost Story for Christmas when I entered "Afterward" in the search bar. My gripe is that this is titled to mislead the uninitiated into falsely believing it is a "for Christmas" story. (Note: The author's original story title is AFTERWARD, one word, no colon, no 'elucidating' text following a colon.)Did I enjoy the eloquent prose➔yes; the well drawn characters➔of course; the setting and time period➔without a question; the suspense/pressure/pacing➔absolutely; the Karmic resolution➔you betcha! This is undeniably a 5 star story!
This may be a great Story, but much like great white cotton underwear, there is absolutely nothing "for Christmas" about it. False advertising via deceptive titling. Was I set up to feel disappointed➔ aye, jingle all the way good reads.
This was read for Christmas Short Story week one (Dec 1-7) with the group Retro Reads traditional Christmas short story reads!
I encourage you to read AFTERWARD for free here: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/...
(you will need to scroll down the page until you see the sought after title) 🧚♀️🙋🏼
February 26, 2018
The second time for this was much better that the first. I knew what to expect, but it still put my hair on end.
September 7, 2021
“Afterward” was a reread for me, but one that I gladly indulge in.
In this short story Edith Wharton crafts a delightful tale of ghostly apparitions in the rural English setting. A rich American couple has moved to the Lands of the Queen searching for an centenary and isolated house to reside. Yet events take a weird turn when, in a visit to the roof, they spot a man on their property grounds. Who was that man?
The chain of events that generates after this singular observation will surely keep you glued to the pages of this little tale.
In this short story Edith Wharton crafts a delightful tale of ghostly apparitions in the rural English setting. A rich American couple has moved to the Lands of the Queen searching for an centenary and isolated house to reside. Yet events take a weird turn when, in a visit to the roof, they spot a man on their property grounds. Who was that man?
The chain of events that generates after this singular observation will surely keep you glued to the pages of this little tale.
December 2, 2024
Bad Timing.
Mary and Ned Boyne, thanks to a small fortune gained through Ned's business deals, decide to purchase a place for themselves on the countryside of England. The mansion is magnificent, spacious, and beautifully gardened; a long old rumor said to be haunted even adding the unique charm they so desperately wanted. One day, the couple notices a shadowy figure appearing on the premises, only to vanish seconds later. And when Ned disappears from Earth soon after, Mary can't help wondering— if the two events may be connected.
This was not bad, certainly has its merits, and even with a rocky start it kept my interest most of the time. In a different day I'd have enjoyed this so much more, but after reading so many horror/ghost stories in a row, it just felt mostly like another insipid case of'Been there, Done that' 'Read this, Read that'. And this is EXACTLY why I routinely and religiously randomize my genres all the time.
But it's good, you can tell. It just wasn't the right time.
It’s public domain. You can find it HERE.
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PERSONAL NOTE :
[1910] [32p] [Horror] [2.5] [Conditional Recommendable]
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★★☆☆☆ Afterward. [2.5]
★☆☆☆☆ The Moving Finger. [1.5]
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Momento Equivocado.
Mary y Ned Boyne, gracias a una pequeña fortuna obtenida a través de los negocios de Ned, deciden comprarse un lugar en el interior de Inglaterra. La mansión es magnífica, espaciosa y bellamente ajardinada; un viejo rumor que se dice estaba embrujada incluso añadiendo ese encanto único que tanto anhelaban. Un día, la pareja nota una oscura figura apareciendo en los terrenos, sólo para desvanecer segundos después. Y cuando luego Ned desaparece de la Tierra al poco tiempo, Mary no puede evitar preguntarse— si los dos sucesos estan conectados.
Esto no estuvo mal, ciertamente tiene sus méritos, e incluso con un comienzo difícil mantuvo mi interés durante la mayor parte del tiempo. En un día distinto lo habría disfrutado muchísimo más, pero después de leer tantas historias de horror/fantasmas al hilo, esto se sentíó como otro caso insípido de'Ya estuve ahí, Ya hice eso' 'Ya leí esto, Ya leí aquello'. Y es EXACTAMENTE por esto por lo que rutinariamente y religiosamente aleatorizo mis género todo el tiempo.
Pero es bueno, se puede ver. Simplemente no era el momento adecuado.
Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.
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NOTA PERSONAL :
[1910] [32p] [Horror] [2.5] [Recomendable Condicional]
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Mary and Ned Boyne, thanks to a small fortune gained through Ned's business deals, decide to purchase a place for themselves on the countryside of England. The mansion is magnificent, spacious, and beautifully gardened; a long old rumor said to be haunted even adding the unique charm they so desperately wanted. One day, the couple notices a shadowy figure appearing on the premises, only to vanish seconds later. And when Ned disappears from Earth soon after, Mary can't help wondering— if the two events may be connected.
This was not bad, certainly has its merits, and even with a rocky start it kept my interest most of the time. In a different day I'd have enjoyed this so much more, but after reading so many horror/ghost stories in a row, it just felt mostly like another insipid case of
But it's good, you can tell. It just wasn't the right time.
It’s public domain. You can find it HERE.
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PERSONAL NOTE :
[1910] [32p] [Horror] [2.5] [Conditional Recommendable]
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★★☆☆☆ Afterward. [2.5]
★☆☆☆☆ The Moving Finger. [1.5]
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Momento Equivocado.
Mary y Ned Boyne, gracias a una pequeña fortuna obtenida a través de los negocios de Ned, deciden comprarse un lugar en el interior de Inglaterra. La mansión es magnífica, espaciosa y bellamente ajardinada; un viejo rumor que se dice estaba embrujada incluso añadiendo ese encanto único que tanto anhelaban. Un día, la pareja nota una oscura figura apareciendo en los terrenos, sólo para desvanecer segundos después. Y cuando luego Ned desaparece de la Tierra al poco tiempo, Mary no puede evitar preguntarse— si los dos sucesos estan conectados.
Esto no estuvo mal, ciertamente tiene sus méritos, e incluso con un comienzo difícil mantuvo mi interés durante la mayor parte del tiempo. En un día distinto lo habría disfrutado muchísimo más, pero después de leer tantas historias de horror/fantasmas al hilo, esto se sentíó como otro caso insípido de
Pero es bueno, se puede ver. Simplemente no era el momento adecuado.
Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.
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NOTA PERSONAL :
[1910] [32p] [Horror] [2.5] [Recomendable Condicional]
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October 14, 2018
A short ghost story, great for this time of year.
An American couple buy a house in Dorsetshire. It is remote, with no electricity or hot water, making it perfect for them, as Boyne says "I should never believe I was living in an old house unless I was thoroughly uncomfortable". Better still, it is haunted, although people never realise they've seen a ghost until afterwards.
A story with a creeping sense of menace.
An American couple buy a house in Dorsetshire. It is remote, with no electricity or hot water, making it perfect for them, as Boyne says "I should never believe I was living in an old house unless I was thoroughly uncomfortable". Better still, it is haunted, although people never realise they've seen a ghost until afterwards.
A story with a creeping sense of menace.
July 1, 2009
All five stars, for this is a chilling, truly disturbing story, made all the more plausible and haunting by the impeccable prose in which it is delivered. Wharton here outdoes James, in terms of the painful sense of suspense and creeping dread which plays on the terror of any reader who has feared the sudden and unexplained loss of a loved one -- particularly of a beloved spouse. If I had a nightmare of losing my dear husband, this would be it.
At times, Wharton even attains the poetic, such as in this passage:
"It was as though the days, flung horror-struck from the shrouded image of the one inscrutable day, gained assurance as the distance lengthened, till at last they fell back into their normal gait. And so with the human imaginations at work on the dark event. No doubt it occupied them still, but week by week and hour by hour it grew less absorbing,took up less space, was slowly but inevitably crowded out of the foreground of consciousness by the new problems perpetually bubbling up from the cloudy caldron of human experience."
At times, Wharton even attains the poetic, such as in this passage:
"It was as though the days, flung horror-struck from the shrouded image of the one inscrutable day, gained assurance as the distance lengthened, till at last they fell back into their normal gait. And so with the human imaginations at work on the dark event. No doubt it occupied them still, but week by week and hour by hour it grew less absorbing,took up less space, was slowly but inevitably crowded out of the foreground of consciousness by the new problems perpetually bubbling up from the cloudy caldron of human experience."
January 2, 2019
"You won't know till afterward. You won't know till long, long afterward."
A quick, easy ghost story brought to us by the one and only Edith Wharton. While foreshadowing makes the plot easy to guess, this little short story still provides enough mystery and suspense to carry the reader to the end. Recommended for curling up with your favorite hot beverage on a chilly December evening.
January 3, 2017
Not her best short story so don't be put off if this is one of the first of hers you've read.
October 27, 2024
1910 ghost story.
Favorite line: Older problems are “inevitably crowded out of the foreground of consciousness by the new problems perpetually bubbling up from the vaporous caldron of human experience.”
Favorite line: Older problems are “inevitably crowded out of the foreground of consciousness by the new problems perpetually bubbling up from the vaporous caldron of human experience.”
December 18, 2022
Actually 2.5 stars.
March 1, 2019
Some reviewers have bemoaned Edith Wharton taking too long to tell the story. I personally would have loved a longer more gothic telling of the home and gardens. I think Edith Wharton's writing style would have graced further descriptions of an English manor and gardens.
An author from the Gilded Age, Edith Wharton was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature. Though the writing was labored and stilted in places, mainly, I believe because of the change in speech patterns over the years, I enjoyed the reading and found the writing lovely, full of metaphor and beauty.
Quote: "There were moments of overwhelming lassitude, when, like the victim of some poison which leaves the brain clear, but holds the body motionless, she saw herself domesticated with the Horror, accepting its perpetual presence as one of the fixed conditions of life."
An author from the Gilded Age, Edith Wharton was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature. Though the writing was labored and stilted in places, mainly, I believe because of the change in speech patterns over the years, I enjoyed the reading and found the writing lovely, full of metaphor and beauty.
Quote: "There were moments of overwhelming lassitude, when, like the victim of some poison which leaves the brain clear, but holds the body motionless, she saw herself domesticated with the Horror, accepting its perpetual presence as one of the fixed conditions of life."
April 9, 2013
Free download available at Project Gutenberg.
Opening lines:
"Oh, there IS one, of course, but you'll never know it."
The assertion, laughingly flung out six months earlier in a bright June garden, came back to Mary Boyne with a sharp perception of its latent significance as she stood, in the December dusk, waiting for the lamps to be brought into the library.
Opening lines:
"Oh, there IS one, of course, but you'll never know it."
The assertion, laughingly flung out six months earlier in a bright June garden, came back to Mary Boyne with a sharp perception of its latent significance as she stood, in the December dusk, waiting for the lamps to be brought into the library.
October 3, 2013
the irony of it all. they wanted a ghost if their very own at their new home. almost like a pet. yet it was they who brought the ghost with them.
December 23, 2021
Very well paced, subtly class conscious, knowingly haunting. Edie does it again. On to her other ghosts and spooks and specters.
March 23, 2021
Anche scrivendo di fantasmi, Wharton riesce a distrarre il tuo desiderio di ammaliarti più con la disposizione delle parole che con lo spavento.
October 10, 2013
I made what is probably the fifth false start on this one. I've tried reading it several times over the last few months. I just can't finish the thing. It starts out with a great premise, a newly rich couple is looking to get back to basics in the English countryside. They want a house with all of the INconveniences including a ghost. They find what they want though the ghost is just a bit passive for their taste. Then the story ... starts... to... drag... and... drag.
I just can't finish it, but not for lack of trying.
I just can't finish it, but not for lack of trying.
January 31, 2011
A decent ghost story. Not particularly shocking. Personally, I prefer Wharton's novels to her short fiction. "Afterward" is a well written story, but...I dunno. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood when I read this.
The writing is superb, nonetheless. Definitely worth a read.
The writing is superb, nonetheless. Definitely worth a read.
July 8, 2015
A short account of the would be twelfth victim of Notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, "The One That Got Away"
January 24, 2017
Great story!
January 1, 2013
"Afterward" is a little Victorian for me, but it's a nice, tight little ghost story. I enjoyed it quite a lot, and wonder why it hasn't been made into an episode of The X-Files or The Twilight Zone or something similar. Much of the writing describes clothing, furnishings, atmosphere, rooms...all of which could be reduced to about 5 seconds of screen time, really. It'd make a fine little chiller on the SyFy channel or something, or one of those HBO "aren't we creepy" series.
For reasons left unexplored, a couple wants to move into a haunted house. It seems to be more of a conversation starter than anything else. "Oh, yes, Judy, do have some more tea. Would you like to hear about the ghost in our attic?" That sort of thing. They move into a house that is reputedly haunted, but are warned by a friend, "You won't know till afterward." That may be one of the creepiest quotes from a ghost story ever. If I tell anymore, I'll be blowing the plot, so I won't.
This book contains no blood, no guts, no swearing, no ax-wielding maniacs, no ghosts rattling chains in the night. Everything that happens does so "off-screen," if you catch my meaning. It's quite creepy, especially since the story starts out on such a bright, happy note. Everything slowly unravels and falls apart around the characters, it could be very distressing. Especially if I were home alone when reading it. I'd have to turn on lights and check all the closets!
For reasons left unexplored, a couple wants to move into a haunted house. It seems to be more of a conversation starter than anything else. "Oh, yes, Judy, do have some more tea. Would you like to hear about the ghost in our attic?" That sort of thing. They move into a house that is reputedly haunted, but are warned by a friend, "You won't know till afterward." That may be one of the creepiest quotes from a ghost story ever. If I tell anymore, I'll be blowing the plot, so I won't.
This book contains no blood, no guts, no swearing, no ax-wielding maniacs, no ghosts rattling chains in the night. Everything that happens does so "off-screen," if you catch my meaning. It's quite creepy, especially since the story starts out on such a bright, happy note. Everything slowly unravels and falls apart around the characters, it could be very distressing. Especially if I were home alone when reading it. I'd have to turn on lights and check all the closets!
December 4, 2017
Well, another of the Christmas ghost story mysteries (it’s not about Christmas but the act of telling a scary story during the holiday) and this one a bit longer than the others, was really well done. Wharton has a great way to create unease. The couple that move into an old home new that they could see a ghost but may not know until later that it was one comes to fruition. The fact that the reader gets an inkling about who it is doesn’t diminish the story’s ending at all.
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