Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Canterville Ghost
    The Canterville Ghost
    The Canterville Ghost
    Ebook63 pages1 hour

    The Canterville Ghost

    By Oscar Wilde

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to audiobook
    Read preview

    About this ebook

    An amusing chronicle of the tribulations of the Ghost of Canterville Chase
    when his ancestral halls became the home of the American Minister to the Court of St. James
    LanguageEnglish
    Publisheranboco
    Release dateAug 19, 2016
    ISBN9783736410114
    Author

    Oscar Wilde

    Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on the 16th October 1854 and died on the 30th November 1900. He was an Irish playwright, poet, and author of numerous short stories and one novel. Known for his biting wit, he became one of the most successful playwrights of the late Victorian era in London, and one of the greatest celebrities of his day. Several of his plays continue to be widely performed, especially The Importance of Being Earnest.

    Read more from Oscar Wilde

    Related to The Canterville Ghost

    Related ebooks

    General Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Old Un’s Notes

      Jun 1, 2022

      The Old Un’s Notes
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Old Un’s Notes

      Jul 27, 2022

      The Old Un’s Notes
      4 min read

    • Article

      The King and I

      May 31, 2023

      Our new king is a Shakespeare buff, so quite familiar with the famous line spoken by Francisco on the ramparts at Elsinore at the beginning of Hamlet: ‘For this relief, much thanks.’ This line was repeated by quite a few of us oldies lucky enough to

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Old Un's Notes

      Jan 11, 2023

      Just before Christmas, historian Lady Antonia Fraser composed a verse on confronting that age-old companion to faith – doubt – at Farm Street Church, Mayfair. Nick Downes is one of the most treasured cartoonists at Oldie Towers (see above right for a

      4 min read

    • Article

      Anniversaries

      Sep 30, 2021

      Anniversaries
      5 min read

    • Article

      “The Old Ones Are The Best…”

      Dec 1, 2022

      When the festive season rolls round and Slade vocalist Noddy Holder for the umpteenth time barks “Does your granny always tell ya, that the old songs are the best” from his band’s 1973 hit Merry Xmas Everybody, I like to paraphrase such lyrics and ap

      6 min read

    • Article

      Bird’s Words

      Sep 26, 2022

      I listened to the funeral on the radio in my garden. As I sat I pictured the route, knowing every corner, every old building from my decades of working, drinking, loitering, even sleeping rough within its crevices and crevasses. I much preferred the

      3 min read

    • Article

      Bonjour Powys!

      Jul 27, 2021

      Bonjour Powys!
      12 min read

    • Article

      Vaguely Clever

      Jun 29, 2022

      It was quite a coup for our little church in the Sussex village of Ticehurst. Edith Vogel, a renowned pianist, had generously come down from London to give a recital in aid of the restoration of the roof. She was well into a Beethoven sonata which wa

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Petulant King

      Nov 12, 2022

      The Petulant King
      8 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Simpson Learns A Lesson

      Jul 29, 2021

      Mrs Simpson Learns A Lesson
      4 min read

    • Article

      Princess Margaret And Me

      Oct 30, 2019

      Princess Margaret And Me
      11 min read

    • Article

      Paranormal Cold Case

      Oct 28, 2021

      It’s the 1970s, inside a terraced house in Walthamstow, East London, and Tyronne’s sister is saying odd things: “She started talking about the Blitz, Hitler, rationing. It disturbed my mum, because it was coming out of a two-year-old!” Then, one day,

      2 min read

    • Article

      Princess Margaret And Me

      Nov 6, 2019

      Princess Margaret And Me
      11 min read

    • Article

      ‘Bowlaway’: Featured Fiction from Elizabeth McCracken

      Feb 4, 2019

      What she wanted was a kind of greatness that women were not allowed. The post ‘Bowlaway’: Featured Fiction from Elizabeth McCracken appeared first on The Millions.

      12 min read

    • Article

      The Queen’s Platinum record

      Jun 1, 2022

      What is your first recollection of the Queen? Mine dates back to Coronation Day, 2nd June 1953. I am five and sitting on my father’s shoulders, in the rain in the middle of the crowd in the Mall, holding onto to his forehead with one hand while tryin

      3 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Oct 8, 2020

      Thank you for making my life more joyful month after month. I can’t tell you how important to me the Fortean Times is. Kevin Hope By email Regarding Matt Salusbury’s Forum article on sunken bells [FT396:54-55], there is more to the bells of Aberdyfi

      14 min read

    • Article

      Cosplaying Jane Austen

      Jul 22, 2017

      Cosplaying Jane Austen
      7 min read

    • Article

      Table Talk in Austenworld

      May 17, 2018

      There are two traits in her character which are pleasing; namely, she admires Camilla, and drinks no cream in her tea. —Jane Austen in a letter to Cassandra, January 1796 The company was seated for dinner on the second night of the camp, and as we di

      5 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Feb 20, 2020

      Thank you for your amusing look at Christmas oddities (An Unexpected History of Christmas, Christmas issue). It gave me several chuckles. However, it was a shame that you didn’t balance it with even a suggestion of what Christmas was really about. Yo

      3 min read

    • Article

      A Very Short Book For Camilla

      Mar 6, 2024

      There is a dear little exhibition in the London Library at the moment. Tiny books are displayed in a glass case – dolls’-size Bibles printed in the 16th century, minuscule books illustrated by Kate Greenaway, etc. This comes at a time when Queen Mary

      3 min read

    • Article

      If These Walls Could Talk

      Apr 27, 2021

      If These Walls Could Talk
      6 min read

    • Article

      Readers’ Letters

      Feb 9, 2022

      The Oldie, 23-31 Great Titchfield Street, London, W1W 7PA letters@theoldie.co.uk To sign up for our e-newsletter, go to www.theoldie.co.uk SIR: Like Gyles Brandreth, my husband and I are great fans of Bargain Hunt. As well as enjoying the banter betw

      6 min read

    • Article

      Gay Hero Of The SAS

      Dec 14, 2022

      My elder brother Carlos was a pal of Paddy (real name Robert) Blair Mayne (1915-55) – one of the prominent SAS men in the BBC TV series Rogue Heroes. Back in the 1950s, they went carousing together around the many Dublin pubs. PBM was from a strict P

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Old Un’s Notes

      Dec 15, 2021

      The Old Un’s Notes
      5 min read

    • Article

      Readers’ Letters

      Jun 28, 2023

      Readers’ Letters
      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Canterville Ghost

    4/5

    536 ratings17 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Review from BadelyngeNo tour through the literary landscape of The Ghost Story would be complete without Oscar Wilde's clever little tale The Canterville Ghost. He turns the whole concept on its head with the ancient titular ghost, who has spent several centuries not paying for the sins of his life by blithely terrifying the old house's residents and visitors to death and insanity, being driven to his own wits end by the American family who bring their own blithe modernity to bear in dealing with him. The results are very funny; Wilde is justly famous for his wit and his command of satire. It's not just a comedy though. There are more serious themes at work, not least the chance for redemption. Wilde also can find time between the fun to show he can use lyricism to evoke pathos with equal mastery. This is one you can read more than once, because like good poetry it doesn't always give everything up with the first reading.
    • 4/5
      This was a quaint, short, and neat little tale by Wilde. I thought that it got to the purpose, the epitome, of the story in an efficient way. However, it did not have the same majesty of language that Wilde possessed with his other works and I felt that to be a lacking quality about it. Nevertheless, the ending was fulfilling and the developments that occurred during it were palatable. For a quick, swift, and short read (for those interested in Wilde), I recommend this one.3.5 stars.
    • 4/5
      Quick and fun! Poor old Simon! Those silly Americans can't even allow themselves to be haunted properly! what's a ghost to do? I read this in 4 installments through the Serial Reader App and really enjoyed it!
    • 4/5
      Picked this up on recommendation from another LTer and I'm so glad I did. It's charming ghost story about a ghost that can't quite figure out how to haunt the new American family that has come to his home — with many hilarious shenanigans that ensue. It's such a quick read and so much fun. A great book to recommend to young people as an introduction to the classics.
    • 4/5
      I had never read The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde before although I have seen the 1944 movie featuring Charles Laughton in the title role a few times. The written story has very little to do with the movie however. The movie, being filmed in 1944 was all about the war and bravery, whereas the book is written with Mr. Wilde’s tongue firmly in his cheek and has more to do with American sensibilities as compared to the English.This short, humorous story is about an American family that moves into an English manor house called Canterville Chase. They are warned about the presence of a ghost, but this does nothing to deter them. At first they notice a blood spot on the floor that the housekeeper informs them is the blood of Lady Canterville, cruelly murdered by her husband and that the blood stain has been there for hundreds of years. The eldest son soon takes care of that with his Pinkerton’s Champion Stain Remover. And although the ghost works hard at having that bloodstain reappear every morning, the Stain Remover takes it away just as quickly every day. Although the ghost does his best to frighten this family nothing seems to work and instead, Sir Simon, the ghost, is terrorized by the family’s twin boys. He eventually makes the acquaintance of the daughter of the family and at first she tries to interest him in moving to America where she is sure he would be appreciated, but the ghost is weary and wishes more than anything to sleep so she helps him find his eternal rest.The Canterville Ghost is a short, delightful tale that is far more amusing than scary. The author delivers a typical English haunted house, with a fearsome ghosts but then peoples the house with a practical, down to earth American family that refuse to be frightened. The ending was a little too sentimental but overall this is an imaginative, clever tale that was a lot of fun to read.
    • 5/5
      This story may be short, but it is highly amusing. I did not experience a single second of boredom when reading this. I felt so sorry for the poor ghost, having to deal with obnoxious Americans who refused to pay him the respect he deserved. This entertaining tale from Oscar Wilde is definitely worth reading!
    • 5/5
      This story is terrible and exciting story! Lord Canterville's family lives in horrible house. There has been a ghost in the house for three hundred years. One day American family buys the house and ghost... Then many exciting things happen!!I think this book is not only horrible but also interesting and everyone will enjoy reading.
    • 5/5
      Fabulous illustrations with hilarious story. Lisbeth Zwerger is a favorite illustrator of Carole Joy Seid. Boys ages 11 and 13 really enjoying the tale.Wish it was available in Hardcover!Ordered the DVD starring Patrick Stewart.
    • 5/5
      I fell in love with the TV adaptation of this story decades ago, but only recently went searching of the original story. Well, of course, the two are very different. Oscar Wilde's book is much more about the ghost's comeuppance, with a firm jab at American consumerism and involves a lot more children in the household. Those kids pranked Sir Simon so ruthlessly I felt sorry for him as I was giggling. Virginia's efforts to help the ghost move on hardly take up a chapter and there's nothing at all about what happens to her after she passes through that wall with Sir Simon. Of course I like the book better; but the TV adaptations have their charm too; they are almost equivalent to fan fiction, as they take the story between Virginia and Sir Simon further than Wilde did. I think this might be a fun one to read to my nieces next Halloween.
    • 4/5
      This is a story about one rich family and ghost.Mr.Otis is American person.And his family moved to England.Their new house was told that there was a ghose.But Mr.Otis's family didn't mind about that.So the ghost didn't satisfied about this.I know this book by textbook of reading class.This book is easy to read and interesting.So I like this book.
    • 3/5
      What a crazy folk Americans are.??!
    • 3/5
      I've read some of Wilde's other work, and in general I like it more than this; the first story, 'The Canterville Ghost', is kind of funny, making a comedy out of a ghost story, and some of it is genuinely funny. The second and third stories in this little collection, though, were more disappointing: 'Lord Arthur Savile's Crime' seems a pretty standard exercise in a story of self-fulfilling prophecy, and 'The Sphinx Without A Secret' was just kind of bloodless.

      Still, Wilde's writing is always good, which kept the mediocre level of plotting from being just boring. 'The Canterville Ghost' is the best of the three, I think.
    • 3/5
      a fun little classic snack to read. new world clashes with a ghost in England and handles it rather respectless until the girl feels sorry for the ghost.
    • 5/5
      Sir Simon is not the kind of ghost one might choose to haunt a mansion, being that he is rather a despicable ghost, having killed his wife. He carries on his nefarious deeds even as a ghost, enjoying his escapades in the terrorizing of the people he encounters. But his joy is cut short when an American family moves in and he comes upon twin boys who may actually be more scary than Sir Simon. Oscar Wilde has a way with words, and his stories never disappoint.
    • 3/5
      Oscar Wilde, the King of Satire.

      I don't want to give too much away because it is only a short story but essentially this story is about a ghost of a manor who just can't seem to scare the new American owners, who are totally unperturbed by his attempts to scare them.

      Oscar Wilde is the right amount of funny, smart and snarky for this sort of story. I found it super light and readable and felt pity for the poor Canterville Ghost, whose favourite past times include holding his head away from his body, making blood stains on the carpet and scaring the maids into mental institutions.

      A fun lil romp and something I would not have read if it weren't for Serial Reader. c:
    • 3/5
      Humorous story about a ghost that haunts an ancient mansion of Canterville Chase. The new occupants are undisturbed by the ghost's presence. A humorous take of the classic Gothic ghost story.
    • 4/5
      It was great re - reading The Canterville Ghost. I've always loved this story and never get tired of Sir Simon and Canterville Chase. This is a perfect book to read when it's raining and there's a log fire in the hearth. Pleasant memories with this one.

    Book preview

    The Canterville Ghost - Oscar Wilde

    The Canterville Ghost

    An amusing chronicle of the tribulations of the Ghost of Canterville Chase when his ancestral halls became the home of the American Minister to the Court of St. James

    I

    II

    III

    IV

    V

    VI

    VII

    The Canterville Ghost

    An amusing chronicle of the tribulations of the Ghost of Canterville Chase

    when his ancestral halls became the home of the American Minister to the Court of St. James

    By

    OSCAR WILDE

    Illustrated by

    WALLACE GOLDSMITH

    1906

    I

    When Mr. Hiram B. Otis, the American Minister, bought Canterville Chase, every one told him he was doing a very foolish thing, as there was no doubt at all that the place was haunted. Indeed, Lord Canterville himself, who was a man of the most punctilious honour, had felt it his duty to mention the fact to Mr. Otis when they came to discuss terms.

    We have not cared to live in the place ourselves, said Lord Canterville, since my grandaunt, the Dowager Duchess of Bolton, was frightened into a fit, from which she never really recovered, by two skeleton hands being placed on her shoulders as she was dressing for dinner, and I feel bound to tell you, Mr. Otis, that the ghost has been seen by several living members of my family, as well as by the rector of the parish, the Rev. Augustus Dampier, who is a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. After the unfortunate accident to the Duchess, none of our younger servants would stay with us, and Lady Canterville often got very little sleep at night, in consequence of the mysterious noises that came from the corridor and the library.

    My Lord, answered the Minister, I will take the furniture and the ghost at a valuation. I have come from a modern country, where we have everything that money can buy; and with all our spry young fellows painting the Old World red, and carrying off your best actors and prima-donnas, I reckon that if there were such a thing as a ghost in Europe, we'd have it at home in a very short time in one of our public museums, or on the road as a show.

    I fear that the ghost exists, said Lord Canterville, smiling, though it may have resisted the overtures of your enterprising impresarios. It has been well known for three centuries, since 1584 in fact, and always makes its appearance before the death of any member of our family.

    Well, so does the family doctor for that matter, Lord Canterville. But there is no such thing, sir, as a ghost, and I guess the laws of Nature are not going to be suspended for the British aristocracy.

    You are certainly very natural in America, answered Lord Canterville, who did not quite understand Mr. Otis's last observation, and if you don't mind a ghost in the house, it is all right. Only you must remember I warned you.

    MISS VIRGINIA E. OTIS

    A few weeks after this, the purchase was concluded, and at the close of the season the Minister and his family went down to Canterville Chase. Mrs. Otis, who, as Miss Lucretia R. Tappan, of West 53d Street, had been a celebrated New York belle, was now a very handsome, middle-aged woman, with fine eyes, and a superb profile. Many American ladies on leaving their native land

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1