The Canterville Ghost: A Victorian Tale of Wit and the Supernatural - Hardcover

by Oscar Wilde (Author)

A comic ghost story by Oscar Wilde that brings together elements of the supernatural with social satire and light moral reflection. The narrative centres on an American family who take up residence in an English country house reputed to be haunted, only to respond to its spectral inhabitant with a practical indifference that unsettles long-established expectations.

As the haunting unfolds, Wilde reverses the conventions of the Gothic tale, presenting the ghost not as a source of terror but as a figure subject to embarrassment, frustration, and eventual sympathy. The interplay between American pragmatism and English tradition provides the framework for a work that is at once humorous and gently reflective.

First appearing in the late nineteenth century, the story occupies a distinctive place within Wilde's prose writing, combining wit, narrative economy, and a controlled use of sentiment. It remains widely read as both an introduction to supernatural fiction and a study in tonal balance between comedy and pathos.

This edition presents the original text in a clear and carefully prepared format for contemporary readers.