Set in 1867,
this Dickensian novel actually starts with an appearance by Dickens himself. He
gives a public reading of a ghost story, setting the mood for what follows.
Eliza Crane, 21 years old, tells the story, adding an intimate touch. When her
father dies, she seeks to get away from the home they’ve shared and takes a
governess job in Norfolk, sight unseen, at Gaudlin Hall. After a
couple of mishaps at the train station, Eliza is mystified to find herself met
at the hall only by the children, Isabella and Eustace Westerley. At first it
seems there are no adults in the house at all; inquiries made in town are
stonewalled. Where are the parents? Why is there no staff? Almost immediately
strange things start happening to Eliza; curtains move when there is no breeze,
invisible hands grab and push violently.
The book is
written in the style of the 1800s; it’s very much a Victorian gothic novel,
right down to the language. As the story unfolds, some things have very mundane
explanations but others clearly don’t. There’s a Hitchcockian twist at the end
that will leave the reader with a feeling of dread. It’s not the greatest ghost
story I’ve ever read, but it’s a solid one that sticks to supernatural fright
rather than defaulting to slashing and gore like so many these days.
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