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The Canterville Ghost by Oscar WILDE
 
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
 
Published 1906
 
Oscar Wilde’s novella "The Canterville Ghost," first published in 1887, offers a satirical and comedic twist on the traditional English ghost story. The plot centers on the Otis family, Americans who purchase the ancient Canterville Chase estate in England, despite warnings that it is haunted by the ghost of Sir Simon de Canterville. Rather than being frightened, the pragmatic Otis family responds to supernatural events with practicality and wit—they offer the ghost lubricating oil for his noisy chains and use modern cleaning products on his infamous bloodstain, which peculiarly returns day after day. Sir Simon, who once took pride in terrorizing inhabitants, is outmatched by the family’s irreverence and especially by the mischievous twin boys. His attempts to scare them are routinely foiled, leading to both frustration and comic humiliation for the once-dreaded spirit.
Importantly, it is Virginia Otis, the family’s kind-hearted daughter, who transforms the story into one of compassion and redemption. She befriends the weary ghost and helps him find peace after centuries of unrest, learning from him about love, death, and forgiveness. The novella’s charm lies not only in Wilde’s clever humor and reversal of Gothic tropes but also in its touching message that empathy and understanding can transcend even the boundaries between the living and the dead.
"The Canterville Ghost" has seen many adaptations, most notably the 1944 film starring Charles Laughton, the 1996 TV movie with Patrick Stewart, and the whimsical 2023 animated feature with Stephen Fry as the ghost. This enduring tale continues to delight readers and audiences with its mix of comedy, wit, and genuine emotion.