For most parts, the irony is what lends the story its comic timing. His wild blending of macabre with comedy is as imaginative as it can get. But the winning factor is how fresh these words read/sound even today, though the story was first published, as part of The Court and Society Review magazine, in the late 1800s. Wilde excels in the economy of words, using fewer words to say more. The Casual Vacancy – A Glimpse into Muggle-World Darkness! General notions and stereotypes are what he aims to lampoon at each juncture. But Wilde uses these devices as a means of participating in and parodying the gothic tradition itself. What more, the very first page has a passing mention of two skeleton hands. The short story has every possible trope of traditional gothic literature be it clanking chains, cracking floorboards, or changing weather. The introduction by Kaushal Goyal describes The Canterville Ghost as a study in contrasts. Well, sorry to break your bubble, but you are up for a major surprise. The title might make you think that it is a ghost story that will induce a shiver down your spine. And when I did, it turned out to be nothing short of an extremely delightful experience.

Back in school, I used to wonder how it would be to read something of this sort without the pressure of scoring well. I had first read it as part of my CBSE syllabus. And The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde is certainly one of them for me. Some books stay with you much longer than others.

The canterville ghost sparknotes