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The Shadow
“The Shadow” is a ghost story told in an unusual style: a ghost story that was actually not at all about supernatural mythologies, spooky sights, or Gothic atmosphere, but rather one that was deeply concerned with the condition of the human soul.
About the author
E. Nesbit
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Edith Nesbit
(married name Edith Bland; 15 August 1858 – 4 May 1924) was an English author and poet; she published her books for children under the name of E. Nesbit.
She wrote or collaborated on over 60 books of fiction for children, several of which have been adapted for film and television. She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society, a socialist organisation later connected to the Labour Party.
Edith Nesbit was born in Kennington, Surrey, the daughter of agricultural chemist and schoolmaster John Collis Nesbit. The death of her father when she was four and the continuing ill health of her sister meant that Nesbit had a transitory childhood, her family moving across Europe in search of healthy climates only to return to England for financial reasons. Nesbit therefore spent her childhood attaining an education from whatever sources were available—local grammars, the occasional boarding school but mainly through reading.
At 17 her family finally settled in London and aged 19, Nesbit met Hubert Bland, a political activist and writer. They became lovers and when Nesbit found she was pregnant they became engaged, marrying in April 1880. After this scandalous (for Victorian society) beginning, the marriage would be an unconventional one. Initially, the couple lived separately—Nesbit with her family and Bland with his mother and her live-in companion Maggie Doran.
Initially, Edith Nesbit books were novels meant for adults, including The Prophet's Mantle (1885) and The Marden Mystery (1896) about the early days of the socialist movement. Written under the pen name of her third child 'Fabian Bland', these books were not successful. Nesbit generated an income for the family by lecturing around the country on socialism and through her journalism (she was editor of the Fabian Society's journal, Today).
In 1899 she had published The Adventures of the Treasure Seekers to great acclaim.
She wrote or collaborated on over 60 books of fiction for children, several of which have been adapted for film and television. She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society, a socialist organisation later connected to the Labour Party.
Edith Nesbit was born in Kennington, Surrey, the daughter of agricultural chemist and schoolmaster John Collis Nesbit. The death of her father when she was four and the continuing ill health of her sister meant that Nesbit had a transitory childhood, her family moving across Europe in search of healthy climates only to return to England for financial reasons. Nesbit therefore spent her childhood attaining an education from whatever sources were available—local grammars, the occasional boarding school but mainly through reading.
At 17 her family finally settled in London and aged 19, Nesbit met Hubert Bland, a political activist and writer. They became lovers and when Nesbit found she was pregnant they became engaged, marrying in April 1880. After this scandalous (for Victorian society) beginning, the marriage would be an unconventional one. Initially, the couple lived separately—Nesbit with her family and Bland with his mother and her live-in companion Maggie Doran.
Initially, Edith Nesbit books were novels meant for adults, including The Prophet's Mantle (1885) and The Marden Mystery (1896) about the early days of the socialist movement. Written under the pen name of her third child 'Fabian Bland', these books were not successful. Nesbit generated an income for the family by lecturing around the country on socialism and through her journalism (she was editor of the Fabian Society's journal, Today).
In 1899 she had published The Adventures of the Treasure Seekers to great acclaim.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 15, 2024
"This is not an artistically rounded-off ghost story, and nothing is explained in it, and there seems to be no reason why any of it should have happened. But that is no reason why it should not be told. You must have noticed that all the real ghost stories you have ever come close to, are like this in these respects – no explanation, no logical coherence…”
These are the reasoned opening words-
At a Christmas party was held in a young manor house, the men have gone to billiards and left a group of young women, one has passed out in the other room, are convening to tell ghost stories. Miss Eastwich, the middle aged housekeeper is invited in to enjoy cocoa. It is clear to the narrator – who notices her glance at the door to the room where the fainted girl is sleeping – that she is actually worried that a fit of exhaustion might have turned into something more serious. Silent, serious, and stoic, Eastwich meekly accepts the chattering girls’ invitation to join their story telling session and have some cocoa by the snapping fire.
...tells a real ghost story.
(SPOILERS)
This is quite convoluted, and its VERY victorian so there's a lot of subtleties.
Here's a few:
-Nesbit writes herself into the story repeatedly.
- she creates a character egotistical and spoiled (like the girl who's bothering her) whomst she obliterates.
-The relationship between Miss Eastwich and “him” is not one of innocent unrequited love.
- Miss Eastwich has had sexual relations with her “friend” (outside of marriage), and that she is barren. Syphilis in women was a common cause in that day and age.
Equally interesting, this housekeeper is expressing her surpassed emotions around the three rich girls, and mirroring them.
Miss Eastwich’s selectorate of jealousy, anger, resentment, repression, lust, or hate; it is Mabel’s jealousy, suspicion, or unspoken knowledge of the affair. Sure, there is no conventional ghost. But instead new house, fresh and without history but it festers with the infection of the prior couple.
This is different magnitude a typical pulp-horror. It's meditative, has me thinking ong how dynamics and stories we carry with us can be infectious. The shadow is used to represent the darkness that is revealed of a man’s moral character when truth is cast on it. How they aren't what they seem around women when alone.
I'll make note to reread it a few times to let it fully sink in.
These are the reasoned opening words-
At a Christmas party was held in a young manor house, the men have gone to billiards and left a group of young women, one has passed out in the other room, are convening to tell ghost stories. Miss Eastwich, the middle aged housekeeper is invited in to enjoy cocoa. It is clear to the narrator – who notices her glance at the door to the room where the fainted girl is sleeping – that she is actually worried that a fit of exhaustion might have turned into something more serious. Silent, serious, and stoic, Eastwich meekly accepts the chattering girls’ invitation to join their story telling session and have some cocoa by the snapping fire.
...tells a real ghost story.
(SPOILERS)
This is quite convoluted, and its VERY victorian so there's a lot of subtleties.
Here's a few:
-Nesbit writes herself into the story repeatedly.
- she creates a character egotistical and spoiled (like the girl who's bothering her) whomst she obliterates.
-The relationship between Miss Eastwich and “him” is not one of innocent unrequited love.
- Miss Eastwich has had sexual relations with her “friend” (outside of marriage), and that she is barren. Syphilis in women was a common cause in that day and age.
Equally interesting, this housekeeper is expressing her surpassed emotions around the three rich girls, and mirroring them.
Miss Eastwich’s selectorate of jealousy, anger, resentment, repression, lust, or hate; it is Mabel’s jealousy, suspicion, or unspoken knowledge of the affair. Sure, there is no conventional ghost. But instead new house, fresh and without history but it festers with the infection of the prior couple.
This is different magnitude a typical pulp-horror. It's meditative, has me thinking ong how dynamics and stories we carry with us can be infectious. The shadow is used to represent the darkness that is revealed of a man’s moral character when truth is cast on it. How they aren't what they seem around women when alone.
I'll make note to reread it a few times to let it fully sink in.
Read
May 26, 2024imbibed via audio, very nice little slinky thing; old fashioned
December 24, 2023
E. Nesbit's short story, written around 1905, is a play on the British Christmas tradition of telling ghost stories to one another after dinner, beside the fire, sipping egg nog.
This is a truly creepy tale. A black liquid inkness sloths into shadows and disturbs the owners of their estate. As a classic ghost story, this has no explanation or reason to it. It just 'happens', to the horror of the characters that play a part within the story.
Full of dark, winter atmosphere, I enjoyed this Victorian era tale.
This is a truly creepy tale. A black liquid inkness sloths into shadows and disturbs the owners of their estate. As a classic ghost story, this has no explanation or reason to it. It just 'happens', to the horror of the characters that play a part within the story.
Full of dark, winter atmosphere, I enjoyed this Victorian era tale.
December 16, 2022
This is a story in which mystery abounds and nothing is explained, so I'll do my best to set the scene and spoil nothing.
The narrator recalls a country Christmas party with friends. Staying up late, the girls conjure up ghost stories, and they can't help being frightened when, in the midst of this, there's a loud knock at the door.
It turns out only to be Miss Eastwich, the housekeeper. The girls invite her in, offer her cocoa and cozy spot by the fire, and one of them entreats upon Miss Eastwich to please tell them a ghost story.
And so she does.
This story, like so many of the greats, is less about paranormality and more about humanity. The first time I read it, I felt underwhelmed by its spookiness, but I found it stuck with me and became more haunting, more disturbing the longer I thought about it.
The narrator recalls a country Christmas party with friends. Staying up late, the girls conjure up ghost stories, and they can't help being frightened when, in the midst of this, there's a loud knock at the door.
It turns out only to be Miss Eastwich, the housekeeper. The girls invite her in, offer her cocoa and cozy spot by the fire, and one of them entreats upon Miss Eastwich to please tell them a ghost story.
And so she does.
This story, like so many of the greats, is less about paranormality and more about humanity. The first time I read it, I felt underwhelmed by its spookiness, but I found it stuck with me and became more haunting, more disturbing the longer I thought about it.
November 20, 2023
I think this is the first horror story I've read by this author, and I don't think it's really my genre.
Penso che questo sia il primo racconto dell'orrore che leggo di questa autrice e non credo sia proprio il mio genere.
Penso che questo sia il primo racconto dell'orrore che leggo di questa autrice e non credo sia proprio il mio genere.
January 14, 2021
Didn't expect some parts great short story
January 21, 2022
A very creepy and very sad and strangely meta little tale.
November 18, 2023
Too abstruse for my taste.
December 5, 2023
This story was okay to read. I suspect there is a lot of symbolism in it and much more depth given Nesbit's husband's history. It's a sad statement if what I'm reading into it is reality.
December 14, 2023
I would like to read this again. I think there is a lot there beneath the surface.
April 14, 2024
A well-written, spooky ghost story with really good characterization.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews