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    The Canterville Ghost
    The Canterville Ghost
    The Canterville Ghost
    Ebook82 pages52 minutes

    The Canterville Ghost

    By Wallace Goldsmith and Oscar Wilde

    4/5

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateJan 1, 1930

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    Reviews for The Canterville Ghost

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      Review from BadelyngeNo tour through the literary landscape of The Ghost Story would be complete without Oscar Wilde's clever little tale The Canterville Ghost. He turns the whole concept on its head with the ancient titular ghost, who has spent several centuries not paying for the sins of his life by blithely terrifying the old house's residents and visitors to death and insanity, being driven to his own wits end by the American family who bring their own blithe modernity to bear in dealing with him. The results are very funny; Wilde is justly famous for his wit and his command of satire. It's not just a comedy though. There are more serious themes at work, not least the chance for redemption. Wilde also can find time between the fun to show he can use lyricism to evoke pathos with equal mastery. This is one you can read more than once, because like good poetry it doesn't always give everything up with the first reading.
    • 4/5
      This was a quaint, short, and neat little tale by Wilde. I thought that it got to the purpose, the epitome, of the story in an efficient way. However, it did not have the same majesty of language that Wilde possessed with his other works and I felt that to be a lacking quality about it. Nevertheless, the ending was fulfilling and the developments that occurred during it were palatable. For a quick, swift, and short read (for those interested in Wilde), I recommend this one.3.5 stars.
    • 4/5
      One day Mr.Otis buy a house of Canterville.Lord Canterville says "This house has a ghost."But Mr.Otis doesn't believe the ghost,so he buys this house with the ghost.You may think this story is horror,but it is not.The Otis Family live together with the ghost,Sir Simon.Sir Simon trys to scare this family,but every plan is failing.These situation are very funny.And surprisingly,I was impressed with the end of this story.
    • 5/5
      Mr Hiram B. Otis bought a house which has a ghost.The ghost tried to frighten Otis family.But Otis family weren't afraid of the ghost.At first I thought this book was horror.But now I think this is comedy.The story is humorous and impressive.I like this book.
    • 4/5
      I knew this book in my English class. I was interested in it,so I read it.This is a story about an American family and a ghost. The American family are not worried about the ghost. The ghost is not happy,because his job is to frighten people.This book is a horror,but I enjoyed it. I like this book very much.
    • 4/5
      One day the Otis family moved to Britain and began to live in the house called Cantervill Chase.It had a ghost, but they surprised the ghost rather than were afraid of it.So the ghost tried to frighten them harder.Then he met the daughter of the family, he began to change...This story was very moving, so please read it!
    • 4/5
      This is the story about The Canterville Ghost who was terrible before meet with Otis family. The ghost want Otis to be afraid of him, but he can't succeed it. And he is tricked by them.I think you will feel this story fearful when you see book's cover. But this is very funny and heart-warming story. I like the pitiful ghost very much.
    • 4/5
      Otis family move ina house.But there is a ghost in the house.The ghost try to surprise Otis family,but they are not afraid and counterattack to the ghost.While 300 years years,the ghost surprised and killed many people.But I think this ghost is admirable because try to surprise in desperetely.So I have attachment to the ghost in the end of story.
    • 4/5
      This story is the story about ghost house.Mr Otis buys the house where a ghost appears.The ghost hate Otis's family.The ghost thinks about a strategy, but continues failing.I thought that this book was the story that a family was frightened by a ghost.This story was interesting in unexpected development.
    • 4/5
      There has been a ghost in the house for a long time.The Cantervile's family have met him.In this story,a ghost is appeared.But,it is not scared.Very funny and heart-warming.
    • 5/5
      American family buys the old house that has had a ghost for three years. People warned Mr Hiram B.Otis , but he was happy to get the house and the ghost. On the other, the Canterville ghost who had been in the old house for three years tries to frighten the morden American family. But the new residents are tough enemies!This book is filled of humor and love. In the first side, the exchanges between the ghost and American family, especially sons is very fun. In the latter half, a beautiful daughter, Virgina's activity is wonderful. Indeed this book tells me "Life and Death and that Love is stronger than both." I like this story very much.
    • 3/5
      This is funny story about a ghost and strong American. To kill other people is very bad behave, but this ghost suffered for the cause of his death for three hundred years! He died of hunger. I felt pitty about him.Finally he could go to Heaven because of a little prety girl from America.
    • 4/5
      Mr.Otis bought aold house in England.There are ghost in the house.Mr.Otis and his family enjoy their life.I like this story.I was very fun.But I don't want to meet ghost.
    • 2/5
      This book's cover illustration is horrible,but the story isn't horror. I think the genre is comedy and LOVE! Otis family bought a house with ghost! The ghost wanted to frighten family members. But they had strong minds,and they frightened the ghost. Poor ghost! However,there was a family member who had pity on him. Who? And what does he do next...?
    • 4/5
      In this story,there is a ghost.But this is funny story.a rich American family buy a old house.Ghost wants to surprise the family,but his strategies do not go well.This story is so interesting because this story is included not only horror element but also other various elements.
    • 4/5
      The Canterville ghost is very cute because he is tricked by little twins. And he has a weakness for beautiful women.
    • 3/5
      This is a rich America family story. I know this book because of I read in the class.this book is easy to read and develop is fast. So I enjoyed.First, I thought this is horror. But it was not horror. I think this is comedy
    • 4/5
      One day Mr.Otis(American) bought a house in Britain,and moved to there with his family.But this house has a ghost.And this ghost wanted to scare his family?The cover of this book looks horror.So at first, I had misunderstanding about this book. This is a funny,and a heart-warming story.I recommend it.
    • 4/5
      American businessman's family Otis,they bought the house on the outskirts of England And that home has many ghost.However, Mr Otis isn't afraid of the ghost at all, on the contrary, take the chain rust pass the oil, they had complained to sound....This book's cover is a little scary, but this story is not scary but very funny.Anyway, I feel very funny this story.And this story's last is Emotional?
    • 4/5
      Otis' family moved the house which is called "Lord Canterville".The house has a ghost, but Otis' family don't believe the ghost.The ghost plans the way of terrifying them.I think this story is fun because the ghost which ever frightened many people can't frighten people for the first time, and he act various of plan but all fail.I don't like horror, but I can enjoy to read this story.
    • 4/5
      Mr. Sir Simon is a ghost.He lived in Canterville's house for many many years.One day, modern American family bought this house.They weren't scaryied of ghost at all.So he try to frighten them, but always the plan was failure.Virginia, the daughter of the family, decided to help the despondent ghost.What do you think the ghost to be at last ?I have read this book's introduction in class.I was interested in the story, so search this book.It's about ghost, but isn't horror.The ghost is funny, and it's hard to hate him.I want to meet such ghost.
    • 5/5
      This book's cover is little terrible, but this story is not so terrible. It's a story about house ghost. The house was selled to Otis family, and they change the ghost's life.At first, I thought this story is only horror, but it's not true. I thought the ghost was too poor, but in the end, I and maybe he was very happy. I think this is very good story!
    • 3/5
      One day,the Otis family decided to move to Canterville,England from America.In that house that they are going to live,there are ghost who was living in the house so long.He has a pride for ghost and he started to frighten Otis family...
    • 4/5
      An American family bought the house and the ghost who had lived there for three hndred years. At first, that ghost tried to frighten then somehow again and again, but, everytime he did, he was surprised or frightened by them unexpectedly and ran back to his room miserablly. Three boys of that family really enjoyed playing tricks on him in this way, but their sister Virginia was different and finally she even helped the ghost to get "something". It was...This American family got the ghost by money and they even frightened or surprised the ghost by modern tools from America. In this way, they believed in their modern culture and money, so they didn't get frightened by the "old" ghost at all. I think it was kind of interesting that such a people got really frightened when Virginia disappeared, in other words, when they were about to lose their love". This story actually shows the importance of love though we can't expect that at all at first.
    • 4/5
      This is not a horror,but a comedy story.Otis family moved to the house which is said that there was a ghost.But Otis family don't mind about that.So the ghost tried to frighten them.I read the beginning of this story in the class.And then I want to read this book.It was very fun.
    • 3/5
      This story is about a family and a ghost. Mr Hiram B. Otis bought an old house. In the house, there is a ghost. The ghost tries to frighten the family but...This story is very inretesting for me. The genre of the story is fantasy and forror. But the story is like a comedy story. The actions of the ghost are very funny. I recommend you the book.
    • 4/5
      Hiram B. Otis, American businessman, bought the house in which people said ghosts appeared. In fact, real ghosts appeared in the house. However the family were not afraid of them. This book is interesting for me. I am afraid of ghosts, but I have been not afraid of them since I read this book. If you are afraid of them, you should read this book.
    • 4/5
      The Canterville Chase is very big and old house.Hiram B Otis the American businesman buy this house.But the ghost live in this house.I was very fun. A modern American is not afraid for ghost.The 19th century people belive science is better than old supersition. But the ghost were saved by the love.It was great.
    • 4/5
      Mr Hiram B. bought a house where there was a ghost called Canterville. Mr Hiram B. and his family were not frightened by Canterville. So Canterville tried to frighten them... If i were Mr Hiram B.,I would not have bought that house no matter what.This is because I believe a ghost and I hate it. But in this story,Mr Hiram B. and his family were not frightened. On the contrary, they were happy to buy that house.This is the most interesting part in this book for me.
    • 5/5
      A ghost live the house called Canterville Chase.Everyone was frighten by him.So,family living there sells the house to American family.Then,Amerisan family aren't frigtened by any of his best tricks.But his job is to frighten people.What will he do? It is very interesting and exciting for me to read this book.I recomend it.

    Book preview

    The Canterville Ghost - Wallace Goldsmith

    The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Canterville Ghost, by Oscar Wilde, Illustrated by Wallace Goldsmith

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

    almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or

    re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included

    with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

    Title: The Canterville Ghost

    Author: Oscar Wilde

    Release Date: December 30, 2004 [eBook #14522]

    Most recently updated: August 2, 2005

    Language: English

    Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

    ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CANTERVILLE GHOST***

    E-text prepared by Robert Cicconetti, Karina Aleksandrova,

    and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

    The Canterville Ghost

    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

    By

    WILDE

    Illustrated by

    WALLACE GOLDSMITH

    1906

    John W. Luce and Company

    Boston and London

    LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

    Miss Virginia E. Otis

    Had once raced old Lord Bilton on her pony

    Blood has been spilled on that spot

    I really must insist on your oiling those chains

    The twins ... at once discharged two pellets on him

    Its head was bald and burnished

    He met with a severe fall

    A heavy jug of water fell right down on him

    Making satirical remarks on the photographs

    Suddenly there leaped out two figures

    'Poor, poor ghost,' she murmured; 'have you no place where you can sleep?'

    The ghost glided on more swiftly

    He heard somebody galloping after him

    Out on the landing stepped Virginia

    Chained to it was a gaunt skeleton

    By the side of the hearse and the coaches walked the servants with lighted torches

    The moon came out from behind a cloud

    I

    When Mr. Hiram B. Otis, the American Minister, bought Canterville Chase, every one told him he was doing a very foolish thing, as there was no doubt at all that the place was haunted. Indeed, Lord Canterville himself, who was a man of the most punctilious honour, had felt it his duty to mention the fact to Mr. Otis when they came to discuss terms.

    We have not cared to live in the place ourselves, said Lord Canterville, since my grandaunt, the Dowager Duchess of Bolton, was frightened into a fit, from which she never really recovered, by two skeleton hands being placed on her shoulders as she was dressing for dinner, and I feel bound to tell you, Mr. Otis, that the ghost has been seen by several living members of my family, as well as by the rector of the parish, the Rev. Augustus Dampier, who is a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. After the unfortunate accident to the Duchess, none of our younger servants would stay with us, and Lady Canterville often got very little sleep at night, in consequence of the mysterious noises that came from the corridor and the library.

    My Lord, answered the Minister, I will take the furniture and the ghost at a valuation. I have come from a modern country, where we have everything that money can buy; and with all our spry young fellows painting the Old World red, and carrying off your best actors and prima-donnas, I reckon that if there were such a thing as a ghost in Europe, we'd have it at home in a very short time in one of our public museums, or on the road as a show.

    I fear that the ghost exists, said Lord Canterville, smiling, though it may have resisted the overtures of your enterprising impresarios. It has been well known for three centuries, since 1584 in fact, and always makes its appearance before the death of any member of our family.

    Well, so does the family doctor for that matter, Lord Canterville. But there is no such thing, sir, as a ghost, and I guess the laws of Nature are not going to be suspended for the British aristocracy.

    You are certainly very natural in America, answered Lord Canterville, who did not quite understand Mr. Otis's last observation, and if you don't mind a ghost in the house, it is all right. Only you must remember I warned you.

    MISS VIRGINIA E. OTIS

    A few weeks after this, the purchase was concluded, and at the close of the season the Minister and his family went down to Canterville Chase. Mrs. Otis, who, as Miss Lucretia R. Tappan, of West

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