The Canterville Ghost

By Oscar Wilde

The Canterville Ghost is a popular 1887 novella by Oscar Wilde, widely adapted for the screen and stage.
"The Canterville Ghost" is a parody featuring a dramatic spirit named Sir Simon and the United States minister (ambassador) to the Court of St. James's, Hiram B. Otis. Mr. Otis travels to England with his family and moves into a haunted country house. Lord Canterville, the previous owner of the house, warns Mr. Otis that the ghost of Sir Simon de Canterville has haunted it ever since he killed his wife, Eleonore, three centuries before. But Mr. Otis dismisses the ghost story as bunk and disregards Lord Canterville's warnings. When the Otises learn that the house is indeed haunted, they succeed in victimizing the ghost and in disregarding age-old British traditions. What emerges is a satire of American materialism, a lampoon of traditional British values, and an amusing twist on the traditional gothic horror tale.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AB Books
• Release date: Oct 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9782291056331

Oscar Wilde

OSCAR WILDE (Dublín, 1854–París, 1900), poeta y dramaturgo irlandés, es considerado uno de los más célebres escritores en lengua inglesa de todos los tiempos, tanto por su provocadora personalidad como por su obra. Escribió relatos y novelas, como El retrato de Dorian Gray, poemas como el desgarrador La balada de la cárcel de Reading, y fue enormemente popular en el Londres victoriano por su exitosa producción teatral, como La importancia de llamarse Ernesto, y por su ingenio mordaz y brillante conversación.

Reviews for The Canterville Ghost

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sir Simon is not the kind of ghost one might choose to haunt a mansion, being that he is rather a despicable ghost, having killed his wife. He carries on his nefarious deeds even as a ghost, enjoying his escapades in the terrorizing of the people he encounters. But his joy is cut short when an American family moves in and he comes upon twin boys who may actually be more scary than Sir Simon. Oscar Wilde has a way with words, and his stories never disappoint.