Gothic Halloween Fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    As the Halloween season winds down, I would like to discuss the more satisfying of my two Halloween reads.  The more unsatisfying one, "A Good And Happy Child," has been consigned to the slag heap.

                                    The remarkable thing about this book, which is a collection of short stories, is that not all the stories are by Dickens.  There are some authors I never heard of, as well as pros of the era, like Wilkie Collins and Elizabeth Gaskell.

                                       The premise is this authored group gathers and spends the period from Christmas Eve to Twelfth Night in this haunted house. At said time, they gather, and exchange stories of unusual experiences.

                                        One can see, from this collection, how Shirley Jackson was influenced, for these are not stories of stark terror, but psychological ambiguity.  The best one, "The Ghost In The Garden Room," by Elizabeth Gaskell, is the most heartbreaking thing I have read since the deaths of Fantine in "Les Miserables," as well as Little Nell in "The Old Curiosity Shop," and Dora in "David Copperfield."  The story tells of a loving couple, Hester and Nathan, who raise a son Benjamin, to be a gentleman.  He turns on them, socially, morally, and ethically, acknowledging nothing, once he leaves home. The father disavows him, but the mother clings to him--until he stages, with two other men a robbery at his parents' home, ordering the men to hold the old woman down, and slit her throat, if need be.  His own mother!  I was hoping for a "Prodigal Son" type ending, but the mother finally realizes the truth, and dies of a broken heart.  This was so wrenching.  And I thought I was a bad kid?
I would never treat an animal this way!  Benjamin is a piece of work, and I would love to see him get his comeuppance. Rest assured, he will!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         Certainly the shortest volume of Dickens I will ever read or own, "The Haunted House" is a worthy addition to his canon, and to the inner workings of authors of its time.
I had such fun with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          But don't be a no good profligate, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!