book review on canterville ghost

Nathaniel Wonderful

Fantasy author and translator

View of an old manor's hall with a spiral staircase and large stained-glass windows, marble-like mosaic floor, and blue-white spectral smoke rising up the stairs.

Book Review
Classic Author
Classic Book

A whimsical tale of culture clash against the backcloth of an old curse and platonic love.

The Canterville Ghost is one of Oscar Wilde’s charming short stories, first published in 1887, playfully exploring the cultural differences between the Old and New World.

The narrative unfolds at Canterville Chase, an ancient estate haunted for centuries by Sir Simon, a ghost with a rather unfortunate reputation. However, it is the ghost who endures the real hardships when the American Otis family buys the mansion.

This was the first of Wilde’s stories to be published in the British literary magazine The Court and Society Review , where it was divided into two parts. The story has since been adapted for theatre and film many times.

“The owl beat against the window panes, the raven croaked from the old yew-tree, and the wind wandered moaning round the house like a lost soul; but the Otis family slept unconscious of their doom, and high above the rain and storm he could hear the steady snoring of the Minister for the United States.” —The Canterville Ghost

Wilde is well known for his barbed wit ( see the previous post ) that reflects the Canterville Ghost as well. The story serves as a satire of British aristocracy and American pragmatism—two cultures Wilde experienced first-hand during his life and lectures.

Attentive readers can find plenty of subtle jabs throughout the text, from the nickname “The Stars and Stripes” given to the Otis boys to the complaint about the difficulty of obtaining hominy , even in the best English households. Wilde’s humour is evident in situational irony , such as when the ghost, attempting to scare the Otises, is asked by the head of the family to oil his rattling chains, or in Virginia’s eventual marriage to an English gentleman.

True to his poetic soul, Wilde lays emphasis on the dramatic scenes , creating vivid atmosphere through rich detail and a theatrical approach.

“On its breast was a placard with strange writing in antique characters, some scroll of shame it seemed, some record of wild sins, some awful calendar of crime, and, with its right hand, it bore aloft a falchion of gleaming steel.” —The Canterville Ghost

In conclusion, The Canterville Ghost is a thought-provoking read, creating humour without resorting to vulgarities. Although Wilde does not offer a particularly strong female character by modern standards, Virginia remains the key to Sir Simon’s redemption, holding the light of hope for the ghost’s peace.

I first encountered this story as a schoolchild, after having already read The Picture of Dorian Gray . At the time, I was disappointed by the Czech translation because it didn’t seem to match Wilde’s other works in style. Naively, I thought it might have been a misstep on Wilde’s part. However, I later realised the issue lay with the translation— the original English is as beautiful as any of Wilde’s writing.

What’s your opinion on Wilde’s work? Do you find it imbued with immense beauty, or do you feel it is burdened by outdated language? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to our next literary journey together!

Yours Truly,

Gothic fiction
Irish Author
Male Author
Oscar WIlde
Rich Vocabulary
Victorian Era

Exploring the World of Oscar Wilde

The Life and Death of the Master Barbed Wit Oscar Wilde, born in 1854, was an Irish poet and playwright renowned for his sharp wit and sensual style, which mirrored his flamboyant and rebellious life. He defied the rigid societal norms of the 19th century, building upon solid foundations that...

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Night’s Master by Tanith Lee

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She Reads Novels

"she had read novels while other people perused the sunday papers" – mary elizabeth braddon, review: the canterville ghost by oscar wilde.

The Canterville Ghost is a ghost story with a difference. It takes place in an English country house, Canterville Chase, which for centuries has been said to be haunted. When a rich American called Mr Otis moves into the house with his wife and children, Lord Canterville feels he should warn them about Sir Simon, the resident ghost. However, the Otis family aren’t afraid of ghosts and no matter how hard Sir Simon tries, they simply refuse to be frightened!

For anyone reading this review and thinking this book is not for you because you’re scared of ghost stories, I can promise you that it’s really not scary at all – I would describe it as more of a comedy and a clever satire. Wilde juxtaposes an atmospheric gothic setting, the typical British ‘haunted house’, with a practical American family who have an amusing way of reacting to the appearance of Sir Simon.

Right in front of him he saw, in the wan moonlight, an old man of terrible aspect. His eyes were as red burning coals; long grey hair fell over his shoulders in matted coils; his garments, which were of antique cut, were soiled and ragged, and from his wrists and ankles hung heavy manacles and rusty gyves. “My dear sir,” said Mr. Otis, “I really must insist on your oiling those chains, and have brought you for that purpose a small bottle of the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator.”

Wilde is clearly having fun creating British and American stereotypes and using them to explore cultural differences, though he does it in a witty and inoffensive way. Another thing I liked is that some of the story is told from the ghost’s perspective, so that our sympathy is with him rather than the Otis family.

Although the ending is a bit too sweet and sentimental, I really enjoyed this unusual little book! It’s funny, imaginative, and so easy to read it’s suitable for younger readers as well as adults.

(As a side note, I read this book on Saturday 16th October, which happened to be Oscar Wilde’s 156th birthday. I had no idea of this until after I’d finished the book, turned on my laptop and saw that Google were honouring the occasion with a Google Doodle. Very appropriate!)

once my frnd recommended me to read this novel by hearing the name i thought that it would be scary but when i read the story, i found it to be interesting and not at all scary infact it is a comical type novel at the same time in the ending I was full of sympathy for the poor old ghost Sr.Simon the best characters of the novel are Sr. Simon and Virginia Otis

I think this is an interesting story with some super natural features.It is also a funny story as in this story GHOST is afraid of people in the chase.

i like this book very much

really intresting 1

wicked! ghost & twins”

Very nyc book.. It contains humour, romance bt very much less horror… A must read book for all..:)

this novel is very funny and imaginative…. i really enjoyed reading this book ……….. and i like the twins characters………

I LIKE THE BOOK..

REALLY VERY INTRESTING NOVEL…

useles book……d most boring book i hv evr read in my whole life…it sucks

this is not useles book . reply me.

its scary with fun

very interesting book

i think the story is tooo gud

I will read this book and I think this book having lots of fun. I like this novel.

i’ll also read this book. it is very very good story. this novel having lots of fun. and tooo gud THANK YOU!

I like this novel it is having so many funs.

i read it first time& i lik it

I like this novel

I like this novel its verry funny and like this santence love is big life aur death samthing

lovely novel

its such a lovly novel

its a lovly novel”””

ilike it most becoz its a very intresting novel

i enjoyed reading dis buk

toooooo…… good

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The Canterville Ghost – Horror Mixed With Humor!

Some books stay with you much longer than others. And The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde is certainly one of them for me. I had first read it as part of my CBSE syllabus. Back in school, I used to wonder how it would be to read something of this sort without the pressure of scoring well. And when I did, it turned out to be nothing short of an extremely delightful experience.

The Canterville Ghost (Review)

The Canterville Ghost Horror Mixed With Humor!

The title might make you think that it is a ghost story that will induce a shiver down your spine. Well, sorry to break your bubble, but you are up for a major surprise. It is anything but scary!

The introduction by Kaushal Goyal describes The Canterville Ghost as a study in contrasts. Read on to find out what that means. The short story has every possible trope of traditional gothic literature; be it clanking chains, cracking floorboards, or changing weather. What more, the very first page has a passing mention of two skeleton hands. But Wilde uses these devices as a means of participating in and parodying the gothic tradition itself. General notions and stereotypes are what he aims to lampoon at each juncture.

Wilde excels in the economy of words, using fewer words to say more. 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. His wild blending of macabre with comedy is as imaginative as it can get. For most parts, the irony is what lends the story its comic timing. The juxtaposition of misfit elements and situations begins the moment Wilde places a typical American family in an old British country house, Canterville Chase.

Everything is so categorically reversed from the onset itself that you know you have signed up for a rollercoaster ride. Unlike in most ghost stories, Sir Simon (a three-hundred-year-old ghost) is the narrator here. The story is told from his point of view, and it is his emotions that we get to see. Hilarity arises when Sir Simor’s innumerable attempts at scaring off the new inhabitants (the Otis family) go in vain. Oddly enough, it is him who ends up ill and terrified of the “wild shrieks of laughter from the twins.”

The Canterville Ghost By Oscar Wilde Author Novel Review Rating Summary

Washington’s (the elder son) way of mentioning the Pinkerton’s Champion Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent sounds like a ludicrous advertisement. But it is one of the many jibes at the Americans’ “practical way of dealing with the problem.” How Sir Simon speaks of the mundaneness of ghost life is just as funny as it is a firm reminder of the British aristocracy’s seemingly bizarre routines. He seamlessly creates a plethora of blink-and-you-will-miss-it moments throughout. With multiple interesting incidents unfolding one after the other, he keeps you on edge. Like most ghost stories, you are always wondering what would happen next. Almost every page of this seven-chapter-long short story has a one-liner that is likely to have you in splits. But my favorite one has to be Sir Simon’s description of Lady Eleanor de Canterville’s (his wife) murder as a family matter, which concerned no one else.

There is a tonal shift towards the end. Silliness makes room for some seriousness. The ending, if I may say so, is somewhat open. By making Virginia (the Otis’ fifteen-year-old daughter) hold on to her secret, Wilde makes us ponder more over the basic message of the story, “what Life is, and what Death signifies, and why Love is stronger than both.” Ultimately, Virginia’s marriage to the Duke of Cheshire comes across as a blend of the two cultures. And this symbolism brings the playful sparring of the Old and New World to a full circle. The ending was too sentimental for my taste, I admit. But it still left me yearning for more. I wish Wilde had given us some more scoops of this delish drama.

So, here is the deal. This entertaining and engaging piece is highly recommended for children and adults alike. It can serve as a great mood lifter during gloomy lockdown days. Even at a slow pace, you can finish it in a couple of hours. And for those of you who could not and would not get enough of it (like me!), you can find several stage and screen adaptations of the short story. Honestly, you really have to be living under a rock to not be familiar with Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde. But if you are, do check out his other remarkable works like The Importance of Being Earnest, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Happy Prince. You can get the book here! 📖