Il patto col fantasma

by Henry James, Piera Sestini (Translator), Attilio Brilli (Contributor)

La raffinata malìa dei fantasmi di Henry James è ben nota, sia che catturi il lettore in un'angoscia impalpabile sia che gli metta innanzi il muto simulacro della memoria. Un racconto giovanile, qual è Il patto col fantasma (1876), sembra rovesciare la trama di quella fascinazione per mostrarne l'abile messa in scena. Ne nasce un racconto grottesco scandito di citazioni nascoste, di richiami sotterranei - Hawthorne, Poe, Hoffmann, e che tuttavia genera sottili e ambigue atmosfere, tipiche del miglior James.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Classics, Gothic, Audiobook, Fiction, Paranormal

88 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1876

About the author

Henry James was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the son of Henry James Sr. and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James.
He is best known for his novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between émigré Americans, the English, and continental Europeans, such as The Portrait of a Lady. His later works, such as The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl were increasingly experimental. In describing the internal states of mind and social dynamics of his characters, James often wrote in a style in which ambiguous or contradictory motives and impressions were overlaid or juxtaposed in the discussion of a character's psyche. For their unique ambiguity, as well as for other aspects of their composition, his late works have been compared to Impressionist painting.
His novella The Turn of the Screw has garnered a reputation as the most analysed and ambiguous ghost story in the English language and remains his most widely adapted work in other media. He wrote other highly regarded ghost stories, such as "The Jolly Corner".
James published articles and books of criticism, travel, biography, autobiography, and plays. Born in the United States, James largely relocated to Europe as a young man, and eventually settled in England, becoming a British citizen in 1915, a year before his death. James was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912, and 1916. Jorge Luis Borges said "I have visited some literatures of East and West; I have compiled an encyclopedic compendium of fantastic literature; I have translated Kafka, Melville, and Bloy; I know of no stranger work than that of Henry James."

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent classic ghost story! A 22 year old takes up his studies in Cambridge (USA). One day he takes a shortcut home from Medford and sees a mysterious melancholy mansion. His first thought is this house must be haunted. In the course of the story he meets diminutive old man ('a figure of Hoffman's tales'), Captain Diamond, and finds out his tragic secret. When the old man falls ill he is to visit the haunted house in behalf of him. Will he meet the ghost there? Is there a good ending in sight for all parties involved? And what about the ghostly rental? This is a masterly composed and brilliant written ghost story (Henry James has an inimitable prose) with a fine twist and many great allusions ('Pascal's Thoughts', 'The Arabian Nights'). Absolutely recommended!

[Gaetano Laureanti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il breve racconto di Henry James si legge d’un fiato, e non solo per il ridotto numero di pagine.

Non ha la forza di evocare i fantasmi de Il giro di vite, ma riesce ad inquietare lo stesso il lettore con una storia forse prevedibile, ma comunque misteriosa ed affascinante, con tanto di colpo di scena.

Farlo in poche pagine è comunque un’arte!

[becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great short story. Extremely well told and had me wishing it wasn’t so short.

[suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

{3.5}

Honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! Wish I had read this in October

[Parlons fiction · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voici une petite nouvelle fantastique très bien racontée, qui se lit facilement et rapidement. Si vous aimez les histoires de fantômes qu’on se raconte le soir en parlant doucement autour de la cheminée, alors c’est un texte pour vous. Comme souvent avec Henry James, je suis tout de même un peu restée sur ma faim, mais je suis contente d’avoir pris le temps de me plonger dans cette histoire.

[Coleccionista de finales tristes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Después de leer Otra vuelta de tuerca quisé seguir leyendo más de este autor. Hasta el momento no he encontrado algo comparable a Otra vuelta de tuerca.

[Kevin Warman · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Henry James is better known for "The Turning of the Screw," "The Ghostly Rental" is an entertaining read worth your time.

I tend to have mixed feelings about psychological thrillers, but enjoyed James' short story.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent ghostly tale

[Vera 4theloveofwords · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry James at his best. Skillfully told and beautifully written. Still not a fan of short stories, though. I keep wanting more.

[Kurumayu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une lecture étrange, mais divertissante. Je me demande si la première nouvelle n'a pas inspiré un passage de The Haunting of Hill House car la ressemblance est frappante !

[Filipa Maia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story about the overwhelming pressure on women from their families. This particular lady is a very twisted and dark way of showing her father her independence. I liked it!

[Carolina Hueitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25/5 ★

[Shuggy L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depicts a father (Captain Diamond)/daughter duet haunting each other in their abandoned house during the early 20th century in the Massachusetts area (Medford). Focuses on overbearing male behavior and women's rights.

The narrator is a young man who is studying at a nearby divinity school. He becomes aware of Captain Dimond's story from tales told by the local inhabitants. The daughter is an attractive women whose fiance has not welcomed by her father.

Alludes to the parental obligations and grown children's freedom to pursue their own lives. With its lonely dwelling places and country roads a mysterious scenario is created to capture the nuances that exist between human actions and their psychological consequences.

Racial issues are barely touched upon in the description of the father's respected, if superstitious, servant and I would have liked more information about the daughter's current living situation.

There could have been a more thematic and symbolic portrayal of religious rites, a neighboring spinster's life and the nearby abandoned premises.

Other authors where father and daughter combinations appear include Charles Dickens (Dombey and Son) and Joseph Conrad (To-morrow). It was common for a widow, and his daughter to find themselves maintaining a household in earlier times (when death struck family members early).

Jean-Paul Sartre's mother, Anne-Marie (widowed) and her father (Carl Schweitzer, German language teacher) had to maintain a working household arrangement due to the premature death of Jean-Baptiste Sartre (father) from Indo-China.

[AMELIA TUTTLE · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost want to rate this short story on two merits - descriptive writing style versus storyline. The writing is pleasant and the story flows very well. It is very descriptive, and even the dated vocabulary gives you a sense of being in the moment. However, the storyline is stagnant throughout the book with the same scene playing over and over again; with each reoccurrence James takes the reader just a step further. The climax of the story was anything but for me ... even James' storyteller said at point that he did not like to use the word "fear" but rather "dread", this when faced with seeing a ghost for the first time. I will compromise and give this three stars. It *was* enjoyable to read this to pass the time, but it will not be a book that I will revisit at any point in the future.

[Althea Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A passerby is drawn by curiosity to investigate an abandoned, haunted-looking house – and uncovers the strange tale of the old man who visits the gloomy, crumbling building every quarter – reputedly to collect rent from a ghost.
The narrator comes across as an unconscionable busybody, and the source of his gossip seems quite random and conveniently plot-serving, but other than that, this is a very nice ghost story, with a satisfying twist.

[Forked Radish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you perceive tortoises to be moving at dangerously high speeds? Then your internal clock is ticking slowly enough to enjoy Henry James.

[Suki St Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

31 Classic Horror Stories Every Fan Should Read in October: A Literary Advent Calender for Halloween: Day 21:
https://www.oldstyletales.com/single-...

[Lou Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Game I played whilst listening: Cozy Grove.

Final Verdict
A cosy read for passing time. I enjoyed it. It wasn't great or awful, however if you're a fan of horror stories, and want something to listen to whilst you go about perhaps cleaning.

I rather enjoyed this refreshing break from other classic literature as it wasn't so heavy on the society side. Personal opinion.

[Elsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

"La casa parecía inexpresiva, fría y desocupada, pero cuando me acerque me pareció notar algo familiar, una elocuencia audible"

Una historia clásica de una casa con fantasmas y un asesinato, con un final sorprendente.

[Bernard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Henry James is and always has been one of the most boring gothic writers I've ever had to read. This one has the mercy of being brief at least, but his prose doesn't so much have a pace as it is paint drying on the wall.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moody tale involving a ghost that pays rent on a haunted house. There is an old man with a shameful past and a rather nosy divinity student. It is atmospheric as it moves steadily to the conclusion. Audio version narrated by Robertson Dean who suits James' tale very well.

[Maddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Balio literario handiko istorioa, deskribapenak gehien bat zoragarriak dira. Nahiz eta hasieran misterioa oso interesgarria den, erdialderako jada dena deskubritzen da eta beldur sentsazioa desagerrarazi, zoritxarrez.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, I'd much prefer Dickens to James but this story was better then others I've read to far in his collection. I have a sense he's barrowed some of his writing ideas from Charles as the morality of the events is often connected to the ghostly nature of spirits interacting with the living.

[Amy]

This is a more traditional ghost story, more like the mid-Victorian ghost story than James's The Turn of the Screw. The Ghostly Rental has a haunted house, family strife, battle of inheritance. The full Victorian menu.

[Sussy_lwp · Rating 4 out of 5]

🙋🏻‍♀️ 4☆
🦇🔪🧚‍♀️👻 #Cozyween 👻🧚‍♀️🔪🦇
Verdaderamente, para ser tan corto me pareció muy profundo, interesante e inquietante.

La trama va lentamente envolviéndome, y James sabe manejar muy bien los tiempos en estos relatos tan cortitos

[Izzie Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spooky! And pretty heart breaking. Beautifully written.

[Fachrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this may be my favourite story out of the advent calendar.

[Paul Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unusual if lacking in drama and rather laboured but with the an unexpected twist.

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Victorian Ghost story. The atmospheric descriptions added greatly to the mood of the story.

[David P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breve historia de fantasmas, con una casa ¿encantada?, la maravillosa pluma de Henry James y un final con sorpresa.