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La declaración de Stella Maberly
Cuando su padre cae en desgracia, la joven Stella Maberly se ve obligada a buscar trabajo como dama de compañía de una vieja compañera del colegio, Evelyn Heseltine. Un día, Stella se encuentra a Evelyn aparentemente muerta por envenenamiento. Al shock inicial le sucede un segundo cuando Evelyn despierta. Stella está convencida de que un espíritu maligno ha ocupado el cadáver de su amiga y lo ha reanimado. El inusual comportamiento de Evelyn refuerza la idea de que algo demoníaco se ha apoderado de ella. Sin embargo, lo que se pregunta todo el mundo es si Stella ha perdido la cordura.
160 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2024
9 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
F. Anstey
235 books9 followersThomas Anstey Guthrie was an English novelist and journalist, who wrote his comic novels under the pseudonym F. Anstey.
He was born in Kensington, London, to Augusta Amherst Austen, an organist and composer, and Thomas Anstey Guthrie. He was educated at King's College School and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and was called to the bar in 1880. But the popular success of his story Vice Versa (1882) with its topsy turvy substitution of a father for his schoolboy son, at once made his reputation as a humorist of an original type. He published in 1883 a serious novel, The Giant's Robe; but, in spite of its excellence, he discovered (and again in 1889 with The Pariah) that it was not as a serious novelist but as a humorist that the public insisted on regarding him. As such, his reputation was further confirmed by The Black Poodle (1884), The Tinted Venus (1885), A Fallen Idol (1886), and other works. Baboo Jabberjee B.A. (1897) , and A Bayard from Bengal (1902) are humorous yet truthful studies of the East Indian with a veneer of English civilization.
Guthrie became an important member of the staff of Punch magazine, in which his voces populi and his humorous parodies of a reciter's stock-piece (Burglar Bill, &c.) represent his best work. In 1901, his successful farce The Man from Blankleys, based on a story that originally appeared in Punch, was first produced at the Prince of Wales Theatre, in London. He wrote Only Toys (1903) and Salted Almonds (1906).
Many of Anstey's stories have been adapted into theatrical productions and motion pictures. The Tinted Venus was adapted by S.J. Perelman, Ogden Nash, and Kurt Weill into One Touch of Venus in 1943. Vice Versa has been filmed many times, usually transposed in setting and without any credit to the original book. Another of his novels, The Brass Bottle, has also been filmed more than once, including The Brass Bottle (1964).
He was born in Kensington, London, to Augusta Amherst Austen, an organist and composer, and Thomas Anstey Guthrie. He was educated at King's College School and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and was called to the bar in 1880. But the popular success of his story Vice Versa (1882) with its topsy turvy substitution of a father for his schoolboy son, at once made his reputation as a humorist of an original type. He published in 1883 a serious novel, The Giant's Robe; but, in spite of its excellence, he discovered (and again in 1889 with The Pariah) that it was not as a serious novelist but as a humorist that the public insisted on regarding him. As such, his reputation was further confirmed by The Black Poodle (1884), The Tinted Venus (1885), A Fallen Idol (1886), and other works. Baboo Jabberjee B.A. (1897) , and A Bayard from Bengal (1902) are humorous yet truthful studies of the East Indian with a veneer of English civilization.
Guthrie became an important member of the staff of Punch magazine, in which his voces populi and his humorous parodies of a reciter's stock-piece (Burglar Bill, &c.) represent his best work. In 1901, his successful farce The Man from Blankleys, based on a story that originally appeared in Punch, was first produced at the Prince of Wales Theatre, in London. He wrote Only Toys (1903) and Salted Almonds (1906).
Many of Anstey's stories have been adapted into theatrical productions and motion pictures. The Tinted Venus was adapted by S.J. Perelman, Ogden Nash, and Kurt Weill into One Touch of Venus in 1943. Vice Versa has been filmed many times, usually transposed in setting and without any credit to the original book. Another of his novels, The Brass Bottle, has also been filmed more than once, including The Brass Bottle (1964).
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 7, 2017
Top marks for the conundrum, and for my reading pleasure.
I am just in awe of the old, often forgotten books that Jay and Ryan, aka the Valancourt guys, have decided to reintroduce into the modern reading world. I haven't yet met a Valancourt book I didn't like, but this new release, The Statement of Stella Maberly, is a book I absolutely loved, and I'm not exaggerating here at all. It has that wonderful ambiguity that I love in a novel, and I can honestly say that I can't remember reading anything quite like it. Word of warning: once you pick up this book, give no thought to doing anything else for the rest of the day. It will put its hooks into you and not let go. And then you'll want to read it again.
Why? It is quite cleverly written -- as Peter Merchant notes in his introduction, it is nicely balanced, with the potential of becoming
"as much a Gothic encounter with embodied evil as a curious portrayal of the neurotic (or neurasthenic) temperament."
Because of these two "competing possibilities," it is best left to the reader to decide what's going on here. While I have my own opinion, I don't think I'll share, but instead let readers enjoy this excellent novel for themselves and make up their own minds. I went through this book twice to give both perspectives a chance, and the second time through, the story became a completely different experience. The devil, as they say, is in the details, and that is definitely the case here.
The Statement of Stella Maberly will certainly appeal to readers interested in Victorian fiction, to people who read "madness memoirs," and to lighter-fare horror readers interested in demonic possession. Some crime fiction readers may also find it to their liking. Word of advice: do not miss the texts that follow the story, and while the introduction is worth its weight in gold, it may be best to leave it until after finishing the book.
This book just may be my favorite Valancourt release yet, and considering how many I've read, well, that should speak volumes. Hats off!!!!
***
If you want a barebones outline of the plot where no secrets are given away, you can click through to my reading journal.
I am just in awe of the old, often forgotten books that Jay and Ryan, aka the Valancourt guys, have decided to reintroduce into the modern reading world. I haven't yet met a Valancourt book I didn't like, but this new release, The Statement of Stella Maberly, is a book I absolutely loved, and I'm not exaggerating here at all. It has that wonderful ambiguity that I love in a novel, and I can honestly say that I can't remember reading anything quite like it. Word of warning: once you pick up this book, give no thought to doing anything else for the rest of the day. It will put its hooks into you and not let go. And then you'll want to read it again.
Why? It is quite cleverly written -- as Peter Merchant notes in his introduction, it is nicely balanced, with the potential of becoming
"as much a Gothic encounter with embodied evil as a curious portrayal of the neurotic (or neurasthenic) temperament."
Because of these two "competing possibilities," it is best left to the reader to decide what's going on here. While I have my own opinion, I don't think I'll share, but instead let readers enjoy this excellent novel for themselves and make up their own minds. I went through this book twice to give both perspectives a chance, and the second time through, the story became a completely different experience. The devil, as they say, is in the details, and that is definitely the case here.
The Statement of Stella Maberly will certainly appeal to readers interested in Victorian fiction, to people who read "madness memoirs," and to lighter-fare horror readers interested in demonic possession. Some crime fiction readers may also find it to their liking. Word of advice: do not miss the texts that follow the story, and while the introduction is worth its weight in gold, it may be best to leave it until after finishing the book.
This book just may be my favorite Valancourt release yet, and considering how many I've read, well, that should speak volumes. Hats off!!!!
***
If you want a barebones outline of the plot where no secrets are given away, you can click through to my reading journal.
April 4, 2017
4.5 stars!
THE STATEMENT OF STELLA MABERLY, by F. Anstey, was originally published in 1896. This Victorian classic has been brought back into print by Valancourt Books, along with additional details and an introduction that were not included in the original version. This was a beautifully written novel that never gives you a concrete answer to the issue facing Stella Maberly, after she is forced to become a paid companion to a one-time schoolmate, Evelyn Heseltine. The uncertainty that underlines this story is--in my opinion--what makes it stand out so well. It's the psychological aspect inherent in the characters that makes you second guess yourself every time you think you've come to a conclusion.
Stella is a proud, headstrong woman who has great difficulty in letting flow her true emotions. She is accustomed to hiding them behind a veil of indifference, forcing others to hover near her in an effort to right whatever wrong they imagined they may have done her.
". . . I seemed to be in the grip of some paralyzing force which would not relay by any effort of my own will, which made me hard and cruel in spite of myself."
Stella is all too aware of this, although she claims she has no control over her, at times, cruel behavior. In contrast, Evelyn is a gentle, loving soul, with a weakened heart. She is portrayed as a beautiful, caring individual, who would rather see others happy at the expense of all else. The two women make a curious combination, and yet we are to believe that there is really great affection on both sides for each other.
After an incident where Stella goes into one of her characteristically "silent" tantrums, she wakes to find Evelyn seemingly dead. A guilt--whether real or imagined--hits her suddenly, and she fervently prays for the return of her friend.
Then, Evelyn awakens.
Only, in Stella's view, this Evelyn is not the same gentle person who originally inhabited that body. Stella becomes convinced that an evil spirit has somehow reanimated Evelyn's mortal remains, and is trying to take over her life.
From here on out, the novel if full of intense, psychological moments. Is this really Evelyn? Has she simply changed from a passive bystander to a woman who was just now trying to assert some control over her surroundings? Or is there, in fact, a malignant spirit now inhabiting her body? The other possibility the reader is forced to consider--especially reverent in the fact that Stella herself has acknowledged that she doesn't always have "control of her actions"--is Stella Maybery simply going insane?
There are no easy answers here, and I honestly believe that the novel is perfect as it is. The question lingers, and I often found myself jumping back and forth between what I, personally, thought the truth to be.
Another incredible novel brought back by Valancourt Books!
Highly recommended!
THE STATEMENT OF STELLA MABERLY, by F. Anstey, was originally published in 1896. This Victorian classic has been brought back into print by Valancourt Books, along with additional details and an introduction that were not included in the original version. This was a beautifully written novel that never gives you a concrete answer to the issue facing Stella Maberly, after she is forced to become a paid companion to a one-time schoolmate, Evelyn Heseltine. The uncertainty that underlines this story is--in my opinion--what makes it stand out so well. It's the psychological aspect inherent in the characters that makes you second guess yourself every time you think you've come to a conclusion.
Stella is a proud, headstrong woman who has great difficulty in letting flow her true emotions. She is accustomed to hiding them behind a veil of indifference, forcing others to hover near her in an effort to right whatever wrong they imagined they may have done her.
". . . I seemed to be in the grip of some paralyzing force which would not relay by any effort of my own will, which made me hard and cruel in spite of myself."
Stella is all too aware of this, although she claims she has no control over her, at times, cruel behavior. In contrast, Evelyn is a gentle, loving soul, with a weakened heart. She is portrayed as a beautiful, caring individual, who would rather see others happy at the expense of all else. The two women make a curious combination, and yet we are to believe that there is really great affection on both sides for each other.
After an incident where Stella goes into one of her characteristically "silent" tantrums, she wakes to find Evelyn seemingly dead. A guilt--whether real or imagined--hits her suddenly, and she fervently prays for the return of her friend.
Then, Evelyn awakens.
Only, in Stella's view, this Evelyn is not the same gentle person who originally inhabited that body. Stella becomes convinced that an evil spirit has somehow reanimated Evelyn's mortal remains, and is trying to take over her life.
From here on out, the novel if full of intense, psychological moments. Is this really Evelyn? Has she simply changed from a passive bystander to a woman who was just now trying to assert some control over her surroundings? Or is there, in fact, a malignant spirit now inhabiting her body? The other possibility the reader is forced to consider--especially reverent in the fact that Stella herself has acknowledged that she doesn't always have "control of her actions"--is Stella Maybery simply going insane?
There are no easy answers here, and I honestly believe that the novel is perfect as it is. The question lingers, and I often found myself jumping back and forth between what I, personally, thought the truth to be.
Another incredible novel brought back by Valancourt Books!
Highly recommended!
March 2, 2024
Acabo de terminar este libro. Es casi la 1 de la madrugada pero tengo la necesidad de ordenar mi opinión antes de conciliar el sueño.
Primero de todo: vaya SORPRESA. Este relato gótico debería estar en el top recomendaciones cada año de Halloween. Tiene una narración que atrapa desde el primer momento (el relato es en forma de testimonio / diario), tiene suspense y mucho thriller psicológico. De verdad, comentar el final es una necesidad para mí y ¿esos giros de acontecimientos? Siento que el autor juega con el lector atrapándolo y tranquilizándolo para luego angustiarlo.
Al tratarse de una novela corta que no llega a las 200 páginas y al comprobar el grandísimo efecto de la sorpresa que ha mejorado esta novela os recomiendo ENCARECIDAMENTE que lo leáis sin buscar más información.
Qué buen rato he pasado leyéndolo. Gracias, Beetruvian, por traernos esta joya victoriana tan poco conocida.
Primero de todo: vaya SORPRESA. Este relato gótico debería estar en el top recomendaciones cada año de Halloween. Tiene una narración que atrapa desde el primer momento (el relato es en forma de testimonio / diario), tiene suspense y mucho thriller psicológico. De verdad, comentar el final es una necesidad para mí y ¿esos giros de acontecimientos? Siento que el autor juega con el lector atrapándolo y tranquilizándolo para luego angustiarlo.
Al tratarse de una novela corta que no llega a las 200 páginas y al comprobar el grandísimo efecto de la sorpresa que ha mejorado esta novela os recomiendo ENCARECIDAMENTE que lo leáis sin buscar más información.
Qué buen rato he pasado leyéndolo. Gracias, Beetruvian, por traernos esta joya victoriana tan poco conocida.
March 29, 2025
An obscure & unsettled relic from the equally unsettled fin-de-siecle. Though technically a part of the Victorian period, 1890s lit frequently has an off-kilter aura that reflects discomfited changes in RL society, science, permissibility, expansion, & other topics—so going by the criteria of that micro-genre, STELLA checks all the boxes. Alas, said narrator’s abrasiveness & repulsive psychological makeup really turned me off; not once did I feel sorry for her, & in many ways I believe she deserved what she got, whether real or imaginary. (I’ll save my sympathy for Hugh & those dogs, thanks.) But whether you read Evelyn’s possession as genuine supernatural menace or a figment of fevered imagination, this is a really dark, depressing novella—the consequences are very real regardless of Stella’s culpability. (I guess that was Anstey’s point, but it doesn’t make the book any less of a downer. 🫣)
October 14, 2021
Year of New Authors
Stella Maberly has always been cold and aloof, spurning the attention of suitors, school pals and her family. When a fall in her fortunes leaves Stella in need of money, she is invited to the position of live in companion for Evelyn, the only school friend she ever felt the least affection for and who's as tenderly sweet as Stella is arrogantly acrid. (Wait, 'housemate' was a job? Sign me up, I'll happily talk banalities and pretend the chaperone so you can diddle Miss/Mr Harper in the seclusion of the mulberry bushes). All is well until a love triangle between the friends leads Stella to half heartedly orchestrate a poisoning of her rival. Finding Evelyn unresponsive and lifeless on her bed, Stella is repentfully heartbroken, begging God and, in a moment of desperation, the Devil to give back her friend. To her relief Evelyn awakes, quite happy and well. And it's not long before Stella realises that the thing who now walks is no longer her beloved Evelyn.
This was a bloody good one. Written by an unreliable narrator, Stella has a very unlikeable but oddly sympathetic personality. As much as she's an arsehole, you still feel for her mental torment as her life unravels and she must handle her own guilt, her self-imposed lonliness, the apparent blind stupidity of those around her, and what to do with the monster she invited in. It's best I don't give too much away about where the plot goes and how cruel 'Evelyn' can be, but Anstey handles it all with brilliant suspense and giddy horror. This is one of those 'dreadful' novellas, grotesque, mean and delightfully morish.
Another tale exhumed from the pit of 'Now why the hell did I ever throw you away?' by Valancourt Books, this obscure tale should have had a much higher ranking in Gothic posterity than the likes of Sheridan's 'meh' Carmilla or the tedious Turn of the Screw. Make this your Halloween night read.
Stella Maberly has always been cold and aloof, spurning the attention of suitors, school pals and her family. When a fall in her fortunes leaves Stella in need of money, she is invited to the position of live in companion for Evelyn, the only school friend she ever felt the least affection for and who's as tenderly sweet as Stella is arrogantly acrid. (Wait, 'housemate' was a job? Sign me up, I'll happily talk banalities and pretend the chaperone so you can diddle Miss/Mr Harper in the seclusion of the mulberry bushes). All is well until a love triangle between the friends leads Stella to half heartedly orchestrate a poisoning of her rival. Finding Evelyn unresponsive and lifeless on her bed, Stella is repentfully heartbroken, begging God and, in a moment of desperation, the Devil to give back her friend. To her relief Evelyn awakes, quite happy and well. And it's not long before Stella realises that the thing who now walks is no longer her beloved Evelyn.
This was a bloody good one. Written by an unreliable narrator, Stella has a very unlikeable but oddly sympathetic personality. As much as she's an arsehole, you still feel for her mental torment as her life unravels and she must handle her own guilt, her self-imposed lonliness, the apparent blind stupidity of those around her, and what to do with the monster she invited in. It's best I don't give too much away about where the plot goes and how cruel 'Evelyn' can be, but Anstey handles it all with brilliant suspense and giddy horror. This is one of those 'dreadful' novellas, grotesque, mean and delightfully morish.
Another tale exhumed from the pit of 'Now why the hell did I ever throw you away?' by Valancourt Books, this obscure tale should have had a much higher ranking in Gothic posterity than the likes of Sheridan's 'meh' Carmilla or the tedious Turn of the Screw. Make this your Halloween night read.
October 12, 2019
When you look at Anstey's achievements as a humorist, Stella Maberly is not the sort of thing you'd expect him to write. It's a chilling tale of contrasts: Stella's temperament has been harsh and unforgiving since she was a child, her violent outbursts turning into sullenness and a desire for solitude and quarrelling, whereas her former schoolmate Evelyn is admired by everyone for her generous and caring spirit. When Stella is forced to seek employment, Evelyn hires her as a paid companion. For a while their personalities seem to mesh surprisingly well and they grow closer.
Until a man enters the stage.
This moment, I believe, is what causes the clash and the events to spiral down to the horrifying conclusion. How, what, and why is up to the reader to decide. I adore unreliable narrators, and Stella is one of the best. Is there a realistic and psychological reasoning for her behavior and outlook, or is the story a genuine chilling psychological horror story?
My opinion was swaying back and forth at first, and although there was one particularly revealing sentence that made up my mind, the ending still left a lingering doubt and an antsy feeling. What if...?
Until a man enters the stage.
This moment, I believe, is what causes the clash and the events to spiral down to the horrifying conclusion. How, what, and why is up to the reader to decide. I adore unreliable narrators, and Stella is one of the best. Is there a realistic and psychological reasoning for her behavior and outlook, or is the story a genuine chilling psychological horror story?
My opinion was swaying back and forth at first, and although there was one particularly revealing sentence that made up my mind, the ending still left a lingering doubt and an antsy feeling. What if...?
April 18, 2017
The Statement of Stella Maberly reminds me a bit of a current popular book with a similar theme (I don't want to name it, or it will give away the plot twists in the other book), but Anstey does it much better.
The chilling part of this book is that Stella is such an unreliable narrator. The reader is left to form his or her own opinion on what the status of Evelyn truly is.
Included in this edition is a screenplay at the end of the book. It's worth a read. Also included is a "journal" from a (fictional) insane woman, allowing readers a look in to her disturbed mind.
The chilling part of this book is that Stella is such an unreliable narrator. The reader is left to form his or her own opinion on what the status of Evelyn truly is.
Included in this edition is a screenplay at the end of the book. It's worth a read. Also included is a "journal" from a (fictional) insane woman, allowing readers a look in to her disturbed mind.
March 28, 2025
This was AMAZING. This forgotten classic deserves to be mentioned alongside The Turn of the Screw when discussing masterful, ambiguous horror novels with Gothic elements. I couldn’t put it down!
April 21, 2024
Para mi gusto, le falta un poco de ambigüedad.
July 1, 2021
Books that make you go hmmmm...
Was it possession, psychopathy, madness, or something else? You decide.
Was it possession, psychopathy, madness, or something else? You decide.
Read
August 31, 2025The Statement of Stella Maberly has the level of ambiguity which on par with The Turn of The Screw's but thankfully without Henry James's deliberate (?) excruciating prose. It was even published two years earlier than the latter. The novella is a psychological horror that tells a story about a complicated friendship between two girls. One of them inadvertently killed the other one (over a man) or she thought she did because miraculously her friend came back alive BUT with a totally different personality. she actually believed that some evil being possessed her friend's body and i as a reader had also been led to believe that but when it ended ambiguously i actually got back and reread it from the beginning and suddenly all the dialogues took on a new meaning entirely it was crazy.
Always owe it to Valancourt Books for unearthing buried treasures from Victorian era because so far i haven't been disappointed with what i've read.
Always owe it to Valancourt Books for unearthing buried treasures from Victorian era because so far i haven't been disappointed with what i've read.
February 27, 2025
Oh my god I don't know what is real anymore, what just happened?? What an insanely good book.
If you're scrolling through the reviews you probably already read the description of the book. But if you haven't: do what I did. Read this book without reading the description. Just let it happen and enjoy the ride.
If you're scrolling through the reviews you probably already read the description of the book. But if you haven't: do what I did. Read this book without reading the description. Just let it happen and enjoy the ride.
March 21, 2025
A little thriller from 1896 that comes and goes like a freak thunderstorm and leaves you wondering where the hell it came from.
In his lifetime the author Anstey was known mainly as a comic novelist. The only thing I knew about him was that he killed Trollope, who died laughing while reading Anstey’s novel Vice Versa, the 19th c. original version of Freaky Friday. I guess Anstey kept trying to write more serious works, but none ever caught on. Kudos to the publisher who rediscovered this dark gem. Even in antiquarian bookshops I can’t find a surviving early edition. I listened to a very good audiobook online.
The novel is an oddity, like some kind of late Victorian curio, yet feels ahead of its time. Today it’d be called psychological suspense, featuring obsession, jealousy, female friendship and rivalry, a case study of projection, paranoia and rationalization, a criminal confession, and demonic possession, at which point the book becomes a sort of supernatural revenge story, with our narrator playing the haunted culprit.
The emotions in here are raw and ruthless, howling behind the prim veneer. Anstey is in total command from the get-go. Like an orchestra that strikes one minor note at the beginning of a symphony, he sets the tone with a brief allusion to the crime before launching into the narrator’s story.
Stella is a horrible person but very believably written, and if she’s a pathological liar then she does a remarkable imitation of candor. A few times, amid the self-awareness and even self-deprecation, she lets slip some remarks that are more disturbing than others, and the challenge for you as the reader is to catch and weigh these in your mind. Through most of the book the ambiguity is fashioned with such artistry that you’re never certain if Stella is a sociopath, victim, or schizophrenic, if this is a crime novel, horror story, or just a sad tragedy, or if the author in his witchery has made some potion out of all of it. I’m sorry to say the ending undoes much of this fine workmanship, as the climax takes a decided turn in one direction. The mood becomes that of Porphyria's Lover, Browning’s Gothic poem. On the whole, this short novel reminded me of another, Ethan Frome. Both are perfectly executed while being too ugly to love. Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out how Anstey’s book, with its unreliable narrator, and mixture of madness, the supernatural and the macabre, is everything The Turn of the Screw, published two years later, tries and fails to be.
Next up for me and this author will have to be one of his humorous fantasies, either Vice Versa, Tourmalin’s Time Cheques (singled out by Michael Dirda at The Washington Post), or The Brass Bottle, apparently the turn-of-the-century precursor to I Dream of Jeannie.
In his lifetime the author Anstey was known mainly as a comic novelist. The only thing I knew about him was that he killed Trollope, who died laughing while reading Anstey’s novel Vice Versa, the 19th c. original version of Freaky Friday. I guess Anstey kept trying to write more serious works, but none ever caught on. Kudos to the publisher who rediscovered this dark gem. Even in antiquarian bookshops I can’t find a surviving early edition. I listened to a very good audiobook online.
The novel is an oddity, like some kind of late Victorian curio, yet feels ahead of its time. Today it’d be called psychological suspense, featuring obsession, jealousy, female friendship and rivalry, a case study of projection, paranoia and rationalization, a criminal confession, and demonic possession, at which point the book becomes a sort of supernatural revenge story, with our narrator playing the haunted culprit.
The emotions in here are raw and ruthless, howling behind the prim veneer. Anstey is in total command from the get-go. Like an orchestra that strikes one minor note at the beginning of a symphony, he sets the tone with a brief allusion to the crime before launching into the narrator’s story.
Stella is a horrible person but very believably written, and if she’s a pathological liar then she does a remarkable imitation of candor. A few times, amid the self-awareness and even self-deprecation, she lets slip some remarks that are more disturbing than others, and the challenge for you as the reader is to catch and weigh these in your mind. Through most of the book the ambiguity is fashioned with such artistry that you’re never certain if Stella is a sociopath, victim, or schizophrenic, if this is a crime novel, horror story, or just a sad tragedy, or if the author in his witchery has made some potion out of all of it. I’m sorry to say the ending undoes much of this fine workmanship, as the climax takes a decided turn in one direction. The mood becomes that of Porphyria's Lover, Browning’s Gothic poem. On the whole, this short novel reminded me of another, Ethan Frome. Both are perfectly executed while being too ugly to love. Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out how Anstey’s book, with its unreliable narrator, and mixture of madness, the supernatural and the macabre, is everything The Turn of the Screw, published two years later, tries and fails to be.
Next up for me and this author will have to be one of his humorous fantasies, either Vice Versa, Tourmalin’s Time Cheques (singled out by Michael Dirda at The Washington Post), or The Brass Bottle, apparently the turn-of-the-century precursor to I Dream of Jeannie.
May 30, 2021
WOW.
How is this little gem not up there with Dracula and Turn of the Screw in popularity? This is brilliant. Stella, our narrator, is from the get-go, a psychological mess full of envy, jealousy and low self-esteem, pushing people away. She attaches herself to Evelyn, who is beautiful, refined, lovely, patient, and apparently devoted to Stella despite her perverseness. All seems well until Hugh comes into the picture and Stella perceives that it is inevitable that Hugh will marry Evelyn and take her only friend from her.
With this unreliable narrator, it is hard to know what is truth and what is madness in what follows. According to Stella, she finds Evelyn undeniably dead. She prays to God to revive her, but when that doesn't have any effect, she prays to "whatever power there might be--good or evil, angel or devil, on earth or in hell" and shortly afterward, Evelyn flutters back to life. The question then becomes, but is it really Evelyn, or has some wandering, wicked spirit answered the prayer and taken possession of Evelyn's body?
Published in 1896, this short story of 103 pages is gripping and fresh, a terrific gothic horror. Included in this volume is the play version of the story plus the draft for another version of the story. A pity five stars is the max. I'd give it more if I could.
How is this little gem not up there with Dracula and Turn of the Screw in popularity? This is brilliant. Stella, our narrator, is from the get-go, a psychological mess full of envy, jealousy and low self-esteem, pushing people away. She attaches herself to Evelyn, who is beautiful, refined, lovely, patient, and apparently devoted to Stella despite her perverseness. All seems well until Hugh comes into the picture and Stella perceives that it is inevitable that Hugh will marry Evelyn and take her only friend from her.
With this unreliable narrator, it is hard to know what is truth and what is madness in what follows. According to Stella, she finds Evelyn undeniably dead. She prays to God to revive her, but when that doesn't have any effect, she prays to "whatever power there might be--good or evil, angel or devil, on earth or in hell" and shortly afterward, Evelyn flutters back to life. The question then becomes, but is it really Evelyn, or has some wandering, wicked spirit answered the prayer and taken possession of Evelyn's body?
Published in 1896, this short story of 103 pages is gripping and fresh, a terrific gothic horror. Included in this volume is the play version of the story plus the draft for another version of the story. A pity five stars is the max. I'd give it more if I could.
May 1, 2017
the original mean girl gets a taste of her own medicine and it all goes terribly wrong.
August 29, 2017
My first thought when I finished this book was wow what a great twist ending. But, it is not so much the ending that is twisted, it is really the way you have been thinking about the story that is turned around. All of the nagging what-ifs suddenly slap you in the face and the essential question, is Stella insane or is Evelyn possessed, comes back to haunt you. No reveals; just a thank you to Valancourt books for bringing this 1897 treasure back to life.
November 14, 2025
I actually really enjoyed reading this book. Stella is such a complicated character; there were times that I absolutely hated her and times where I really felt for her. Anstey enacting an almost cosmic karma made this really interesting.
August 25, 2023
A creepy little book! Jennifer’s body-esque.
April 28, 2025
This is an unhappy tale of love, tragedy and evil. Weird but well worth the experience.
March 4, 2024
La declaración de Stella Maberly es una obra situada en la Inglaterra de 1900.
Es una novela corta pero que dado la época en que fue escrita, me ha sorprendido por la facilidad con la que he podido leerla y meterme en esta historia.
El libro me ha gustado mucho, es una historia diferente con la que el autor consigue jugar con la mente del lector haciendo en todo momento que este, no se de cuenta si lo que lee es real o no.
Vamos a ver sus características:
🦢𝕷𝖆 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖒𝖆. La pluma del autor me ha encanta y la historia me ha resultado muy interesante, verdaderamente piensas todo el rato que la novela va hacia un camino cuando el autor da un giro de trama y te das cuenta que todo es diferente a como has estado pensando.
🦢𝕷𝖆 𝖆𝖒𝖇𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖆𝖈𝖎ó𝖓. Ambientada en la época victoriana, nos encontramos ante una novela con un entramado oscuro pero llena de paisajes maravillosos, de damas y caballeros paseando por el campo y viviendo en grandes mansiones. El contraste entre este escenario y la truculenta historia que se está tratando me ha parecido muy acertado, creo que el autor utiliza este recurso para conseguir descolocarnos más si cabe.
🦢𝕷𝖔𝖘 𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖏𝖊𝖘. Son el alma de la historia. Me ha encantado el personaje de Evelyn y como Stella la ve dentro de su cabeza durante la primera parte del libro y como la ve durante la segunda mitad.
El personaje de Stella tiene un pasado y una forma de ser muy característica que el autor nos muestra durante todo el inicio del libro, para que nos podamos hacer una idea de con que tipo de persona estamos tratarando pero sin que nos condicione a la hora de la lectura.
En resumen, una novela muy recomendable que leeréis muy rápido y con la que sentiréis ese placer de creer que estamos dominando la historia y sin embargo nada es lo que parece.
Es una novela corta pero que dado la época en que fue escrita, me ha sorprendido por la facilidad con la que he podido leerla y meterme en esta historia.
El libro me ha gustado mucho, es una historia diferente con la que el autor consigue jugar con la mente del lector haciendo en todo momento que este, no se de cuenta si lo que lee es real o no.
Vamos a ver sus características:
🦢𝕷𝖆 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖒𝖆. La pluma del autor me ha encanta y la historia me ha resultado muy interesante, verdaderamente piensas todo el rato que la novela va hacia un camino cuando el autor da un giro de trama y te das cuenta que todo es diferente a como has estado pensando.
🦢𝕷𝖆 𝖆𝖒𝖇𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖆𝖈𝖎ó𝖓. Ambientada en la época victoriana, nos encontramos ante una novela con un entramado oscuro pero llena de paisajes maravillosos, de damas y caballeros paseando por el campo y viviendo en grandes mansiones. El contraste entre este escenario y la truculenta historia que se está tratando me ha parecido muy acertado, creo que el autor utiliza este recurso para conseguir descolocarnos más si cabe.
🦢𝕷𝖔𝖘 𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖏𝖊𝖘. Son el alma de la historia. Me ha encantado el personaje de Evelyn y como Stella la ve dentro de su cabeza durante la primera parte del libro y como la ve durante la segunda mitad.
El personaje de Stella tiene un pasado y una forma de ser muy característica que el autor nos muestra durante todo el inicio del libro, para que nos podamos hacer una idea de con que tipo de persona estamos tratarando pero sin que nos condicione a la hora de la lectura.
En resumen, una novela muy recomendable que leeréis muy rápido y con la que sentiréis ese placer de creer que estamos dominando la historia y sin embargo nada es lo que parece.
May 18, 2024
Novela dramática e intriga de 160 páginas, publicada en 2024. Stella narra su historia a partir de la presente declaración de hechos pasados. Stella y Evelyn serán los dos personajes protagonistas, pero será el lector el que tendrá que decidir si Stella sufre de un trastorno psiquiátrico o, por el contrario, Evelyn ha sido poseída por un tétrico demonio. Una pluma exquisita y una lectura que me ha atrapado desde el inicio. Maravillosa obra de recomiendo muchísimo, tanto a los amantes de los clásicos británicos como para los incondicionales de lo paranormal.
April 24, 2024
Ay, que maravilla encontrar libros así! Novela corta de época, con un narrador no fiable, posesiones, amistad, celos, locura…una joya gótica muy entretenida, para pasar un buen rato (o no^^) de lectura.
Su editorial define así los libros que publican: Fantásticos. Bizarros. Clásicos. Psicotrónicos. Oníricos. Vampíricos. Inquietantes. Monstruosos.
Lo quiero leer TODO!
Su editorial define así los libros que publican: Fantásticos. Bizarros. Clásicos. Psicotrónicos. Oníricos. Vampíricos. Inquietantes. Monstruosos.
Lo quiero leer TODO!
June 3, 2024
En su tiempo debió ser un boom del terror pero con los canones actuales ni da sustito. De todas formas es un clásico y tal vez Stella caminó para que el terror actual corriese. Quiero verlo con perspectiva temporal.
July 20, 2024
Me ha gustado! Es rápido y ligero de leer. Me ha tenido en vilo y me ha puesto, en ocasiones, los pelos de punta. Todo eso sumado a la época en la que acontece la historia. Me ha gustado, sí señora que me ha gustado!
May 19, 2024
Lo compré porque la edición me llamó muchísimo. Esperaba algo mucho más original de lo que luego fue, pero bien. Lo reservaría más bien para leer en octubre-noviembre.
August 26, 2024
Dos mujeres unidas por un demonio que, en realidad, es mucho más humano de lo que puede parecer. La historia es fantástica y te ríes a momentos con un poco de culpabilidad y placer. El mejor gótico.
September 21, 2025
Holy fuck. Wauw. Wauw.
April 10, 2017
I recommend this book for readers who enjoy gothic stories. Has everything that one would expect, romance, death, demons, madness. It was very well written, throughly enjoyable.
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