Manor: A Novella by Karl Heinrich Ulrichs : Translated by Jason Wrench

by Jason Wrench

The novella "Manor" is set on the remote Faroe Islands and tells the tragic and supernatural tale of a deep bond between two young boys, Har and Manor. Har, a 15-year-old boy from Strömö, is saved from drowning by Manor, an orphaned sailor four years his senior. They develop a close friendship, and Manor often visits Har, even swimming across the sound between their islands.

One day, Manor joins a whaling ship but dies in a shipwreck shortly before returning home. Har is devastated by Manor's death. Soon after, Manor's ghost begins visiting Har at night, embracing him with cold arms and sucking blood from his heart. Har, although tormented by these visits, finds solace in Manor's presence.

Har's mother, Lära, seeks help from a wise woman who reveals that Har is being visited by the dead. The villagers attempt to prevent Manor's spirit from returning by staking his body in the grave, but Manor's ghost continues to visit Har, who wastes away from the nightly encounters. Har eventually succumbs to his longing and dies, requesting to be buried with Manor and to have the stake removed from his friend's body.

The novella explores themes of love, loss, and the supernatural, depicting the intense and tragic connection between Har and Manor.

30 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 9, 2024

About the author

Jason Wrench writes. He writes a lot. He’s authored eleven academic textbooks, thirty-five plus research articles, authored numerous chapters in other books, and edited eight academic books. When he’s not in his day job as a college professor at SUNY New Paltz where he teaches in the Department of Communication, he’s writing romantic thrillers like 12 Days of Murder (November 2021) and Till Death Do Us Wed (February 2022), both with Pride Publishing. Jason loves reading/writing, Broadway, coffee, and his puggles. He’s a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Textbook and Academic Author Association.