Old Lady Mary

by Mrs. Oliphant

A Story of The Seen and The Unseen.

Genres: Classics, Victorian, Fiction, Christmas, Novella, Paranormal

76 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1885

About the author

Margaret Oliphant Wilson Oliphant (née Margaret Oliphant Wilson) was a Scottish novelist and historical writer, who usually wrote as Mrs. Oliphant. Her fictional works encompass "domestic realism, the historical novel and tales of the supernatural".

Margaret Oliphant was born at Wallyford, near Musselburgh, East Lothian, and spent her childhood at Lasswade (near Dalkeith), Glasgow and Liverpool. As a girl, she constantly experimented with writing. In 1849 she had her first novel published: Passages in the Life of Mrs. Margaret Maitland which dealt with the Scottish Free Church movement. It was followed by Caleb Field in 1851, the year in which she met the publisher William Blackwood in Edinburgh and was invited to contribute to the famous Blackwood's Magazine. The connection was to last for her whole lifetime, during which she contributed well over 100 articles, including, a critique of the character of Arthur Dimmesdale in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.

Reviews

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Mary es una anciana a la que últimamente le aconsejan que vaya haciendo testamento, por lo que pueda pasar, y sobre todo para que su joven protegida se quede desvalida. Pero la buena de Lady Mary va dando largas, creyendo que llegado el momento tendrá tiempo de arreglar sus asuntos. Sin embargo, se le ocurre hacer un breve escrito con lo más esencial, y guardarlo en un lugar secreto, para darles un escarmiento a todos aquellos que pensaban que era una despreocupada. Pero el destino es como es, y termina falleciendo sin que nadie sepa nada de su testamento particular. Y es aquí donde está la miga de esta curiosa y maravillosa historia de fantasmas, con Lady Mary arrepentida y con remordimientos en el otro mundo, solicitando un posible regreso para arreglar las cosas. Aquí brilla especialmente Oliphant, narrando esa barrera entre lo visible y lo invisible, y la incapacidad de poder comunicarse. Sin duda una gran historia.

[Penny -Thecatladybooknook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great story! I will definitely be reading more of Mrs. Oliphant's work.

In this novella, Old Lady Mary is very up in age... like 80s-90s. Her lawyer and others around her keep trying to pressure her into having a written will because of her age and the fact that she could pass at anytime AND she has an "adopted" goddaughter who would be left destitute if there is no will. Old Lady Mary decides to pull a joke on her advisers re: her will which leads to other consequences.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat excessively sentimental personal tale of an elderly woman questioning what happens in the afterlife as well as the existence of purgatory, and other Christian concepts of what happens after death.

She was very old, and therefore it was very hard for her to make up her mind to die. . . . To passion, to joy, to anguish, an end must come; but mere gentle living, determined by a framework of gentle rules and habits — why should that ever be ended? When a soul has got to this retirement and is content in it, it becomes very hard to die hard to accept the necessity of dying, and to accustom oneself to the idea, and still harder to consent to carry it out.

[No sin mis libros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mi primer acercamiento a Margaret Oliphant no podía haber sido mejor. Me ha gustado mucho. Tengo que seguir leyendo sus obras.

[Morgana le Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

INCREIBLE historia de fantasmas, original, emotiva, no puedes despegar los ojos hasta terminarla, de verdad super recomendable!!!!

[Laura (Reading is a Doing Word) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun choice for #DickensDecember2023 and one I wouldn't otherwise have discovered.
Old Lady Mary is, as the title suggests, very old! However she is sprightly and youthful and keeps well. She has no thoughts of preparing for death or of making a will. Her loving dependent "Young" Mary faces destitution if Old Lady Mary doesn't put her affairs in order. A stubborn character she makes her will in her own way and hides it as a joke. The joke backfires however when "Old" Mary dies and Young Mary is left penniless and homeless. This miscarriage of duty sees Old Lady Mary in purgatory and she pleads to return to the land of the living to put things right.
This is a brief story about facing morality, duty and love and the impotence of ghostly intervention.
An enjoyable read and a wonderful introduction to Margaret Oliphant. I shall definitely read more by her!

[maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terribly old fashioned but a compelling story. An interesting view of the afterlife with the takeaway moral is: 'write a will and don't put it in a secret drawer'.

[Jose Cruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novelet de fantasmas de 105 páginas, publicada en 1885. En un ambiente gótico, me ha recordado a Henry James con "Otra vuelta de tuerca". Y no solo por la temática, sino por su final mal cerrado. La autora escribe bien, sin embargo me ha resultado muy repetitiva y una lectura lenta. La joven protagonista conserva el cliché de muchacha frágil que no se entera de nada y al fantasma, Oliphant no le ha sabido sacar el partido que hubiera esperado. De manera que recomiendo su lectura por su brevedad y por la curiosidad de ser un relato de fantasmas británico de finales del siglo XIX.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sweet ghost story really hit the spot. I loved the themes of love and forgiveness. I also grew extremely weary of the doctor's mansplaining. 😂

[Jesús Cardeña Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha recordado mucho a Canción de navidad de Charles Dickens. Simplemente, el argumento trata de una anciana que muere con una cuenta pendiente, y desde el otro lado hace todo lo posible para saldarla.
Para mí, hubiera estado mejor si, alargando un poco la historia (para mí, peca de corta), la autora hubiera explicado un poco el lugar donde se encuentra la protagonista después de morir.
Me ha hecho gracia el cómo empieza la historia, contando que hay personas ancianas que no quieren morir, porque con esa edad ya han pasado todas las penas que les pueda dar la vida y sólo les queda el vivir en paz. Y precisamente, cuando llegan a ese estado, les toca morir. La verdad es que es una putada XD

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting take on the afterlife, and within the world of the story itself perfectly credible. I imagine that Mrs Oliphant was concerned with the moral of her tale rather than the characters involved, most of whom wanted slapping.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a really brilliant concept that I think had a number of great elements but ultimately was more interesting as an idea. A ghost story where the majority of the book is from the perspective of the ghost, trying to communicate information to the living about a hidden will: it sounded like a wonderful counterpoint to the gothic literature prevalent at the time. And if many of the characters were bland and the intended recipient of the will irritatingly saintly, Dead Lady Mary as the main character was lively and sympathetic. The book goes into a lot of detail in describing her struggle to made it back from the afterlife, which takes on the form of an epic quest. But the side of the 'living' was much less interesting, and the whole thing ends very tamely. A shame, but still pretty good.

[Carrie Brownell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a part of Dickens December (reading challenge hosted on IG). I'm also reading this at the beginning of December before the schedule calls for it but I had some spare time and it's a quick and easy read so I went ahead and dove on in.

Loved it is an alternative to A Christmas Carol ghost story. If you like Dickens or Dante, this book is going to prove and interesting and thought-provoking sort of read. Highly recommended for a fun holiday "treat".

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this novella as part of a #DickensDecember readalong on Instagram, my third year participating. It always introduces me to Victorian works I was unfamiliar with. It’s not exactly a Christmas story, but it does have major Christmas Carol vibes – a wealthy old woman dies without finalizing her will, and comes back as a ghost to try to make things right for her goddaughter who would otherwise be destitute. I enjoyed it, and it’s quite short!

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady Mary bromea con la muerte. Pero la muerte no bromea. La muerte es definitiva. Su ahijada jóven, Mary Vivian, tiene que aprender a valerse por sí misma. El estilo de esta novela corta es un poco florido y propio de la época en la que se escribió la historia. A ratos, la trama me recordaba a la novela corta de Henry James, The Turn of the Screw, porque los niños eran los más sensibles al más allá.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ghost story told from the perspective of a soul who came back to try and right a wrong.

"I am forgiven," she said, with a low cry of happiness. "She whom I wronged, loves me and blessed me; and we saw each other face to face. I know nothing more."

"There is no more," said all together. For everything is included in pardon and love.

[MH · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 estrellas

Reseña completa aquí -> http://inquilinasnetherfield.blogspot...

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is a gem! It was a perfect read before my annual A Christmas Carol reread, and I love the different take on ghosts and righting wrongs. Oliphant is a new favorite!

[Fabulantes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reseña: http://www.fabulantes.com/2012/01/lad...
"Es Lady Mary un cuento de hadas moderno, narrado con gracia y desparpajo. Uno de esos libros que se acompañan con una sonrisa. Una novelita deliciosa, pero en una acepción amplia, satisfactoria, literal, que nada tiene que ver con el término vulgarizado con el que hoy en día se despacha, condescendientemente, a los libros de discretos encantos."

[Russell James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A ghost story seen from both the human and the ghost's p.o.v. in which the ghost (Lady Mary) tries to make up for having, in life, foolishly hid her will. Great idea, but has to recover from a poor start.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

a sweet little story, the curious characters kept me reading. it made me want to write my will.