The Wharton Gothics : Stories of the Unnatural and the Supernatural

by Edith Wharton, Gabrielle de Cuir (Reading)

An original compilation of eight of Edith Wharton's gothic stories

A ghostly presence in "The Lady's Maid's Bell" desires revenge against a tyrannical husband. In "Mr. Jones," Lady Jane Lynke inherits an estate unexpectedly, and can't make sense of how to manage the servants--especially since the caretaker has been dead for decades, but keeps giving orders. Meanwhile, in "Afterward," a newly wealthy American couple moves into a large, isolated house in southern England complete with a ghost ... and the mysteries surrounding the husband's business are slowly uncovered. In "The Hermit and the Wild Woman," the "hermit," while a young boy, witnessed the killing of his family during an attack on his town. As a result of this trauma, he has retreated into isolation--until he meets a "wild woman" who comes to live nearby. These are just a few of the wonderful and unnerving tales gathered together in this new compilation of Wharton's gothic stories.

Genres: Fiction, Anthologies, Audiobook, Classics, Gothic, Short Stories, Supernatural

9 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Edith Wharton emerged as one of America’s most insightful novelists, deftly exposing the tensions between societal expectation and personal desire through her vivid portrayals of upper-class life. Drawing from her deep familiarity with New York’s privileged “aristocracy,” she offered readers a keenly observed and piercingly honest vision of Gilded Age society.

Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.

Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.

Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.

Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.

Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.

Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.

In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew Edith Wharton from her more realistic work like Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence, but I didn't know that she had also written quite a few ghostly speculative stories.

The stories range from the spectral to the atmospheric and I really enjoyed them all, my favorite was probably "The Lady's Maid's Bell," which made good use of some of my favorite tropes. My least favorite was "The Hermit and the Wild Woman" which just seemed longer than it needed to be for what it was. But I consider the entire collection well worth the read/listen!

[Yinzadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Table of Contents
The Fullness of Life
The Lady's Maid's Bell
Afterward
The Letters
Mr Jones
A Journey
The Hermit and the Wild Woman
The Quicksand

"Afterward" in included in Classic Works from Women Writers and American Fantastic Tales: Terror and the Uncanny from the 1940s to Now.

Kerfol is a Wharton ghost story that isn't included in this collection.

Edith Wharton likes to write about women who are trapped by marriage and men, and so groomed by patriarchy that they're complicit in their own oppression and unhappiness. Which is certainly a type of horror I'm sympathetic with, but it makes for rather depressing reading.

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version of this and loved it completely. I had been directed to this by another book which talked about Wharton’s ghost stories. I wouldn’t say all of these are ghost stories. I would say the tales that are ghost stories are very good. The other stories mostly follow what I would say is the familiar Wharton vision into Victorian manners and love and disappointment if you have watched or read Age of Innocence.
Especially enjoyed the audiobook version as the narrator gives everything just the right tone to set the perfect mood and atmosphere.

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is comprised of eight stories. I admit I didn’t know that Edith had ventured into the gothic tradition. The stories here that fit that category straight or near-straight on are the best. She has a good notion of what makes the mind wonder and the hairs on the arm and neck stand up. Anyone who has read any of her work understands her accomplished abilities so put to something unexpected as ghost stories and such is a real treat.
Not all fit into the gothic mold. A few are quite natural and certainly not supernatural but, instead, simply odd or mysterious.
The quality is inconsistent but nothing is less than mediocre and most are good to enchanting.
Best if read in stormy winter rather than the sunny summer I chose.

[Keith K · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.2.

Unfortunately the aspects that I love in 19th and early 20th century supernatural stories is perhaps too present in these tales. I love the language and restraint of many of the stories from this time period, but these are a bit too verbose. I also tend to love the scope and restraint of the focus of many of these stories, but many of these are perhaps too thin. The build up feels overly developed for the final reveal.

I also cannot speak to Wharton as an author or the context of these stories, but the collection feels a bit slapdash. There didn't seem to be much of a flow or sense of curation, which could just be me trying to justify why I didn't connect with this more. Disappointing.

[Amber O'Bryant · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories were good, but I can’t even tell you the titles of the short stories I most liked because the formatting of this audiobook was pretty rough. The titles were “Track 1” or “Track 5” and some of the stories started and ended in the middle of a track number, so it was hard to keep with which story I was listening to. I would have loved to have had the titles labeled and divided out into the chapters of the audiobook, at least so I could know which stories I liked best.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish I could give more than 5 stars. Reading Wharton is like savoring a slightly bitter dark chocolate - rich, satisfying, and better enjoyed a bit at a time. The writing is beautiful, the emotions and themes linger. Not ghost stories in the usual fashion, but full of haunted people. Would start this book over again this minute.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of stories that are more psychologically grounded than simple Gothic horror stories. There is one with an actual ghost, but most explore how human nature can create deep conundrums that involve questions about the path taken or the ideas held. Lots of food for thought with great writing.

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[Debbie Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

So very well written. Endings a bit dated.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

One or two of the stories were enjoyable, but overall, this collection fell flat.

[Gayle McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoy her style of writing...her choice of words

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

As others have said, some stories aren’t really supernatural, some are. I really liked the supernatural ones, but the others were interesting in their own way and as a whole, it was a decent variety.

[Autumn Rybin · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were so spooky! I love Edith Wharton.

[Flannery · Rating 3 out of 5]

On an Edith Wharton kick lately. 2.5/5 for horror, 4.5/5 for everything else.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wharton's style is beautiful. A wonderfully gothic collection.

[Patrick Cormack · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was lost on me, I enjoyed the first story but could not get into the other tales, just not for me I’m afraid.