Mrs. Zant and the Ghost ('The Ghost's Touch') (Fantasy and Horror Classics)

By Wilkie Collins

This early work by Wilkie Collins was originally published in 1885. Born in Marylebone, London in 1824, Collins' family enrolled him at the Maida Hill Academy in 1835, but then took him to France and Italy with them between 1836 and 1838. Returning to England, Collins attended Cole's boarding school, and completed his education in 1841, after which he was apprenticed to the tea merchants Antrobus & Co. in the Strand. In 1846, Collins became a law student at Lincoln's Inn, and was called to the bar in 1851, although he never practiced. It was in 1848, a year after the death of his father, that he published his first book, The Memoirs of the Life of William Collins, Esq., R.A., to good reviews. The 1860s saw Collins' creative high-point, and it was during this decade that he achieved fame and critical acclaim, with his four major novels, The Woman in White (1860), No Name (1862), Armadale (1866) and The Moonstone (1868). The Moonstone, meanwhile is seen by many as the first true detective novel - T. S. Eliot called it "the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels...in a genre invented by Collins and not by Poe." Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Apr 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473367005

Wilkie Collins

Wilkie Collins, hijo del paisajista William Collins, nació en Londres en 1824. Fue aprendiz en una compañía de comercio de té, estudió Derecho, hizo sus pinitos como pintor y actor, y antes de conocer a Charles Dickens en 1851, había publicado ya una biografía de su padre, Memoirs of the Life of William Collins, Esq., R. A. (1848), una novela histórica, Antonina (1850), y un libro de viajes, Rambles Beyond Railways (1851). Pero el encuentro con Dickens fue decisivo para la trayectoria literaria de ambos. Basil (ALBA CLÁSICA núm. VI; ALBA MÍNUS núm.) inició en 1852 una serie de novelas «sensacionales», llenas de misterio y violencia pero siempre dentro de un entorno de clase media, que, con su técnica brillante y su compleja estructura, sentaron las bases del moderno relato detectivesco y obtuvieron en seguida una gran repercusión: La dama de blanco (1860), Armadale (1862) o La Piedra Lunar (1868) fueron tan aplaudidas como imitadas. Sin nombre (1862; ALBA CLÁSICA núm. XVII; ALBA CLÁSICA MAIOR núm. XI) y Marido y mujer (1870; ALBA CLÁSICA MAIOR núm. XVI; ALBA MÍNUS núm.), también de este período, están escritas sin embargo con otras pautas, y sus heroínas son mujeres dramáticamente condicionadas por una arbitraria, aunque real, situación legal. En la década de 1870, Collins ensayó temas y formas nuevos: La pobre señorita Finch (1871-1872; ALBA CLÁSICA núm. XXVI; ALBA MÍNUS núm 5.) es un buen ejemplo de esta época. El novelista murió en Londres en 1889, después de una larga carrera de éxitos.

Book preview

MRS. ZANT AND THE GHOST

BY

WILKIE COLLINS

Copyright © 2013 Read Books Ltd.

This book is copyright and may not be

reproduced or copied in any way without

the express permission of the publisher in writing

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Contents

Wilkie Collins

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

X.

XI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

Wilkie Collins

William Wilkie Collins was born in Marylebone, London in 1824. His family enrolled him at the Maida Hill Academy in 1835, but then took him to France and Italy with them between 1836 and 1838. Collins later recalled that in Italy he learned more which has been of use to me, among the scenery, the pictures, and the people, than I ever learned at school. Returning to England, Collins attended Cole’s boarding school, and completed his education in 1841, after which he was apprenticed to the tea merchants Antrobus & Co. in the Strand.

In 1846, Collins became a law student at Lincoln’s Inn, and was called to the bar in 1851, although he never practiced. It was in 1848, a year after the death of his father, that he published his first book, The Memoirs of the Life of William Collins, Esq., R.A., to good reviews. This was followed by an historical novel, Antonina (1850) and three contemporary novels, Basil (1852), Hide and Seek (1854) and The Dead Secret (1857). During the 1850s, however, Collins’ main source of income came through journalism. Primarily, he wrote for Household Words, a publication owned and ran by Charles Dickens, with whom Collins had a close friendship. It was also during this decade that Collins began to take large amounts of opium to combat ‘rheumatic gout’, a form of arthritis he suffered from.

The 1860s saw Collins’ creative high-point, and it was during this decade that he achieved fame and critical acclaim, with his four major novels, The Woman in White (1860), No Name (1862), Armadale (1866) and The Moonstone (1868). These were all hugely popular; The Woman in White, for example, ran to seven editions in the first year of publication, and is now regarded as the archetypal sensation novel. The Moonstone, meanwhile is seen by many as the first true detective novel – T. S. Eliot called it the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels...in a genre invented by Collins and not by Poe.

During the last two decades of his life, Collins’ popularity waned. This was due in part to the death of Dickens, and in part to his increasing dependence on opium. It also had a lot to do with his stylistic shift away from the sensational thrillers that his made his name onto works more centred on social commentary; Jezebel’s Daughter (1880), for example, advocated humane treatment of lunatics, whilst Heart and Science (1883) condemned vivisection. During the 1880s, Collins’ health declined rapidly. In June of 1889, Collins suffered a stroke, and died as a result of further complications three months later, aged 65.

I.

THE course of this narrative describes the return of a disembodied spirit to earth, and leads the reader on new and strange ground.

Not in the obscurity of midnight, but in the searching light of day, did the supernatural influence assert itself. Neither revealed by a vision, nor announced by a voice, it reached mortal knowledge through the sense which is least easily self-deceived: the sense that feels.

The record of this event will of necessity produce conflicting impressions. It will raise, in some minds, the doubt which reason asserts; it will invigorate, in other minds, the hope which faith justifies; and it will leave the terrible question of the destinies of

Reviews for Mrs. Zant and the Ghost ('The Ghost's Touch') (Fantasy and Horror Classics)

[murderbydeath · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A quick 1-hour and change audiobook of the short story by Wilkie Collins about a man and his daughter who stumble across a woman in the park who is either haunted, or mad. I was really enjoying the story until the very end: it felt entirely too rushed and very little was explained enough to my satisfaction, although to be fair I was ferrying cats in the car at the time, so I might have missed something. Gillian Anderson's narration was excellent; I had to get used to the deeper voice and accent, but she is able to capture the different characters beautifully.

[luli81_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A short tale of ghosts and love.Mrs Zant has recently lost her beloved husband and while walking in the Kensington Gardens, the spot where she and her deceased husband declared their love for each other, she feels his presence trying to warn her of some coming danger.Mr. Rayburn witnesses it all and he'll have to fight his own incredulity regarding the supernatural and his gut feeling that the disturbed young woman is telling the truth.Collins at his best, much better than "The turn of the screw" by James, the story tells much more and with a sublime grace that James' prose lacks in most of his novels.

[bibleblaster · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm liking some of these actor-narrated Audible books (Bill Nighy - The Collectors by Philip Pullman, Claire Danes - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, Benedict Cumberbatch - The Spire by William Golding, Sissy Spacek - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee), and this one is no exception. Don't know how simply reading this would have struck me--seems like a solid ghost story, if that's not an oxymoron of some kind--but Gillian Anderson's narration strengthened the eerie mood for me. Treat yourself to an audio visit with the mysterious Mrs. Zant...

[amcheri-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes folks get what they deserve.

I thoroughly enjoyed this short story made even better by the fantastic narration performed by Gillian Anderson. That accent! Swoon!

[charrlygirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mrs. Zant and the Ghost was a sweet little ghost story.

Even though it wasn't scary, it was entertaining, and I thought that Gillian Anderson did a decent job of narrating the tale. A little bit more distinction between the voices would have been nice, but this book was short, so it was just a slight annoyance.

Recommended for fans of ghost stories, (though I would recommend the volumes of M.R. James before this one.)

[montzaleew · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mrs. Zant and the GhostBy: Wilkie CollinsNarrated by: Gillian AndersonThis audible book has a lovely feel to it and hearing Gillian Anderson's voice adds to this richness, and lush appeal. It makes you feel you are back in 1930's, and overseas, where there is a prim and proper way to do everything. Ms Anderson's voice leads us on a mournful tale of a wife who recently lost her husband of just a short time. A brother-in-law that is trying to take advantage of her, and a widower that is just looking out for the sad woman. But she has a protector...A short story tells of boundless love, that is everlasting and immortal. The narrator makes you FEEL the story, she immerses the story into your bones. Excellent. I don't think I would have enjoyed the story half as much if I hadn't picked up the audible version with Anderson narrating.