An Authentic Narrative of a Haunted House

Name: An Authentic Narrative of a Haunted House
Author: Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu

The narrative follows a family that relocates to a seemingly modern house by the sea for health reasons. Upon moving in, the wife experiences a terrifying encounter with a tall, colorless figure beside her bed, which she insists was real. The husband dismisses it as a dream, but soon, the household staff report seeing a mysterious woman in ragged clothing, who appears to be searching for something in the house. As the family settles in, strange occurrences escalate. The servants witness a shadow of a woman moving across the wall, and the nursery experiences unexplained knocking sounds and disturbances at the door. The children also report seeing a figure resembling the woman, who seems to be digging in the garden. The family discovers a piece of a jawbone and teeth buried in the same spot, raising suspicions about the house's history. Despite the unsettling events, the family remains skeptical of supernatural explanations. The husband conducts investigations but finds no evidence of intruders or natural causes for the disturbances. The children’s encounters with the spectral figures continue, including a vision of a pale woman with a scar on her throat, which terrifies one of the girls. As the narrative unfolds, the family learns from a visitor that the house was once a government store, suggesting a darker past. The husband reflects on the strange occurrences, noting the collective experiences of the family and staff, which defy rational explanation. Ultimately, the family decides to leave the house, having experienced a series of inexplicable events that leave them puzzled and unsettled. The story concludes with the narrator contemplating the mystery of their time in the house, which remains unresolved.

By Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu · First published 1838 · Genre: Gothic Fiction, Horror, Mystery · 5,912 words

First lines

Within the last eight years -- the precise date I purposely omit -- I I was ordered by my physician, my health being in an unsatisfactory state, to change my residence to one upon the seacoast; and accordingly, I took a house for a year in a fashionable watering-place, at a moderate distance from the city in which I had previously resided, and connected with it by a railway.

What this Textopian page supports

An Authentic Narrative of a Haunted House is listed on Textopian as a short story by Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu, dated 1838 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu
Date: 1838 CE
Language: English
Genres: Gothic Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural Fiction, Psychological Thriller
Length: 5,912 words
Structure: 1 section, 35 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Gothic Fiction — The story features supernatural elements, a haunted house, and explores themes of fear and the unknown, characteristic of Gothic literature.
Horror — The narrative includes ghostly apparitions and unsettling occurrences that evoke fear and suspense.
Mystery — The plot revolves around unexplained phenomena and the investigation of potential supernatural and natural causes.
Supernatural Fiction — The presence of ghosts and unexplained events aligns with the conventions of supernatural storytelling.