The Ghostly Rental

Henry James’s unsettling story “The Ghostly Rental” examines the limits between the material and the immaterial. The narrative centers on a recent immigrant to the area who falls in love with the deserted home of an elderly soldier. Four times a year, the soldier comes to the mansion to collect rent from his daughter’s ghost, whom he drove to her death when she attempted to elope.

The story explores themes of atonement, guilt, and the question of what constitutes a true ghost. A terrifying investigation into ghosts and paranormal activity, it is distinguished by James’s deft writing style and profound psychological understanding.