J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 4

"J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 4" by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu is a collection of ghost stories written during the mid-19th century. This volume includes tales such as "Ghost Stories of Chapelizod," "The Drunkard's Dream," "The Ghost and the Bone-setter," and "The Mysterious Lodger," each weaving elements of the supernatural with local folklore and societal commentary. The collection captures eerie narratives set primarily in Ireland, focusing on themes of vengeance, morality, and the supernatural. The opening of the volume sets the tone with the first story, "Ghost Stories of Chapelizod," introducing readers to an ancient, dilapidated village filled with legends of terror and haunted by its past. The story begins with an exploration of the history of Chapelizod, a village with a reputation tied to its mystical inhabitants, and introduces Bully Larkin, a notorious bully known for his strength and merciless demeanor. Tension builds as he provokes a younger man named Long Ned over a rivalry for the affections of a girl, leading to a brutal encounter that echoes throughout the village. The narrative foreshadows Larkin's eventual haunting reckoning, blending realizations of guilt and spectral retribution, effectively engaging readers with its mix of social critique and supernatural horror. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu was an Irish writer of Gothic tales, mystery novels, and horror fiction. He was a leading ghost story writer of his time, central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era. M. R. James described Le Fanu as "absolutely in the first rank as a writer of ghost stories". Three of his best-known works are the locked-room mystery Uncle Silas, the vampire novella Carmilla, and the historical novel The House by the Churchyard.