Well, 'The Canterville Ghost' by Oscar Wilde is a great 19th - century ghost story. It humorously depicts the encounter between an American family and a British ghost in an old manor. The ghost tries to scare the family but fails in the most comical ways. Also, 'The Monkey's Paw' by W. W. Jacobs is a very chilling story. A family comes into possession of a magical monkey's paw that can grant wishes, but with horrible and unforeseen consequences that are quite ghostly in nature.
Some of the best 19th century ghost stories include 'Thrawn Janet' by Robert Louis Stevenson. It has a dark and foreboding atmosphere as it tells the story of a minister and his encounter with a strange, possibly possessed woman. 'The Phantom Coach' by Amelia B. Edwards is also good. It's about a man who, during a stormy night, has an encounter with a phantom coach that he believes is a premonition of his death.
One of the well - known 20th century ghost stories is 'The Turn of the Screw' by Henry James. It's a haunting tale of a governess who believes the children she's in charge of are being haunted by malevolent spirits. Another is 'The Monkey's Paw' by W. W. Jacobs, which shows the dark consequences of making wishes with a cursed object. And Shirley Jackson's 'The Haunting of Hill House' is also very famous. It creates a sense of unease and horror as the characters explore the supposedly haunted house.
Well, 'Carmilla' is also a well - known 19th century ghost story. It's about a female vampire - like being, Carmilla, who preys on a young woman. This story was quite ahead of its time in terms of its exploration of the supernatural and themes of female relationships. And then there's 'The Monkey's Paw' by W. W. Jacobs. It's a short but very effective ghost story where a family gets a monkey's paw that can grant wishes, but with very dark and unexpected consequences.
One famous 17th - century ghost story is 'The Haunting of the Royal Palace'. It was said that the ghost of a former queen would roam the halls at night. Another is 'The Ghostly Monk of the Abbey'. A monk who was wronged in his lifetime was believed to haunt the abbey ruins. And then there's 'The Witch's Curse Ghost Story' where a witch's vengeful spirit haunted a village after her unjust execution.
In the 16th century, there were many superstitions and with them came ghost stories. For example, there were tales of witches who, after being executed, came back as ghosts to haunt the places where they had been condemned. There were also stories about ghosts in old battlefields. The spirits of soldiers who had fallen in the many wars of the 1500s were said to roam the fields at night. In addition, in some towns, there were stories of houses being haunted by the ghosts of previous owners who had died under mysterious circumstances during that century.
There was also the legend of the White Lady in some parts of Europe during the 16th century. She was often depicted as a ghostly figure, usually a woman who had died in tragic circumstances, perhaps betrayed by a lover or killed unjustly. These White Lady stories were told to add an air of mystery and danger to certain locations, like old castles or forests. People believed that seeing the White Lady was an omen of bad luck or impending doom.
Washington Irving is famous for 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'. Henry James wrote 'The Turn of the Screw'. Sheridan Le Fanu is known for 'Carmilla'.
They often had a spooky atmosphere. The settings were typically old, dilapidated places like haunted mansions or graveyards. The ghosts in these stories were usually vengeful or had unfinished business. For example, in some stories, a ghost would haunt the place where it had been wronged in life.
One of the best is 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry. It's a heartwarming story about a young couple who sacrifice their most precious possessions to buy gifts for each other. Another great one is 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson, which is a chilling tale that makes you question society's traditions. Also, 'A Clean, Well - Lighted Place' by Ernest Hemingway is notable for its sparse yet powerful writing style.
Some of the best 19th - century short stories include 'The Fall of the House of Usher' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's a masterful piece of Gothic horror with a decaying mansion and a sense of impending doom. Another great one is 'The Necklace' by Guy de Maupassant. It tells the story of a woman who borrows a necklace to look wealthy at a party, only to lose it and face a difficult situation.
One of the best is 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen. It's a classic that explores themes of love, marriage, and social class in 19th - century England. The relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy is both complex and engaging.