Musings on "Madame Crowl's Ghost" by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

For lovers of ghost stories, let us all tip our top hats to Charles Dickens, the author of “A Christmas Carol.” He was so fixated on ghost stories that he wrote nearly twenty of them among his short stories and novels. His “No. 1 Branch Line, The Signal Man” of 1866 rises to the level of the Top Ten stories found in Best Ghost Short Stories 1850-1899: A Phantasmal Ghost Anthology.

Dickens and His Influence on Ghost Stories

As if his many ghost stories weren’t enough for the genre, Dickens fostered the literary careers of many talented supernatural authors by publishing them in his weekly magazine, All the Year Round. This included notable supernatural authors such as Wilkie Collins, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and Elizabeth Gaskell. The best ghost story writer Dickens took under his wing, however, was Joseph Le Fanu.

To say that Le Fanu was a fantastic ghost story writer is an understatement. No author had a bigger impact during the middle part of the 19th century on supernatural fiction than Irishman Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu. His female vampire story “Carmilla” (1872) highly influenced Bram Stoker when chiseling the foundations of Dracula, and it remains a literary force to be reckoned with today.

The Legacy of Joseph Le Fanu

His ghost stories influenced M. R. James, who unabashedly placed Le Fanu “in the first rank as a writer of ghost stories.” James acknowledged how well Le Fanu set the scene of the story, which is a key component of any frightening ghost story. Montague Summers called Le Fanu “the supreme master of the supernatural.”

Le Fanu was such an excellent supernatural story writer that he is the only author to have stories in four of the best supernatural collections during the nineteenth century. These include “A Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter” (1839) in The Best Vampire Short Stories 1800-1849, “Green Tea” (1872) in Best Horror Short Stories 1850-1899, “Carmilla” (1872), and “The Familiar” (1872) in Best Ghost Short Stories 1850-1899.

Analyzing Le Fanu's Best Works

Although “Carmilla” is often regarded as his best ghost story, “Madame Crowl’s Ghost” is perhaps his second best due to its chilling narrative and compelling characters. This is why I have picked it as the 19th best ghost story in my countdown. Dickens published it anonymously on New Year’s Eve, 1870, in All the Year Round. He certainly knew it was another excellent scary story by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the contributions of Charles Dickens and Joseph Le Fanu to the genre of ghost stories cannot be overstated. Their works continue to resonate with readers today, inspiring new generations of writers and enthusiasts. The impact of these authors on gothic and horror fiction is profound, and their stories remain essential reading for anyone interested in the supernatural.

As I reflect on the legacy of these literary giants, I am reminded of the enduring power of ghost stories. They invite us to explore the unknown, confront our fears, and delve into the mysteries of life and death. I encourage you to seek out their works and immerse yourself in the chilling worlds they created.

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