The Red Room (short story)
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"The Red Room" is a short gothic story written by H. G. Wells in 1894. It was first published in the March 1896 edition of The Idler magazine.
Summary
An unnamed protagonist chooses to spend the night in an allegedly haunted room in Lorraine Castle. He intends to disprove the legends surrounding it. Despite vague warnings from the three infirm custodians who reside in the castle, the narrator ascends to "the Red Room" to begin his night's vigil.
Initially confident, the narrator becomes increasingly uneasy in the room. He attempts to conquer his fear by lighting candles, but keeping the candles lit in the draughty room becomes an ongoing battle. Each time a candle is snuffed out, the narrator's fear increases. He begins to imagine that the drafts are guided by a malevolent intelligence. As the narrator's fear reaches a crescendo, he flees from the room in a blind panic.
The caretakers feel vindicated when the narrator agrees that the room is haunted. They are eager to hear a description of the phantom, but he surprises them by explaining that there is no ghost residing in the room. The room is haunted by fear itself.
External links
- "The Red Room" free eBook
- The Red Room audio - stream to listen online.
- "The Red Room" study guide and teacher resource - themes, quotes, multimedia
- The Red Room title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
