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The House in the Mist
In "The House in the Mist," weary traveler Hugh Austin arrives, seeking food and lodging for the night. "Enter, sir; you are the first to arrive, but the others can not be far behind," he is told. "What others?" he wonders, gazing at a stern portrait hanging on the wall. He finds he has chanced upon the gathering of friends and relatives of the man in the portrait. An inheritance is to be divided, all concerned must be present by the appointed hour. And this inheritance is so substantial that violence, murder, and vengeance from beyond the grave all await among the heirs. . . .
116 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1905
About the author
Anna Katharine Green
554 books206 followersAnna Katharine Green (1846-1935) was an American poet and novelist. She was one of the first writers of detective fiction in America and distinguished herself by writing well plotted, legally accurate stories. Born in Brooklyn, New York, her early ambition was to write romantic verse, and she corresponded with Ralph Waldo Emerson. When her poetry failed to gain recognition, she produced her first and best known novel, The Leavenworth Case (1878). She became a bestselling author, eventually publishing about 40 books. She was in some ways a progressive woman for her time-succeeding in a genre dominated by male writers-but she did not approve of many of her feminist contemporaries, and she was opposed to women's suffrage. Her other works include A Strange Disappearance (1880), The Affair Next Door (1897), The Circular Study (1902), The Filigree Ball (1903), The Millionaire Baby (1905), The House in the Mist (1905), The Woman in the Alcove (1906), The House of the Whispering Pines (1910), Initials Only (1912), and The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow (1917).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
September 3, 2021
A hiker was traveling through western Pennsylvania in a cool mist. He stopped by a mansion, thinking that it was a tavern, and was told to wait inside. He soon realizes that he was thought to be a relative of a man who died recently. The lawyer arrived for the reading of the will to the greedy relatives. The deceased man had a few surprises for everyone in the room. "The House in the Mist" is an atmospheric and entertaining gothic novella published in 1905.
September 26, 2015
WHAT a surprising tale of revenge!
Hugh Austin, a wayfarer is traveling through the mist in Pennsylvania at about 7:45-ish when he comes upon a house with its doors and windows open and lights pouring out from it. A man leaving beckons him in saying dinner will be held at 9:00. What happens next warns him that things aren't as they should be and he's become an unintended guest to the reading of a hated rich man's will. Only his relatives who arrive before two short strokes of eight o'clock will have a part in the proceedings and in the division of his possessions. When the clock strikes the appointed time the door is shut and bolted, leaving everyone not already over the threshold out. Then begins the strangest of will readings and the tale of revenge is carefully put into action.
The exclusion from the will of sinners, the finest of dinners for those who are worthy and the dead man's last letter of his will to be read before the heirs who have drunk toasts to his generosity...
This is one of Anna Katherine Greens best mystery/thrillers! I loved it and it's going up there with my favorites like Violet Strange and The Forsaken Inn. What's not to love in a tale that gives each character a taste of his own medicine?
G Mention of past misdeeds and murder.
Hugh Austin, a wayfarer is traveling through the mist in Pennsylvania at about 7:45-ish when he comes upon a house with its doors and windows open and lights pouring out from it. A man leaving beckons him in saying dinner will be held at 9:00. What happens next warns him that things aren't as they should be and he's become an unintended guest to the reading of a hated rich man's will. Only his relatives who arrive before two short strokes of eight o'clock will have a part in the proceedings and in the division of his possessions. When the clock strikes the appointed time the door is shut and bolted, leaving everyone not already over the threshold out. Then begins the strangest of will readings and the tale of revenge is carefully put into action.
The exclusion from the will of sinners, the finest of dinners for those who are worthy and the dead man's last letter of his will to be read before the heirs who have drunk toasts to his generosity...
This is one of Anna Katherine Greens best mystery/thrillers! I loved it and it's going up there with my favorites like Violet Strange and The Forsaken Inn. What's not to love in a tale that gives each character a taste of his own medicine?
G Mention of past misdeeds and murder.
December 24, 2021
IMHO, this short story was quite exaggerated, corny and moralistic. I read it at www.gutenberg.net.au. SYNOPSIS: "In "The House in the Mist," weary traveler Hugh Austin arrives, seeking food and lodging for the night. "Enter, sir; you are the first to arrive, but the others can not be far behind," he is told. "What others?" he wonders, gazing at a stern portrait hanging on the wall. He finds he has chanced upon the gathering of friends and relatives of the man in the portrait. An inheritance is to be divided, all concerned must be present by the appointed hour. And this inheritance is so substantial that violence, murder, and vengeance from beyond the grave all await among the heirs..."
May 7, 2019
Harbiden olmamış bu ya. Yazar hep aynı tarz yazıyor. Birebir Agatha tarzı diyebilirim. Hiç akıcı değil ve merak ettirmiyor. Tasvirler de bir tuhaf. Kullanılan dil de değişik. 👎🏻
December 26, 2015
I didn't mean to read this at the time I did, but the first sentence caught my attention this morning and I read it before breakfast! The tired traveller, the narrator, tells a very interesting story; my attention did not lag in the least. One event follows the other in a quick sequences, and the entire book covers the events of only one night. The plot is unusual and satisfying. Those with little time to read will enjoy the short, novella-style length.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
October 4, 2015
"Enter, sir; you are the first to arrive..."
Initially mistaking the building for a tavern, a stranger was invited in from the cold. It was 1905 and the gentleman was welcomed; supper was to be served at nine. The young man, Hugh Austin, cheerfully observed the furniture, a painting and various knick knacks temporarily forgetting his hunger.
Some others arrived until he witnessed and was enamored by a beautiful young woman, Eunice Westonhaugh. She appeared to be carrying a package. Before long, he learned that a will was to be read by Mr. Smeads, the lawyer. The doors to the rambling mansion were closed and locked with latecomers shouting to be let in.
They weren't.
The stranger learned that because he had not been invited, he was shuffled off to another area of the home. Though he could not see everyone he still could hear what was said. To inherit, each person had to be honest, righteous and lead stainless lives. He heard the young lady say she had "sinned" -her 'package' was an infant- and told to leave.
The entire short story was told in four parts: An Open Door, With My Ear To The Wainscoting, A Life Drama and The Final Shock. The lesson learned was "shelter does not always mean refuge".
It reminded me, somewhat, of an old Agatha Christie movie, 'Ten Little Indians'. The gothic-like eerie home, darkness, cold, and innocence vs evil. At ninety one pages, it can be easily read in one sitting. And it is free on Project Gutenberg.
Initially mistaking the building for a tavern, a stranger was invited in from the cold. It was 1905 and the gentleman was welcomed; supper was to be served at nine. The young man, Hugh Austin, cheerfully observed the furniture, a painting and various knick knacks temporarily forgetting his hunger.
Some others arrived until he witnessed and was enamored by a beautiful young woman, Eunice Westonhaugh. She appeared to be carrying a package. Before long, he learned that a will was to be read by Mr. Smeads, the lawyer. The doors to the rambling mansion were closed and locked with latecomers shouting to be let in.
They weren't.
The stranger learned that because he had not been invited, he was shuffled off to another area of the home. Though he could not see everyone he still could hear what was said. To inherit, each person had to be honest, righteous and lead stainless lives. He heard the young lady say she had "sinned" -her 'package' was an infant- and told to leave.
The entire short story was told in four parts: An Open Door, With My Ear To The Wainscoting, A Life Drama and The Final Shock. The lesson learned was "shelter does not always mean refuge".
It reminded me, somewhat, of an old Agatha Christie movie, 'Ten Little Indians'. The gothic-like eerie home, darkness, cold, and innocence vs evil. At ninety one pages, it can be easily read in one sitting. And it is free on Project Gutenberg.
July 18, 2023
This was a quickie. In my "Complete Works of" it is included in her short stories, so I can only guess that this edition must be larger print. It is a somewhat macabre sort of story and would have been perfect for a Halloween reading. As in the title, a large house is surrounded in a mist. Of course, the house is out in the middle of nowhere - Western Pennsylvania to be specific. A man traveling by foot decides to seek it out for a rest along the way. At first he is alone, but not for long. Why are the others there?
I enjoy this author. That she is relatively unknown is somewhat of a surprise, but the mystery genre is not without plenty of authors, and these early ones get pushed aside.
I enjoy this author. That she is relatively unknown is somewhat of a surprise, but the mystery genre is not without plenty of authors, and these early ones get pushed aside.
February 18, 2013
A traveller happens upon a house in a village whilst seeking shelter on a misty night. The house is open, and initially the reception he gets is quite strange to him, he then realises that he was taken for the relative of a dead man and that the gathering he encounters is a meeting of relatives regarding an inheritance that was left...
September 25, 2017
4.00 stars overall - rated pg-pg13 - "Vintage" secular book. The free Kindle ebook (which I believe is the same that is offered on Project Gutenberg) included three short stories. Perhaps 40 pages each?
The House in the Mist - 4.00 stars - rated pg13(heavy?) - How can I not love a short vintage mystery that starts out with "It was a night to drive any man indoors. Not only was the darkness impenetrable, but the raw mist enveloping hill and valley made the open road anything but desirable to a belated wayfarer like myself. .... Being young, untrammeled, and naturally indifferent to danger, I was not averse to adventure. .... Consequently, when I saw a light shimmering through the mist at my right, I resolved to make for it and the shelter it so opportunely offered. .... But I did not realize then, as I do now, that shelter does not necessarily imply refuge, or I might not have undertaken this adventure with so light a heart."
And then shortly after that wonderful opening my heart went pitter patter when I came upon a sentence with six commas!! Oh, how I love commas and feel the need to now share them, "Yet, who knows? The impulses of an unfettered spirit lean toward daring, and youth, as I have said, seeks the strange, the unknown and, sometimes, the terrible."
Why am I not reading more "vintage" books?? The old-fashioned descriptive style of writing is quite lovely (sometimes a bit wordy, but that's okay). This eerie little story is not a mystery in the sense that you are given clues to solve. It's more a mysterious and odd tale that you watch unfold, and it even has a touch of romance. The mist and the desolate old house added a nice air of creepiness. (I didn't realize at first that it took place in the American countryside -- it felt so British!) Be warned, however, that it is gruesome at one point; no overwhelmingly gross details, but it still showed the evil and horror resulting from human greed. (I can't handle modern day thrillers because they're too real and it seems there are no boundaries for evil and perversion today. However, my tender sensibilities managed okay with this vintage tale, but only during the daylight -- I sensed the worst part coming and closed the book at night so as not to read before falling asleep.)
The Ruby and The Caldron - 3.45 stars - rated pg - Nice, very short, little mystery of a missing jewel and a touch of romance. No murder. Nothing scary. The twist at the end suited this sweet, plain tale. (One sentence showed the time period in which this was written by referring to the waiters as "colored". But if I remember correctly, that was the only objectionable bit.)
Sometimes my peabrain just cannot work things out. For instance, take this bit spoken by one character at the beginning of the story who telephones the police station to request a detective be sent to her home, "'Well, then, a detective is wanted at The Evergreens. He can not be too clever or too discreet. A valuable jewel has been lost, which must be found before the guests disperse for home.'" Sooo.... does that mean they want a detective who is a bit dense and not clever? I took it, of course, to mean the opposite. But still it just twists my brain!
The Hermit of ____ Street - Haven't read yet. Some of the other reviews left me questioning whether I would like this story. Perhaps I'll get to it someday?
The House in the Mist - 4.00 stars - rated pg13(heavy?) - How can I not love a short vintage mystery that starts out with "It was a night to drive any man indoors. Not only was the darkness impenetrable, but the raw mist enveloping hill and valley made the open road anything but desirable to a belated wayfarer like myself. .... Being young, untrammeled, and naturally indifferent to danger, I was not averse to adventure. .... Consequently, when I saw a light shimmering through the mist at my right, I resolved to make for it and the shelter it so opportunely offered. .... But I did not realize then, as I do now, that shelter does not necessarily imply refuge, or I might not have undertaken this adventure with so light a heart."
And then shortly after that wonderful opening my heart went pitter patter when I came upon a sentence with six commas!! Oh, how I love commas and feel the need to now share them, "Yet, who knows? The impulses of an unfettered spirit lean toward daring, and youth, as I have said, seeks the strange, the unknown and, sometimes, the terrible."
Why am I not reading more "vintage" books?? The old-fashioned descriptive style of writing is quite lovely (sometimes a bit wordy, but that's okay). This eerie little story is not a mystery in the sense that you are given clues to solve. It's more a mysterious and odd tale that you watch unfold, and it even has a touch of romance. The mist and the desolate old house added a nice air of creepiness. (I didn't realize at first that it took place in the American countryside -- it felt so British!) Be warned, however, that it is gruesome at one point; no overwhelmingly gross details, but it still showed the evil and horror resulting from human greed. (I can't handle modern day thrillers because they're too real and it seems there are no boundaries for evil and perversion today. However, my tender sensibilities managed okay with this vintage tale, but only during the daylight -- I sensed the worst part coming and closed the book at night so as not to read before falling asleep.)
The Ruby and The Caldron - 3.45 stars - rated pg - Nice, very short, little mystery of a missing jewel and a touch of romance. No murder. Nothing scary. The twist at the end suited this sweet, plain tale. (One sentence showed the time period in which this was written by referring to the waiters as "colored". But if I remember correctly, that was the only objectionable bit.)
Sometimes my peabrain just cannot work things out. For instance, take this bit spoken by one character at the beginning of the story who telephones the police station to request a detective be sent to her home, "'Well, then, a detective is wanted at The Evergreens. He can not be too clever or too discreet. A valuable jewel has been lost, which must be found before the guests disperse for home.'" Sooo.... does that mean they want a detective who is a bit dense and not clever? I took it, of course, to mean the opposite. But still it just twists my brain!
The Hermit of ____ Street - Haven't read yet. Some of the other reviews left me questioning whether I would like this story. Perhaps I'll get to it someday?
July 2, 2022
3.5 rounded down. Surprisingly gruelsome for something written in 1905! A free read for Kindle from Amazon. 3 stories included, and the last one has to take the award for the "the start to the worse marriage ever." Shades of Flowers in the Attic here...
October 20, 2016
Guess What’s Coming to Dinner
The House in the Mist is a short story by Anna Katharine Green which is included in her collection Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories. However, it is not a detective story at all but a gruesome and nightmarish tale of revenge that is written in so vivid a style that I had the impression of actually watching a movie.
Our narrator, Hugh Austin, is hiking in the Pennsylvanian countryside when the inclement weather and a feeling of hunger induce him to ask for lodgings in a lonely mansion whose door is standing open. He is told that he is the first guest and that the others are soon to arrive, and before he can clear up the misunderstanding, his usher has already vanished and he finds himself in a room that is dominated by the portrait of an old man with hard features. By and by, the room fills itself with people, most of whom are anything but prepossessing specimens of the human species, and in the end the narrator realizes that they are members of one family who have assembled for the opening of a will.
Since the story is rather short, I will not continue my summary lest I give too much away. Rest assured, though, that you will read this story in one sitting simply because it will not give you one little moment of respite. The only fly in the ointment is probably the love interest that is woven into the story, and although Green makes good use of the woman Eunice Westonaugh as a plot element, yet she is too good to be true, and I also found it very difficult to believe that our hero, on having seen her but the first time, already makes something like a proposal to her.
Nevertheless, The House in the Mist is an ideal story to be read aloud, amongst your friends, when you are sitting around the fireplace and outside it is getting darker, maybe with some rain tapping against the window-panes, and only some candles lit inside, and you are sharing a bottle of Tokay …
The House in the Mist is a short story by Anna Katharine Green which is included in her collection Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories. However, it is not a detective story at all but a gruesome and nightmarish tale of revenge that is written in so vivid a style that I had the impression of actually watching a movie.
Our narrator, Hugh Austin, is hiking in the Pennsylvanian countryside when the inclement weather and a feeling of hunger induce him to ask for lodgings in a lonely mansion whose door is standing open. He is told that he is the first guest and that the others are soon to arrive, and before he can clear up the misunderstanding, his usher has already vanished and he finds himself in a room that is dominated by the portrait of an old man with hard features. By and by, the room fills itself with people, most of whom are anything but prepossessing specimens of the human species, and in the end the narrator realizes that they are members of one family who have assembled for the opening of a will.
Since the story is rather short, I will not continue my summary lest I give too much away. Rest assured, though, that you will read this story in one sitting simply because it will not give you one little moment of respite. The only fly in the ointment is probably the love interest that is woven into the story, and although Green makes good use of the woman Eunice Westonaugh as a plot element, yet she is too good to be true, and I also found it very difficult to believe that our hero, on having seen her but the first time, already makes something like a proposal to her.
Nevertheless, The House in the Mist is an ideal story to be read aloud, amongst your friends, when you are sitting around the fireplace and outside it is getting darker, maybe with some rain tapping against the window-panes, and only some candles lit inside, and you are sharing a bottle of Tokay …
December 5, 2015
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I was browsing the free Amazon books looking for a book that would fit in the 'mist November' challenge over on the ff-leesclub and so I came to this collection of three short stories of which The House in the Mist is the longest.
Over a hundred years old the stories are indeed a little bit outdated, but I've read them with pleasure. They were entertaining to read and kept me busy for some time. The title stories features a revenge plot that might have even worked in the setting of a longer story.
I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed reading them and would read another one of her books if I came across them.
I was browsing the free Amazon books looking for a book that would fit in the 'mist November' challenge over on the ff-leesclub and so I came to this collection of three short stories of which The House in the Mist is the longest.
Over a hundred years old the stories are indeed a little bit outdated, but I've read them with pleasure. They were entertaining to read and kept me busy for some time. The title stories features a revenge plot that might have even worked in the setting of a longer story.
I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed reading them and would read another one of her books if I came across them.
December 7, 2020
From 1905
Over wordy to the extreme.
But a fun fairy tale adventure, with romance and a mass poisoning.
Over wordy to the extreme.
But a fun fairy tale adventure, with romance and a mass poisoning.
April 5, 2012
My first Anna Green book. I would call it a short story. It was only 67 pages. A stranger traveling on cold and misty night comes upon a light and discovers a house with an open door (we are never given his name). He ventures over hoping for an Inn or Tavern to come in out of the night and get a bite to eat. The house seems empty, but as he approaches the door a man comes hurrying out and rushes past him. The stranger calls to him if there is a meal and shelter available and the man calls back "Just go in, the meal is at 9" . He enters the house and soon after people begin coming in. He discovers he is at a gathering for a will to be read. The lawyer says that a stipulation is that they must not have anything untoward in their lives, a sin, or evil deed. If they do they are exempt and will not inherit and can leave now. In this rough, greedy bunch the one kind, soft looking woman in the group stands and says she cannot be included then and opens her coat and shows an infant in her arms. She is unmarried. She leaves. The stranger is finally called upon to identify himself and then asked to remove himself from the room. He goes up a set of dark stairs and discovers he can hear the proceedings clearly thru the door so stays to listen in. I thought oh we know how this ends, the honest girl who left will be the one to get the inheritance because she was honest. This is a pretty predictable tale here. Boy was I wrong! I never would have guessed the ending in a million years! And that's all I'm gonna say :=) The whole tale is told by the stranger as a bystander.
July 31, 2019
AHEM!
Yorumlar arasında bir Türk booktuber hanımefendi, "hep aynı tarzda yazıyor, hatta A. Christie'nin birebir aynısı diyebilirim" demiş.
Kendisinin yorumuna cevap verme opsiyon varsa bile bulamadığım için ancak bu şekilde kendi yorumumu ekleyerek, o tarz bir yorumdan doğabilecek herhangi bir yanlış anlaşılmanın önüne geçmek istedim.
1846 doğumlu olan A. K. Green'in ilk kitabı, 1878 yılında yayınlanmıştır. A. Christie'nin doğumundan tam olarak 12 yıl önce. Bahsi geçen Sisler Evi isimli kitap ise, A. Christie'nin ilk kitabı yayınlanmadan yaklaşık 15 sene önce basılmıştır. Eğer şahıs iki yazarın eserleri arasında bir benzerlik gördüyse, bu ancak A. Christie'nin kendisinden etkilenmesinden kaynaklanmaktadır, tam tersi değil.
Elbetteki zevkler ve renkler tartışılmaz, ve yazıldığı dönemde gelişim ve değişim aşamasında olan türünün ilk örneklerini verdiği için, herkesin damak tadına uymak zorunda değildir. Hoş, ben beğendim. Kısa ve öz bir hikayeydi, ana karakter ise araştırmacıdan çok gözlemci rolündeydi diyebilirim. Herşeye rağmen kendisi ilk dedektif/polisiye yazarlarından biridir. Türe meraklıların, türün tarihteki evrimine daha yakından tanık olabilme dilekleri varsa, özellikle tavsiye ederim.
Yorumlar arasında bir Türk booktuber hanımefendi, "hep aynı tarzda yazıyor, hatta A. Christie'nin birebir aynısı diyebilirim" demiş.
Kendisinin yorumuna cevap verme opsiyon varsa bile bulamadığım için ancak bu şekilde kendi yorumumu ekleyerek, o tarz bir yorumdan doğabilecek herhangi bir yanlış anlaşılmanın önüne geçmek istedim.
1846 doğumlu olan A. K. Green'in ilk kitabı, 1878 yılında yayınlanmıştır. A. Christie'nin doğumundan tam olarak 12 yıl önce. Bahsi geçen Sisler Evi isimli kitap ise, A. Christie'nin ilk kitabı yayınlanmadan yaklaşık 15 sene önce basılmıştır. Eğer şahıs iki yazarın eserleri arasında bir benzerlik gördüyse, bu ancak A. Christie'nin kendisinden etkilenmesinden kaynaklanmaktadır, tam tersi değil.
Elbetteki zevkler ve renkler tartışılmaz, ve yazıldığı dönemde gelişim ve değişim aşamasında olan türünün ilk örneklerini verdiği için, herkesin damak tadına uymak zorunda değildir. Hoş, ben beğendim. Kısa ve öz bir hikayeydi, ana karakter ise araştırmacıdan çok gözlemci rolündeydi diyebilirim. Herşeye rağmen kendisi ilk dedektif/polisiye yazarlarından biridir. Türe meraklıların, türün tarihteki evrimine daha yakından tanık olabilme dilekleri varsa, özellikle tavsiye ederim.
March 6, 2015
This was a very good short story. It had the feel of a fairy tale or a story that had a moral at the end. It was well executed and well told. A man who is down on his luck stumbles across a house in the mist and his life will be changed forever as soon as he steps over the threshold.
July 19, 2017
Although I didn't approve of the whole 'revenge' aspect of this story (understandable though it was), the mystery itself and the whole idea of the last will and the huge inheritance left to a motley group of murderous relatives was extremely clever and excellently portrayed. A real page-turner!
October 26, 2018
I enjoy Anna Katharine Green's mystery fiction, usually touched with a little suspense and paranormal. This story was fascinating, though more gruesome than most of her stories. The HAE ending was also a little too neatly tied for my taste. But overall a worthwhile read.
July 12, 2014
Wow! That is what I have to say after reading this story.... It seems an inheritance may not always be a good thing. Great story.
August 1, 2022
I would like it understood that this is not the edition that I read, I read the original edition, published in 1905, but that edition does not exist here on Goodreads and nobody seems to want to help me to get this original edition listed. Ugh.
As for the book, it was a fun and creepy read. It contains two stories, The House in the Mist and The Ruby in the Caldron. The latter story felt a wee bit as though it might have been written by Agatha Christie, it was a fun mystery story about a missing jewel. The title story is a dark novella that deals with karma in a very satisfactory way. It has a sweet, if silly, romance involved as well. These were quick and fun gothic stories and would be a really fun read for the month of October.
As for the book, it was a fun and creepy read. It contains two stories, The House in the Mist and The Ruby in the Caldron. The latter story felt a wee bit as though it might have been written by Agatha Christie, it was a fun mystery story about a missing jewel. The title story is a dark novella that deals with karma in a very satisfactory way. It has a sweet, if silly, romance involved as well. These were quick and fun gothic stories and would be a really fun read for the month of October.
April 27, 2023
Oh definitely my fave AKG
May 16, 2023
My edition of this book includes the novella The House in the Mist and the short story The Ruby and the Caldron.
The novella is a very well-written web of suspense. A traveler in rural Pennsylvania seeks refuge from a terrible fog. He comes across an old mansion and a passerby in the fog tells him "Supper will be ready at nine, and there are beds for all. Enter, sir; you are the first to arrive, but the others can not be far behind". He enters in search of rest and food, but instead becomes part of a shocking family drama. This novella is in essence a parable about money and morality.
The short story is also interesting if more light-hearted. A police officer is tasked with finding a ruby (valued at more than a quarter of a million in today's dollars) lost at a society party. He thinks he has spotted the guilty party, but there are many reasons for guilt aside from thievery. The true culprit should have been obvious, but I didn't see it.
That's why I'm not a detective.
The novella is a very well-written web of suspense. A traveler in rural Pennsylvania seeks refuge from a terrible fog. He comes across an old mansion and a passerby in the fog tells him "Supper will be ready at nine, and there are beds for all. Enter, sir; you are the first to arrive, but the others can not be far behind". He enters in search of rest and food, but instead becomes part of a shocking family drama. This novella is in essence a parable about money and morality.
The short story is also interesting if more light-hearted. A police officer is tasked with finding a ruby (valued at more than a quarter of a million in today's dollars) lost at a society party. He thinks he has spotted the guilty party, but there are many reasons for guilt aside from thievery. The true culprit should have been obvious, but I didn't see it.
That's why I'm not a detective.
September 22, 2019
I somehow came across Anna Katharine Green’s (1846—1935) name when researching horror classics, so I downloaded some of her stories from Project Gutenberg. However, it appears that she was more of a mystery and detective novel writer, with one of her books frequently cited as the first mystery written by an American female author (not actually the first, though close).
This novella was quite tame as far as horror goes. It probably would have been more gruesome if I’d enjoyed it as a visual adaptation. Then I would have been aghast at the visual rendering of the fate of so many of the characters and perhaps haunted by the foreboding mist of the title. Reading about it made me curious to know what was going to happen but didn’t generate fear. It’s also rather predictable once it gets going. However, the way the narrator stumbles his way into becoming a fly on the wall (one chapter is titled “With My Ear to the Wainscoting”) to witness these dreadful things happening in an intimate family setting to people who are complete strangers to him is nice. For his own sake, thank God they kicked him out.
Title in Spanish: No Spanish translation
This novella was quite tame as far as horror goes. It probably would have been more gruesome if I’d enjoyed it as a visual adaptation. Then I would have been aghast at the visual rendering of the fate of so many of the characters and perhaps haunted by the foreboding mist of the title. Reading about it made me curious to know what was going to happen but didn’t generate fear. It’s also rather predictable once it gets going. However, the way the narrator stumbles his way into becoming a fly on the wall (one chapter is titled “With My Ear to the Wainscoting”) to witness these dreadful things happening in an intimate family setting to people who are complete strangers to him is nice. For his own sake, thank God they kicked him out.
Title in Spanish: No Spanish translation
November 26, 2015
Wow, this was dramatic! Slightly reminiscent of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None," but shorter, I think. A stranger stumbles upon a vacant house that has all the doors standing wide open and lights blazing. He's informed that "he's the first, but the others will be along soon." He goes in and becomes a sort-of fly on the wall to a big family conclave. A bunch of money-grubbing cold-hearted relatives (and one decent one) have gathered to hear the will read. The revelations that follow are a bit chilling, but things sure get wrapped up quickly!
October 20, 2014
This short story is rather predictable after a certain point relatively early on. The transparency of it has a feeling of inevitablity rather than tedium, though, and the horrific atmosphere is quite well-executed. The final minutes feel a bit stilted, as though the author hadn't been quite sure what to do with her characters once the moment of crisis had passed--but it's nonetheless an entertaining piece.
October 13, 2019
Ah, here's one of those old books that makes you wonder why it isn't a universally known classic. What a fun find during my October hunt for fresh gothic, ghostly, or surreal reading.
Great Librivox narration from Carolin, too. Yes, native English speakers can hear her accent, but it is charming and adds to the misty atmosphere of the story. If your ear isn't used to listening to such speakers, give it a chance to acclimate - it's part of living in a global society! :)
Great Librivox narration from Carolin, too. Yes, native English speakers can hear her accent, but it is charming and adds to the misty atmosphere of the story. If your ear isn't used to listening to such speakers, give it a chance to acclimate - it's part of living in a global society! :)
July 20, 2024
Kitaptaki iki hikaye de güzeldi ama birinci hikayeyi daha çok beğendim. Polisiye olduğunu düşünerek okumaya başladım ama yazarın kalemi daha ilk cümlelerden itibaren hikayenin sadece polisiye değil gerilim olduğunu açıkça hissettirdi. Diğer kitaplarını da okumayı düşünüyorum.
August 4, 2014
This is really a short story or novella. A very quick but entertaining read.
August 19, 2020
Our copy of House in the Mist is a three-story collection featuring the Titular The House in the Mist, as well as “The Ruby and the Caldron”, and “The Hermit Of ------ Street”. A fantastic collection for a quick read, these stories demonstrate exquisite and distinct atmospheres that could earn it a place in your collection.
Our first story, the titular House in the Mist, sees us visiting a mysterious mansion, deep in a valley, through the eyes of Hugh Austin. Stumbling into the family will-reading of a deceased Anthony Westenhaugh, you could be forgiven for assuming you’d just picked up a ghost story as manic and possibly inhuman characters come clawing at the walls for a taste of the inheritance.
The portrait-laden will-reading is a staple of many a country-house mystery, but the unique approach this story takes is enticing, and the aura of mystique this scene builds is an absolute masterclass in tension and misdirection as you and Austin both struggle to figure out what’s really going on.
Even though this story entirely eschews the standard detective narrative of Green’s more famous stories like The Leavenworth Case, it really is worth still approaching as a mystery - the snide comments and vivid body language of characters both alive and painted creates a fascinating puzzle that you’ll relish in to the last bite.
The second story in the collection, the Ruby and the Caldron similarly eschews the standard detective story, but instead by putting us with the outwardly b-grade detective, going by the codename “Jennings”, to solve the disappearance of one ruby for Mrs. Ashley. The story is lighthearted, ridiculous and entirely pointless, but all the same is a damned good time.
Letting you know right from the start as our detective deliberates between which of his own officers to send on the job, and then decides that they’re just too incompetent. The story is definitely a lot less cohesive than the titular House in the Mist, but despite the characters being utterly convinced that this is very serious, Ruby and the Caldron manages to keep things whimsical without ever going too far with it, except maybe the punchline, but by that point it’s too late.
The story that really knocks this collection down a peg, though, is the Hermit of ___ Street. It’s not a street named ‘blank’, there is a gap in the title to ensure you understand that the location is unimportant, just like most of the rest of this story. The story is incredibly predictable, and not because it piles on tropes but because it just picks the easy way out.
Our protagonist is hurriedly married to the mysterious, illustrious and wealthy Mr. Allison, the Hermit Himself, after she saves his house from a fire. I’ll say no more on the plot in detail but it’s safe to say it unravels itself in the most uninspiring way, leading to a conclusion that had Herds and I both scratching our heads.
As far as we can tell, the moral of this story is “marry a rich weird man and disobey him and you’ll be fine”, and even if that were tenable advice at any point in history it seems that moral contradicts the complication of the story. It didn’t surprise me to learn that this collection was at one point printed without the addition of The Hermit of ___ Street, and it probably would be better off for it. The creepy atmosphere surrounding Mr. Allison is still indicative of Green’s talent at setting her tone, but that’s honestly all this piece has going for it.
Even ignoring the peculiarities of The Hermit of ___ Street, the main reason House in the Mist finds itself on 8th place in our 2019 list is that it’s a very filler book - while the atmospheres and concepts are impressive and well executed, none of the conclusions to any of the stories feel like they’ve achieved anything. An inspiring read if you’re looking to spice up your own work, and a fantastic coffee table book to give a quick burst of mystery fiction over a morning coffee, but not much more than that. I look back on this story fondly but you aren’t missing out if you skip it.
Check out our full thoughts on the collection over on Death of the Reader!
Our first story, the titular House in the Mist, sees us visiting a mysterious mansion, deep in a valley, through the eyes of Hugh Austin. Stumbling into the family will-reading of a deceased Anthony Westenhaugh, you could be forgiven for assuming you’d just picked up a ghost story as manic and possibly inhuman characters come clawing at the walls for a taste of the inheritance.
The portrait-laden will-reading is a staple of many a country-house mystery, but the unique approach this story takes is enticing, and the aura of mystique this scene builds is an absolute masterclass in tension and misdirection as you and Austin both struggle to figure out what’s really going on.
Even though this story entirely eschews the standard detective narrative of Green’s more famous stories like The Leavenworth Case, it really is worth still approaching as a mystery - the snide comments and vivid body language of characters both alive and painted creates a fascinating puzzle that you’ll relish in to the last bite.
The second story in the collection, the Ruby and the Caldron similarly eschews the standard detective story, but instead by putting us with the outwardly b-grade detective, going by the codename “Jennings”, to solve the disappearance of one ruby for Mrs. Ashley. The story is lighthearted, ridiculous and entirely pointless, but all the same is a damned good time.
Letting you know right from the start as our detective deliberates between which of his own officers to send on the job, and then decides that they’re just too incompetent. The story is definitely a lot less cohesive than the titular House in the Mist, but despite the characters being utterly convinced that this is very serious, Ruby and the Caldron manages to keep things whimsical without ever going too far with it, except maybe the punchline, but by that point it’s too late.
The story that really knocks this collection down a peg, though, is the Hermit of ___ Street. It’s not a street named ‘blank’, there is a gap in the title to ensure you understand that the location is unimportant, just like most of the rest of this story. The story is incredibly predictable, and not because it piles on tropes but because it just picks the easy way out.
Our protagonist is hurriedly married to the mysterious, illustrious and wealthy Mr. Allison, the Hermit Himself, after she saves his house from a fire. I’ll say no more on the plot in detail but it’s safe to say it unravels itself in the most uninspiring way, leading to a conclusion that had Herds and I both scratching our heads.
As far as we can tell, the moral of this story is “marry a rich weird man and disobey him and you’ll be fine”, and even if that were tenable advice at any point in history it seems that moral contradicts the complication of the story. It didn’t surprise me to learn that this collection was at one point printed without the addition of The Hermit of ___ Street, and it probably would be better off for it. The creepy atmosphere surrounding Mr. Allison is still indicative of Green’s talent at setting her tone, but that’s honestly all this piece has going for it.
Even ignoring the peculiarities of The Hermit of ___ Street, the main reason House in the Mist finds itself on 8th place in our 2019 list is that it’s a very filler book - while the atmospheres and concepts are impressive and well executed, none of the conclusions to any of the stories feel like they’ve achieved anything. An inspiring read if you’re looking to spice up your own work, and a fantastic coffee table book to give a quick burst of mystery fiction over a morning coffee, but not much more than that. I look back on this story fondly but you aren’t missing out if you skip it.
Check out our full thoughts on the collection over on Death of the Reader!
May 30, 2024
Slim volume, three stories: "The House in the Mist", "The Ruby and the Cauldron" and "The Hermit of --- Street". I can't recall what led me to "House in the Mist". Green is credited as being one of the first female detective authors. While the stories didn't quite grip me with suspense, they were easy enough to read-- the first story has some nice twists--a weary traveler takes shelter at a home where unsavory people are gathering for an unpleasant event. "Shelter does not necessarily imply refuge" we are told up front. Yeegads, true enough! "The Ruby" is a tidy mystery about a missing gemstone. I guessed the mystery, but there was still more to be unraveled. "The Hermit" starts out with a Bluebeard vibe to it but has a surprise ending.
Good stuff. Alas, I got the version with the house and dead trees in the middle of a gray wasteland on the cover-- as I liked the cover. Formatting is awful. Font size is small, no table of contents or bio info, the stories are not even set nicely on separate pages. No effort at all for formatting. But, readable.
Good stuff. Alas, I got the version with the house and dead trees in the middle of a gray wasteland on the cover-- as I liked the cover. Formatting is awful. Font size is small, no table of contents or bio info, the stories are not even set nicely on separate pages. No effort at all for formatting. But, readable.
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