The Open Door

by Charlotte Riddell, J.H. Riddell

Charlotte Riddell (1832-1906) who also wrote under the pseudonym F. G. Tafford, was one of the most popular and influential writers of the Victorian period. She was born Charlotte Eliza Lawson Cowan in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Ireland. The author of 56 books, novels and short stories, she was also part owner and editor of the St. James's Magazine, one of the most prestigious literary magazines of the 1860s. She was also the author of many ghost stories, publishing under the name of Mrs. J. H. Riddell. Her husband died in 1880 and Charlotte lived a lonely life thereafter until her she died from cancer in Ashford, Kent, England on 24 September 1906. Amongst her works are: The Moors and the Fens (1858), City and Suburb (1861), George Geith of Fen Court (1864), Above Suspicion (1876), Berna Boyle (1882), Mitre Court (1885) and The Head of the Firm (1892).

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Classics, Gothic, Fiction, Ghost Stories, Mystery

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1882

About the author

See J.H. Riddell

Charlotte Riddell aka Mrs J.H. Riddell was a one of the most popular and influential writers of the Victorian period. The author of 56 books, novels and short stories, she was also part owner and editor of the St. James's Magazine, one of the most prestigious literary magazines of the 1860s.

Reviews

[Leah]

I like Charlotte Riddell's writing style - it's easy and relaxed, her protagonists are usually likeable young men in the few stories I've read, and there's some humour. None of the ones I've read are at all scary, so she's definitely at the cosy end of horror.

Sadly this one disappointed me a bit. The premise is good - a mansion in which there's a door which won't stay shut. Even if you bolt it, as soon as you turn your back it opens again. Our protagonist, young Phil, offers to stay in the house and lay the ghost. At first he's doing it for the offered reward but he gradually begins to feel loyal to the owner and it becomes a kind of personal challenge.

But after a long, long, long build-up it all ends in a frantic rush and I had to read the last couple of pages twice to try to understand what had happened. And I feel an awful lot was left unexplained - not in an ambiguous The Turn of the Screw way, just in a sloppy well, that's done, kind of thing. Given that it was already overlong I feel she could have gone the extra mile and given us a couple of paragraphs tying things up a bit more satisfactorily.

So it's OK, entertaining enough, but not an unmissable classic.

[William]

I listened to this as part of the Classic Tales of Horror - 500+ Stories. It was very entertaining 2023

[Lucas Tunes]

Primeiro conto da antologia Vitorianas Macabras. Adorei, é um mistério muito gostoso e fácil de ler. Espero que os outros contos dessa antologia sejam tão bons quanto.

[Elizabeth]

I wasn't sure that I liked this at first, but it turned out to be an interesting and enjoyable tale. The protagonist wasn't especially likeable at the start, but I was certainly rooting for him by the end. This ghostly tale mixes the supernatural with elements that are distinctly human. A haunted house, a missing will, and even a specter! Well worth the read.

[Liz]

There is the ambience of an old manor house with a mystery; a door that refuses to stay closed until a murder is solved. It is more of a mystery story than a spooky ghost story. The protagonist immediately wins us over with his unfair circumstances and his forthright nature, not to mention his determination. The story flows smoothly and never bogs down or becomes uninteresting. There is no amazing reveal at the end, but it is a satisfactory denouement. Also available in youtube.

[Onika]

A classical Victorian ghost story, but with a dash of good humor.

The protagonist was this young, naive but kind hearted man, who needed some extra money. So he went on to solve a little ghost problem in an old mansion. As the title implies, one of the doors has a little problem with keeping itself shut.

I like to listen to these kind of stories on long car rides and this one was definitely entertaining.

[Iman Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ]

I wish I enjoyed this more. It has a lot of potential but did not fully deliver on a more intense atmosphere that I was hoping for. It was also slightly anticlimactic, as I felt there was not a great build up to the confrontation the narrator had. It was only a bit eerie but I enjoyed the narrator.

1.8/5

[SZ]

2.75 stars
I loved that we followed an mc whose character we could feel- he wasn't good at clerk work, was a more outdoorsy person, thought his employers and colleagues hated him, and came across as brash and insolent to them. The story itself was a bit lackluster though- I enjoyed the reveal that there was actually a person/the maid rummaging around the house for the will. But the actual feeling of dread and gothic horror I didn't get. The mc just paraphrased what he felt or experienced to the reader. I actually think this could have been more fleshed out and focused on the internal horror the mc feels being in the house.

[Anne Bollmann (Annelise Lestrange)]

There's nothing more refreshing than a supernatural mystery told from the perspective of a skeptical narrator. With a simple main character and what seems to be a simple mystery to be solved, this short story leads its reader to believe everything is just a superstition from the local people in the village... Until it's not.
I'd give it 5 stars, but it would have been awesome if the author had deepened the storytelling. This work had potential to be a full novel instead of the delicious short story that it is.

[Mayda]

A recently discharged young man, in need of cash, accepts the challenge to discover why a door in a manor won’t stay closed. He goes to stay in this manor, discovering it does indeed open on its own, unless he tries to keep it open, then it is shut. He must try to figure out exactly what is happening, before it is too late. It’s a ghostly tale that contains more than just ghostly happenings. Entertaining and just scary enough, it is a classic.

[Lynette Furtado]

The Open Door is a strange ghost story, it is not scary like many other stories but instead indulges in more eeriness and mood-setting. The story starts off very comical with Edlyd the ghost-hunter. Overall I really enjoyed it and would recommend reading it

[Arimi Reads]

I feel like this was left on a sort of cliffhanger, but the ending was absolutely beautiful. Imagine living like that. I think even in today's society, that is something almost everyone strives for. This was a beautiful and thrilling tale. Well wrote. I enjoyed it.

[Mort Uary]

Is there such a thing as a cosy haunted house story? If there is then this is it. It's not scary, but there is a psychological aspect to it. The main character is a sort of happy go lucky almost 'himbo' type, if he didn't describe himself as ugly.

[Erica-Lynn]

Such a fun, witty, engaging ghostly tale.

[Jay Rothermel]

A fine adventure of a young clerk.

[Michelle Raven]

Interesting read but is there ghost. It's makes you think of lots of questions.

[Amera]

Would have been a bit better if the pacing was more balanced. It was too slow at the beginning then too quick and rushed in the very end..

[Maryam]

2.5 stars

[Manuella]

3.5

[Tiff]

Not my type of story for sure.

[Sarah Dunsbee]

Super start and really modern sounding could have been set in this 21st century...but end disappointed me ,as others say too quick and unclear to me at first hearing.....

[Ocean G]

Quite a good story with an interesting ending.

https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

[Coen Smeets]

Door stuck

[Hannah]

Enjoyably spooky.

[Scott Stoner]

I gave a charitable two stars. The two stars was for the effort. If not for that, this is a one star, dull affair.

[Anna]

Really enjoyed this one

[doowopapocalypse]

Enjoyable but old fashioned.

[Tony Ciak]

Ghost story, mystery, short story, by a master, well done!!!

[Elena]

This was the first work I read by Charlotte Riddell and I really enjoyed it.

Even if very short, the story was well written and the setup was very intriguing. I really liked the main character, a sort of lazy anti-hero who has an evolution through the story, and the mystery surrounding the open door was interesting. There was also a touch of humour which I appreciated.

However, I personally thought the beginning was the strongest part, while the second half could have been longer. There were several plot points and characters which could have been more developed, and the ending also felt quite rushed. That being said, reading this short story definitely made me keen to try other works by Riddell.

[Cindy Adeline]

I didn't quite understand the ending.