Black spirits & white

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

26687

Title

Black spirits & white

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Ralph Adams Cram's "Black Spirits & White" is a collection of ghost stories set against atmospheric backdrops of Paris, Italy, and Sicily. Blending Gothic horror with architectural appreciation, the tales explore themes of obsession, the supernatural, and the haunting legacy of the past, offering readers a chilling yet poetic journey through haunted locales and tragic histories.

Summary up to 500 words

In *Black Spirits & White*, Ralph Adams Cram presents a collection of ghost stories that blend architectural appreciation with supernatural dread. The narratives are set against the backdrop of historic European locations, suggesting that the very stones of a building can harbor the spirits of those who died within them. The first tale transports the reader to Paris, specifically the notorious No. 252 Rue M. le Prince in the Latin Quarter, known locally as *la Bouche d'Enfer* (the Mouth of Hell). The narrator, an American architect, joins his friend Eugene d'Ardeche and two skeptical doctors to spend the night in the mansion. Despite their rational minds, they encounter a silent, malevolent presence and a sinister figure who never leaves the premises. The house is infamous for driving tenants to madness, a phenomenon attributed to an inexplicable terror rather than visible hauntings. The story highlights the house's dark history, including the curse of the former owner, Mlle. Blaye de Tartas, and the persistent, ghostly presence of the sorcerer Sar Torrevieja, who was seen entering the house but never leaving. The narrative shifts to Italy, focusing on the White Villa in Campania. Here, the narrator learns of a duke who, consumed by jealousy, murdered his beloved wife, La Luna. After the duke was killed in battle, La Luna's spirit returned annually on the full moon. The tale is steeped in the legend of a woman buried without the pale of the Church, unable to find peace. The final story takes place in Sicily at the convent of Sta. Catarina. The Cavaliere Valguanera warns his guests of a visitation from Sister Maddelena, a novice nun who died unshriven. Unlike the terrifying apparitions of the other tales, Sister Maddelena is described as gentle and harmless, appearing only to say, "I cannot sleep," before vanishing. Through these vivid descriptions of light, shadow, and decay, Cram weaves a tapestry suggesting that some places are cursed by their history and that the line between the living and the dead is perilously thin. The collection serves as both a warning and a meditation on the enduring power of memory and the supernatural within the built environment.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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data/epubs/pg26687.epub

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Categories

• American Fiction
• Ghost stories