Ghost Story Review: "The Middle Bedroom" by H. de Vere Stacpoole

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Do men (human beings, that is), if left alone, revert to animals? For example, Sir Michael Carey, who built Carey House near Innis Town on the west coast of Ireland in the early 19th century, was thought of by the “illiterate peasantry” as a spider. He lived alone in a gloomy corner. According to legend, the devil came and took him one night, leaving neither “rag nor bone.” The house was said to be haunted ever since. The bulk of the story is told to the narrator by one Micky Feelan in a suitable brogue. Humor at the expense of the Irish—particularly the rural Irish—is the point. The house remains empty for years until a family from Dublin finally rents it. Feelan describes them: “…there was a matter of a dozen or more [children], rangin’ like the pipes of an organ from Micky the eldest son six fut and thin as a gas pipe, to Pat the youngest not the height of your knee. Well, sor, the ghost lay aisy at the sight of the lot of them and didn’t let a word out of it for a full month.” A scene between two cops who’d rather be out drinking than investigating an apparent attempted kidnapping by a presumed ghost is cute. I rather enjoyed this story, ethnic humor notwithstanding. It takes a little effort to get through the dialect at times, almost to the point of having to read it aloud. I can imagine it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, though. Author Henry de Vere Stacpoole was Irish. A former ship’s doctor, he’s now best remembered for his 1908 novel The Blue Lagoon, which has been adapted for screen several times, most recently in 2012. I could not find an online version of this story, but a whole lot of people wanted to sell me The Blue Lagoon. _____ Title: “The Middle Bedroom” Author: H. de Vere Stacpoole (1863-1951) First published: The Novel Magazine Dec. 1918 *An earlier version of this review appeared on another site. It's been updated and expanded for its inclusion on myLot.*