The House by Katherine Mansfield (1912)

The House
by Katherine Mansfield (1912)

“‘….the novelty never ceases. I feel each day is our first day together.’
‘Oh, it is the sense of “home” which is so precious to me – it is the wonderful sense of peace – of the rooms sanctified – of the quiet permanence – it is that which is so precious after –’”

This is quite a revelation for me. I genuinely believed that I had reviewed all this author’s collected stories HERE, but this marvellous ghost story seems not to be among them!
In apotheotic synergy with Walter de la Mare (my reviews of all his stories HERE), this Mansfield story with Bloomsbury references tells of a girl or young lady in a rainstorm with soggy package of madeira cake who shelters in the porch of house that is to be let or sold. And somehow she is transported within as a future idyllic life in the house as herself with a husband or are they children role-playing their adult selves with teddies and their own pretend children? A house we now live in ourselves for a nonce. A life or lives left unlived! It is pure magic, general fiction as well as ghost story fiction at its very best, and thanks to this book for bringing it to my attention. The ‘quiet permanence’ that is ourselves…

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WOMEN’S WEIRD context of above review:  https://dflewisreviews.wordpress.com/2023/01/21/womens-weird-more-strange-stories-by-women-1891-1937/