The Return
Arthur Lawford, recovering from a long bout with influenza, takes a fateful walk in an old cemetery one afternoon, returning a changed man who neither his wife, nor his friends, nor himself – recognizes...
Gripping and poignant tale of psychic possession by one of the great practitioners of the genre concerns Arthur Lawford, who appears to have been possessed by the spirit of a long-dead 18th-century pirate. New introduction by S. T. Joshi. Gripping and poignant tale of psychic possession concerns Arthur Lawford, who appears to have been possessed by the spirit of a long-dead 18th-century pirate.
One of de la Mare's finest occult stories, the novel also deals with domestic trauma, unrequited love and philosophical reflection-all blended into a seamless whole.
Walter de la Mare
Walter John de la Mare (1873–1956) was an English poet, short story writer and novelist, probably best remembered for his works for children and "The Listeners".
Walter De la Mare was also a significant writer of ghost stories. John Clute comments that "in his long career, De la Mare seems to have published about 100 stories, of which about eighty-five have been collected. At least forty of these have supernatural content". Many of De la Mare's ghost stories can be found in the collections Eight Tales, The Riddle and Other Stories, The Connoisseur and Other Stories, On the Edge and The Wind Blows Over.