The haunted house
The Haunted House, published in 1927 with illustrations by G. K. Chesterton, is one of the comic novels Hilaire Belloc wrote about money and the English upper classes. Rackham is an old house in the Sussex clay, half Elizabethan and half eighteenth century, whose owner, the amiable Henry Maple, has let his affairs slide. Into the story, in the summer of 1914, comes Lord de Beaurivage, formerly George Huggins, who began as a barrow-boy selling vegetables and has ended as a peer, and a scheme involving the house and its supposed ghost that brings out everything Belloc thought absurd about new wealth, old gentility and the professions that serve both. The satire is good-humored and the plotting brisk. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first chapter is free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about The haunted house
The haunted house by Hilaire Belloc can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read The haunted house online?
Yes. The haunted house opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is The haunted house free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of The haunted house is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is The haunted house in the public domain?
Yes. The haunted house by Hilaire Belloc is a public-domain work. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read The haunted house?
About 4 h 06 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is The haunted house?
The haunted house by Hilaire Belloc is filed under "Mystery" in the Vinteuil library.
