The Red Room
The Red Room is a short ghost story by H. G. Wells, first published in 1896. A confident young man arrives at Lorraine Castle determined to spend the night in a room said to be haunted, brushing aside the warnings of three elderly custodians who sit by the fire downstairs. He takes a candle up the dark corridors, lights every candle he can find in the red room, and waits. What follows is less a tale of apparitions than a study of fear itself, of how it grows in the dark and what it does to a reasoning mind. The story is brief and tightly made, and it is among the most reprinted of Wells's early fiction. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the opening pages are 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 Red Room
The Red Room by H. G. Wells 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 Red Room online?
Yes. The Red Room 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 Red Room free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of The Red Room 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 Red Room in the public domain?
Yes. The Red Room by H. G. Wells 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 Red Room?
About 16 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 Red Room?
The Red Room by H. G. Wells is filed under "Short Stories" in the Vinteuil library.
