Fair warning: I've probably read more Wharton than any other author. Her writing is nuanced, witty, intricate, and equally agile with a male or female narrator, and this book is no exception. Her own introduction might be the weakest part of this collection, with her mourning of the loss of the old-fashioned ghost tale fortunately a bit premature. These stories are not jump out of your seat thrillers but subtle creepers, threaded with chills, subterfuge, and such finely wrought minute details that the occasional flipback to reread something is warranted. While you can't avoid some dated language, I find Wharton less problematic than most for this. Her work remains interesting and accessible to the 21st century reader, and I recommend this book to fans of scary stories and high literature alike.