Publisher's Synopsis
What if the past didn't just haunt a house-but followed you into it?
In The Middle Toe of the Right Foot, Ambrose Bierce crafts one of the most striking and psychologically terrifying ghost stories of the American gothic tradition.
A mysterious man known only as "Mr. Manrich" accepts a challenge to enter a house that has been long abandoned due to its reputation as a site of murder and malevolence. What the local daredevils don't know is that he has a personal history with the house-one soaked in blood and betrayal.
But the challenge is no joke. As Manrich steps into the dark, he awakens something that was never truly gone. Within the silence of the house lies a secret-and a spirit-waiting for justice.
This modern translation updates Bierce's sharp, journalistic prose with crisp readability, allowing a new generation to experience the shocking climax and psychological brilliance of this short horror masterpiece.
What You'll Discover in This Modern Translation:
- A tense, slow-burning ghost story rooted in moral retribution
- A tale of murder, mistaken identity, and spectral vengeance
- A haunted house narrative that ends with one of horror's most shocking twists
- Southern gothic atmosphere filled with decay, guilt, and dread
- A refined, accessible rendering of Bierce's famously dark and ironic prose
For fans of Poe, Hawthorne, and M.R. James, The Middle Toe of the Right Foot is a chilling descent into moral justice-where even the smallest detail can seal your fate.
