Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain (Fantasy and Horror Classics)

What if you could erase every painful memory from your past? And what if your deepest scars are the source of your compassion?Redlaw, a lonely, grief-stricken professor, is haunted not by a traditional ghost, but by the relentless, crushing memories of loss, injury, and regret. One bleak Christmas Eve, a spectral double of himself appears, offering him a terrible bargain: the gift of Oblivion.The phantom ghost promises to wipe away every memory of sorrow and injustice that has ever tormented Redlaw. However, this magical gift comes with a fearful contagion: Redlaw must pass the curse of forgetfulness to everyone he meets.As Redlaw sheds his grief, he discovers that the people around him--from his simple-minded servant to the troubled souls he attempts to help--also lose their capacity for empathy, kindness, and moral reflection. Without the painful memories of the past, humanity descends into cruel indifference and base self-interest.Charles Dickens delivers a profound and atmospheric Christmas tale that goes far beyond the surface of a ghost story. The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain is a masterful allegory about the vital necessity of suffering, proving that the memories we wish most to forget are often what make us human.