About this book
Haunting and enigmatic, alte Haus by Friedrich Gerstäcker draws you into a 19th-century German town where a sealed house, strange lights and an old watchman named Quetzlinberger seed rumor and unease. This Gothic horror tale follows the Hechner household’s servants and the young Marie Hechner, whose forbidden peek through a connecting door yields a strange vision she later doubts as dream or premonition. Years pass and a bitter inheritance dispute brings new faces—Herr Schierling, who may be the rightful heir, and Doctor Hetzelhofer with his sister and the amiable, story‑telling famulus Schwiebus—each with uneasy ties to the lonely mansion.
Blending supernatural suggestion with courtroom intrigue, Gerstäcker’s narrative explores themes of memory versus reality, superstition versus rationality, and the legacy of obsession. The atmosphere leans toward psychological dread rather than outright spectacle, evoking the uncanny tones of E.T.A. Hoffmann while rooted in its 19th‑century social context.
Perfect for listeners who love classic ghost stories, Gothic fiction, and slow‑burn supernatural mysteries, this audiobook rewards those who appreciate mood, period detail, and ambiguous, lingering chills.
