The Jolly Corner

** "The Jolly Corner" by Henry James is a chilling novella about confronting the road not taken after years abroad when Spencer Brydon returns to his childhood home in New York and wrestles with the life he abandoned. Haunted by the ghost of the self he might have become had he stayed, Spencer's reality warps as he descends into obsession, finding not peace, but perhaps, the darker reflections of his own nature lurking within the depths of the old house. This exploration of identity and regret unfolds amidst the backdrop of a city transformed, mirroring the changes within Spencer himself, leading to a haunting climax where self-acceptance becomes a battle against the specter of what could have been. The narrative captures the internal struggles of a man haunted by his choices and the eerie presence of his alter ego. **