Other editions of book The Monkey's Paw

How is this book unique? Illustrations includedOriginal & Unabridged EditionOne of the best books to readClassic historical fiction booksExtremely well formatted"The Monkey's Paw" is a supernatural short story by author W. W. In the story, three wishes are granted to the owner of the monkey's hand, but the wishes come with an enormous price for interfering with fate. Plot: The story involves Mr. and Mrs. White and their adult son, Herbert. Sergeant-Major Morris, a friend who served with the British Army in India, introduces them to a mummified monkey's paw. An old fakir placed a spell on the paw, that it would grant three wishes to three separate men. The wishes are granted but always with hellish consequences, as punishment for tampering with fate. Morris tells the Whites of his comrade, who used his third wish to wish for death. Morris, also having had a horrific experience upon using the paw, throws the monkey's paw into the fire but Mr. White retrieves it. Before leaving, Morris warns Mr. White that if he does use the paw, then be it on his own head.At Herbert's suggestion, Mr. White wishes for £200 to be used as the final payment on his house, even though he believes he has everything he wants. The next day his son Herbert leaves for work at a local factory. Later that day, word comes to the White home that Herbert has been killed in a terrible machinery accident. Although the employer denies responsibility for the incident, the firm makes a goodwill payment to family of the deceased. The payment is £200.

This early work by William Wymark Jacobs was originally published in 1902 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. Jacobs worked as a clerk in the civil service before turning to writing in his late twenties, publishing his first short story in 1895. Most of Jacobs' work appeared before the onset of World War I, and although the majority of his output was humorous in tone, he is best-remembered now for his macabre tales, particularly those contained in his 1902 collection The Lady of the Barge, such as 'The Monkey's Paw' and 'The Toll House'.