"And where does he now exist? Is this gentle and lovely being lost forever? Has this mind, so replete with ideas, imaginations fanciful and magnificent, which formed a world, whose existence depended on the life of its creator; -- has the mind perished? Does it now only exist in my memory? No, it is not thus; your form so divinely wrought, and beaming with beauty, has decayed, but your spirit still visits and consoles your unhappy friend."

I've had this book on my shelf forever and I'm so glad I finally read it. The prose is absolutely beautiful. It's certainly a spooky story, but it's also a commentary on the human condition. What does it mean to be alive? In the absence of companionship, how human can we actually be?

My only caveat to this book is that it's written in the style of many novels during this time--extremely narrative, recounting events in a passive style which can make it move a little slowly. It didn't make the book less enjoyable, just something to be aware of if you haven't read books from this time period before!