The Accursed House by Émile Gaboriau: Summary

The Accursed House by Émile Gaboriau

Émile Gaboriau was a famous French writer, but he is well known in English literature through translations. He became popular because he wrote early detective stories. He is often called the father of the modern detective novel.

Before Gaboriau, detective stories were not very systematic. He introduced:

·        logical investigation

·        professional detectives

·        careful study of clues

Because of this, later writers like Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes) were influenced by him.

In English literature, Gaboriau is respected for:

·        shaping detective fiction

·        showing how crime can be solved through reason and logic

·        writing stories that combine suspense and psychology

His short stories, like “The Accursed House,” are also popular in English syllabi because they carry social messages and are easy to understand.

Major Works of Émile Gaboriau

1. L’AffaireLerouge (The Lerouge Case)

·        His first famous detective novel

·        Introduces a detective who solves crime using logic

·        Considered a milestone in detective fiction

2. Monsieur Lecoq

·        His most famous novel

·        Features a professional detective

·        Shows how intelligence and observation help solve crimes

3. The Mystery of Orcival

·        A murder mystery

·        Focuses on hidden secrets and careful investigation

4. The Accursed House

·        A short story

·        Not a detective story

·        A satire on society

·        Shows how people distrust kindness and believe rumours

The Accursed House – Summary

A young man inherits a big house from his uncle.

The house has many tenants who pay high rent. The new owner is kind by nature. He feels that the rent is too high, so he decides to reduce the rent for everyone.

When the tenants hear this news, instead of feeling happy, they become suspicious. They think, “Why would a landlord reduce rent?”

They start believing that something is wrong with the house. Some think the house is haunted, some think it may collapse, and others think a crime has happened there.

Rumours spread very fast. Fear increases. One by one, the tenants leave the house. Soon, the house becomes completely empty. Even new tenants refuse to live there because the house gets the name “The Accursed House.”

In the end, the landlord’s good intention fails. His kindness creates fear instead of happiness. The house remains deserted.

Message of the Story

The story shows that people do not always trust kindness. Sometimes, when something good happens suddenly, people suspect it instead of accepting it. Fear and rumours can destroy peace and happiness.