Published together in 1882, these essays explore the works of nine writers from around the world and across the centuries.

In a small Scottish village the Reverends housekeeper is rumoured to be involved with witchcraft. As strange and terrifying events unfold, the villagers' darkest fears come to life. Stevenson's masterful use of the Scots dialect and atmospheric setting enhances the eerie and unsettling mood of this gothic narrative. »Thrawn Janet« is a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson, originally published in 1881. ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON [1850–1894] was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer. He is among the 30 most translated authors of all time and has been praised by Marcel Proust, Jorge Luis Borges, Vladimir Nabokov, Ernest Hemingway, and Bertolt Brecht. Treasure Island is his most famous work, along with the gothic sci-fi novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde.