Publisher's Synopsis
The Library Window by Margaret O. Oliphant is a novella that tells the story of a young woman named Barbara, who lives with her aunt in a small town in England. Barbara is a talented artist, but her aunt does not approve of her pursuing a career in art. Instead, she wants Barbara to marry a wealthy man and settle down.One day, Barbara discovers that she can see into the library of the neighboring house from her bedroom window. She becomes fascinated with the man who lives there, a reclusive scholar named Mr. Jardine. Barbara begins to watch him through the window and even sketches him in secret.As she becomes more and more obsessed with Mr. Jardine, Barbara begins to neglect her own life and responsibilities. She starts to lose touch with reality and becomes convinced that Mr. Jardine is in love with her, despite never having spoken to him.The Library Window is a psychological thriller that explores themes of obsession, love, and the dangers of living in a fantasy world. Oliphant's writing is atmospheric and suspenseful, drawing the reader into Barbara's world and making them question what is real and what is imagined.First it occurred to me, with a little sensation of discovery, how absurd to say it was not a window, a living window, one to see through! Why, then, had they never seen it, these old folk? I saw as I looked up suddenly the faint greyness as of visible space within--a room behind, certainly dim, as it was natural a room should be on the other side of the street...This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.