The Monkey's Paw (Fantasy & Horror Classics)

A severed hand. Three wishes. And an unstoppable curse. Arguably the most famous and influential short horror story of the 20th century. Penned by W. W. Jacobs (1863-1943), this chilling masterpiece is a devastating subversion of the classic fairy tale, trading fantasy for inescapable, cosmic irony. The story centers on the White family: a happy, simple couple and their son, who acquire a grotesque dried monkey's paw, a relic brought from India. The paw is cursed: it grants three wishes to its owner, but always with a terrible, ironic, and often deadly cost as an implacable Fate seeks to maintain balance. After a careless first wish for money brings unimaginable grief, the desperate second wish plunges the family into a terrifying struggle against the laws of life and death. The narrative culminates in one of the most famous and chilling finales in horror history. Do not wish. Do not tempt the forces that govern the universe.