"The Lovely House" is a gothic short story and weird tale by American writer Shirley Jackson, first published in 1950.
The story features several overtly gothic elements, including a possibly haunted house, doubling, and the blurring of real and imaginary.
"[4] It was also reprinted in the anthology American Gothic Tales, edited by Joyce Carol Oates, in 1996.
In part one, the main character Margaret starts her summer vacation with her friend Carla Montague.
The Montagues' home is a huge and beautifully decorated house that is set among lavish grounds.
[citation needed] The tower is old and ruined; this symbolizes Margaret's death and her never-dying love for Paul.