The Sense of the Past

"The Sense of the Past" by Henry James is an unfinished novel published in 1917. A young American inherits an 18th-century London house from a distant relative and discovers he can travel back in time upon crossing its threshold. Finding himself trapped in the early 19th century, he assumes the identity of his ancestor and becomes entangled with an English family—including two sisters who complicate his desire to return home. This eerie time-travel tale blends supernatural mystery with James's characteristic social comedy.

The Sense of the Past, by Henry James. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #63369.