The Perturbed Self

* Uses an approach of comparatist study* Draws two traditions of supernatural literature from East and West into conversation and veers away from the usual Anglo-American bias in Gothic studies* Helps to empower the marginalized in both Chinese and British societies in times of transition* Offers a timely explication of the symbolism and power dynamic surrounding the female ghost in Chinese culture and a comparison with its Western counterpart * Illuminates a lesser-known part of famous late nineteenth-century writers' oeuvre which sheds new light on the complexity of lives and experiences in transitional times