fascinating read for those interested in psychological horror and existential questions. At the start of the collection, the narrative is framed through a first-person perspective, where the protagonist describes his deep attachment to his homeland and the serene countryside by the Seine River. However, as the story unfolds, he begins to suffer from a mysterious malady, including bouts of fever and intense anxiety, compounded by harrowing dreams of a sinister presence that beckons to him at night. The protagonist's mental state deteriorates as he becomes convinced of an invisible being, the "Horla," that seems to drain his vitality and haunt him. This gradual descent into madness, interspersed with reflections on existence and the nature of reality, sets a compelling tone for the eerie tale that develops throughout this volume. (This is an automatically generated summary.)