<p><em><strong>A rediscovered classic of madness and possession by the author of the famous bodyswap novel </strong></em><strong>Vice Versa</strong></p>

<p>After her father loses his fortune, Stella Maberly is forced to go into service as a paid companion to her former schoolfellow, Evelyn Heseltine. When Stella finds Evelyn one morning apparently dead from an accidental&mdash;or perhaps intentional&mdash;poisoning, she is shocked and horrified. But it is nothing compared to her horror when Evelyn reawakens. Stella believes her friend&rsquo;s body is animated by something evil. Is Stella insane, or has a spirit of darkness actually taken possession of Evelyn?</p>

<p>When originally published in 1896, <em>The Statement of Stella Maberly</em> was subtitled &lsquo;Written by Herself&rsquo; and presented as the real-life confession of a possibly&nbsp;mad woman, but the identity of the book&rsquo;s true author, F. Anstey (1856-1934), famous for his oft-filmed bodyswap novel <em>Vice Versa</em> (1882), was soon revealed. This first-ever scholarly edition of Anstey&rsquo;s lost classic features a new introduction and notes by Peter Merchant, plus the first-ever appearance of unpublished manuscripts pertaining to the novel, including a 1916 screenplay for a never-produced film version, <em>An Evil Spirit</em>.</p>

<p>&lsquo;A very curious and interesting story ... either a study of hallucination, of madness ... or else it is a sober statement of how, on a young girl&rsquo;s death, her body was revivified by a wandering spirit ... The book has very great interest ... written very skilfully and convincingly&rsquo;&mdash;<em>The Review of Reviews</em></p>

<p>&lsquo;A unique and weird experience&rsquo;&mdash;<em>The Literary World</em></p>

<p>&lsquo;Has a kinship with <em>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</em> ... a most striking tale&rsquo;&mdash;<em>Godey&rsquo;s Magazine</em></p>