The Rats in the Walls
The Rats in the Walls is a short horror story written by H. P. Lovecraft in 1924.
After restoring his ancestral home, Exham Priory in England, an American descendant of the de la Poer family begins hearing rats behind the walls—sounds that no one but he and his cat can detect. His search beneath the house uncovers ruins and a horrifying family secret buried for generations.
"THE bare statistics of my ancestry I had always known, together with the fact that my first American forbear had come to the colonies under a strange cloud."
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Public domain (US)·No sign-up·DRM-free·Real text, not scans
Copyright note. The Rats in the Walls by H. P. Lovecraft is believed to be in the public domain in the United States only. It may still be copyrighted in other countries. If you are not in the United States, please check your local laws to ensure this eBook is in the public domain in your country before downloading The Rats in the Walls in PDF or EPUB.
- Pages
- 25
- Reading time
- 40 minutes
- Pace
- Intermediate
- First published
- 1924
- Language
- English
- Downloads
- 2,641
102 years later, still timely
Why Read The Rats in the Walls in 2026?
A decaying estate whispers, and the past answers. Lovecraft makes ancestry a trapdoor and guilt a guide.
Today's connection
Buried histories shape present harm. This story confronts inheritance—not just wealth and walls, but appetites passed down.
Haunted lineage
Family trees with teeth.
Sanity in descent
Truth costs composure.
Archaeology of home
Dig carefully where you live.
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About the author
H. P. Lovecraft
Cosmic horror and a shared mythos that reshaped modern weird fiction and pop culture.
