The Horla is a psychological horror story written as the diary of an unnamed narrator, chronicling his gradual descent into madness or possession by an invisible being. The story explores themes of insanity, fear of the unknown, and humanity’s fragility in the face of forces beyond comprehension.
The narrator, a wealthy man living in a beautiful house near Rouen, begins the diary describing his idyllic life. However, he soon experiences unexplainable symptoms: fatigue, feelings of oppression, and strange dreams. He senses an invisible presence in his house, and objects, such as water and milk, begin disappearing mysteriously.
His mental state deteriorates as he becomes convinced that he is being haunted by a supernatural entity he calls The Horla. This being, he believes, feeds on his vitality and controls his actions. He learns about hypnotism and begins to suspect that The Horla can dominate his will in the same way hypnotists control their subjects.
The narrator seeks help from doctors and priests, but they dismiss his claims, attributing his experiences to mental illness. Meanwhile, his paranoia intensifies, and he isolates himself. At one point, he travels to Mont Saint-Michel, where a monk discusses humanity’s ignorance of higher beings that might exist beyond perception, reinforcing the narrator’s fears.
Convinced that The Horla is real, the narrator attempts to fight back. He sets his house on fire while ensuring that the creature is inside, hoping to destroy it. However, in the story’s chilling conclusion, he begins to doubt whether The Horla was truly killed. The narrator contemplates suicide as the only way to escape the entity’s control, leaving the story open-ended and ambiguous.
Maupassant uses The Horla to blur the line between psychological disturbance and supernatural horror, making readers question whether the narrator is truly haunted by an otherworldly being or is descending into madness. The story reflects Maupassant’s own struggles with mental illness and his fear of losing control over his mind.