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Indeholder "Introduction", "Preface", "Canon Alberic's Scrapbook", "Lost Hearts", "The Mezzotint", "The Ash Tree", "Number 13", "Count Magnus", "'Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad'", "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas", "A School Story", "The Rose Garden", "The Tractate Middoth", "Casting the
"Introduction" handler om ???
"Preface" handler om ???
"Canon Alberic's Scrapbook" handler om mr Dennistoun, der køber en gammel bog med illuminerede sider fra gamle håndskrifter. Bogen ejes af kirketjeneren også kaldet sakristanen og han sælger den med åbne øjne for en latterligt lav pris af 250 franc. Kirketjeneren ser nærmest lettet ud, da han har solgt bogen og drager en vis omsorg for den nye ejers helbred. Bagerst i bogen er der et skrækindjagende billede af en dæmon. Kirketjenerens datter forærer Dennistoun et krusifiks af sølv og det får han god brug for senere på aftenen, da han studerer tegningen. Senere tager han et fotografi af tegningen og brænder originalen. Han rejser til Comminges og besøger Kannik Alberics grav og slipper en hel del penge for at få holdt messe og sunget salmer for at Alberic de Mauléon kan hvile i fred.
"Lost Hearts" handler om forældreløse Stephen Elliott på 11 år, der bliver taget ind af sin aldrende slægtning Mr. Abney, der ellers ikke har ord for at være særligt rar. Stephen plages af drømme om døde børn med et hul, hvor hjertet skulle være og mr. Abney har studeret gamle hedenske guder. Men i stedet for at Stephen dør på sin 12-års fødselsdag, er det mr. Abney, der dør på en rædselsfuld måde.
"The Mezzotint" handler om ???
"The Ash Tree" handler om Castringham Hall i Suffolk. En mrs Mothersole blev brændt som heks efter vidnesbyrd fra Sir Matthew Fells om at hun hentede grene fra den store ask midt om natten. Hendes sidste ord var "Der kommer gæster til Castringham Hall". En aften kort efter har Matthew Fells besøg af sognepræsten og de går tur i parken under skumringen da de ser noget egernlignende løbe op i asketræet tæt ved huset. Ingen af dem kan se hvad det er, men præsten, mr Cromw, synes at det med sikkerthed havde mere end fire ben. Næste dag ligger Matthew død i sin seng og er helt sort. Præsten bliver tilkaldt og har gjort sig nogle notater. Der var to prikker på liget, men ingen spor af gift. En bibel i sengebordet blev for sjov slået op på tre tilfældige steder og det gav "Hug det om"; "Det skal ikke beboes" og "Og dens unger drikker blod". Sir Matthew afløses af sin søn, der ligeledes hedder Sir Matthew og denne igen af sin søn, Sir Richard. En vis overdødelighed plager dyrene på godset og jagtvildtet, men hvis man lukker dyrene ind for natten, sker der dem ikke noget. Men ingen ved hvad det skyldes. Cromes barnebarn kommer forbi med nogle papirer, samtidig med at Sir Richard har tænkt sig at tage Sir Matthews gamle værelse i brug igen efter fyrre år. Asketræet har vokset sig stort og Sir Richard beordrer det fældet næste dag. Men det er for sent, for han ligger død næste morgen præcis som Sir Matthew i sin tid. Man lægger mærke til en kat, der har kig på noget i træet, for den falder ned i en hulhed og skriger højt og længe. En mand med en lygte forsøger at se hvad der tog livet af katten, men han bliver forskrækket og taber lygten så der går ild i træet. Nogle store edderkoppelignende væsner med grå hår over hele kroppen forsøger at slippe væk fra ilden, men man holder vagt og slår dem alle ihjel. Man graver også rodklumpen ud og får has på de sidste par stykker. Man finder også her skelettet af en kvinde, der har været død i ca halvtreds år. Det passer nok meget godt med at heksens kiste var tom, da man kiggede efter.
"Number 13" handler om et hotel i Viborg, hvor værelse nr 13 ikke findes, men alligevel dukker der af og til en dør op med nr 13 på og de to naboværelser bliver lidt mindre. Efter en nervepirrende oplevelse med fortællerens fætter mr Anderson som hovedperson, beslutter hotelværten at brække gulvet op og de finder et gammelt skrift, gemt i en lille kobberkiste. Skriftet lader sig ikke deciffrere, men bliver i stedet overladt til 'Historisk Selskab'' i Viborg.
"Count Magnus" handler om en mr Wraxall, der er ved at skrive en slags rejsebog over et område af skandinavien. Han støder på en lille herregård på Vestgötland. I bogen kalder han den for Råbäck, men det er ikke det rigtige navn. Der er et lille aflåst gravkapel i kirken, hvor den første ejer grev Magnus og hans familie ligger. I herregården finder Wraxall stor gæstfrihed og han får også et portræt af grev Magnus at se. Denne har været en overordentlig grim mand at dømme efter maleriet. I herregårdens arkiv finder man også grevens regnskabsoptegnelser og notater om alkymi og magi. Fx en henvisning til at han har været på Den Sorte Pilgrimsfærd og taget noget med hjem. I en af bøgerne er der et notat om at man kan få stor magt ved at tage til byen Chorazin og der hylde herskeren aëris. Wraxall finder grevens sten på kirkegården og mumler for sig selv at det kunne være interessant at møde greven. Kroværten kan en uhyggelig historie om to mænd, Anders Björnsen og Hans Thorbjörn, der en aften gik på jagt i grevens skov efter at have grinet og sagt: "Greven er død. Ham kan vi være ligeglade med.". Næste dag blev den ene fundet død og den anden vanvittig af skræk. Den vanvittige kommer i dårehuset, men dør også snart derefter. Wraxall bliver nogle dage og kigger også ind i kapellet og mumler igen noget med greven. Dennes sarkofag er låst med tre låse, men de to er faldet af. Wraxall bliver kaldt tilbage til London og som det sidste går han forbi kapellet og siger igen noget med greven. Den sidste lås falder af og låget begynder at bevæge sig. Wraxall bliver pludseligt mere interesseret i at komme tilbage til London end i at opholde sig i kapellet bare et sekund længere. På turen tilbage til London holder han nøje tal med medpassagererne. Der er 28 og to af dem spiser aldrig med ved måltiderne. I London tager han en vogn videre til Belchamp St. Paul, hvor noget om natten skræmmer ham til døde. Ingen var siden interesserede i at bo i huset og fortælleren har nu arvet det og fået det revet ned. Wraxalls beretning kom til syne i et glemt skab, der var byttet ind under vinduet i det værelse, hvor han døde.
"'Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad'" handler om den skråsikre professor i Ontologi, Parkins, som tager på ferie og falder over en gammel fløjte med indskriften - Quis est iste qyi venit - dvs Hvem er det, der kommer? Han prøver selvfølgelig fløjten og så begynder det pludseligt at blæse. Om natten sover han uroligt og den anden seng på værelset ser ud som om nogen har sovet i den selv om han er alene på værelset. Næste nat er det ved at gå helt galt og han bliver reddet af en oberst Wilson, der efterfølgende får ham til at lade ham kaste fløjten langt ud i havet. Obersten har en ide om at væsenet er helt uden materiel tilstedeværelse og kun har evnen til at indgyde rædsel, men det er sandelig også nok. Parkins er langt mindre skråsikker og kan ikke gå forbi et fugleskræmsel uden at det koster nattesøvnen.
"The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" handler om en historiker mr Somerton, der via nogle mosaikvinduer med en krypteret indskrift finder anvisning på hvor man finder en brønd med en pose guld, som er gemt af abbed Thomas for mange år siden. Han tager ud til brønden sammen med sin tjener mr William Brown og nede i brønden finder han også en sten med syv prikker på, som dækker over et hulrum. Imidlertid er der noget væmmeligt derinde og kun med nød og næppe får tjeneren ham hevet op igen. Nogle dages hvilen på kroen overbeviser ham om at skabningen fra brønden lusker rundt efter ham om natten og han får sendt bud til sin ven, mr Gregory, som er sognepræst. Gregory og Brown får stoppet hullet og sat stenen tilbage ved dagslys. Og mr Somerton slipper for videre forfølgelse, må man tro.
"A School Story" handler om ???
"The Rose Garden" handler om ???
"The Tractate Middoth" handler om ???
"Casting the Runes" handler om en mr. Karswell, der er alkymist og ønsker at holde et foredrag om det ved et selskab, der udtrykkeligt ikke er interesseret. Han har indsendt et skrift, han selv har forfattet, men det bliver afvist. Dunning som har bedømt skriftet opdager snart at Karswell er trættekær og bærer nag. Karswell er på alle måder ubehagelig og skriftets afsnit om runer tyder på at han har prøvet en hel del af besværgelserne. Dunning får en stump papir stukket iblandt sine egne og der står nogle dystre runer på det. Han finder ud af at en John Harrington på lignende vis blev forbandet af Karswell og døde på dagen tre måneder efter. Dunning allierer sig med Johns broder og det lykkes for dem at returnere runerne til Karswell gemt i nogle togbilletter. På dagen er det Karswell, der dør.
"The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral" handler om ???
"Martin's Close" handler om ???
"Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance" handler om ???
"The Residence at Whitminster" handler om ???
"The Diary of Mr Poynter" handler om ???
"An Episode of Cathedral History" handler om ???
"The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance" handler om ???
"Two Doctors" handler om ???
"The Haunted Dolls' House" handler om ???
"The Uncommon Prayer-Book" handler om ???
"A Neighbour's Landmark" handler om ???
"A View from a Hill" handler om ???
"A Warning to the Curious" handler om ???
"An Evening's Entertainment" handler om ???
"There was a Man Dwelt by a Churchyard" handler om ???
"Rats" handler om ???
"After Dark in the Playing Fields" handler om ???
"Wailing Well" handler om ???
"Stories I have Tried to Write" handler om ???
Aldeles glimrende erstatning for aircondition på en hed sommerdag.
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Runes", "The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral", "Martin's Close", "Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance", "The Residence at Whitminster", "The Diary of Mr Poynter", "An Episode of Cathedral History", "The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance", "Two Doctors", "The Haunted Dolls' House", "The Uncommon Prayer-Book", "A Neighbour's Landmark", "A View from a Hill", "A Warning to the Curious", "An Evening's Entertainment", "There was a Man Dwelt by a Churchyard", "Rats", "After Dark in the Playing Fields", "Wailing Well", "Stories I have Tried to Write"."Introduction" handler om ???
"Preface" handler om ???
"Canon Alberic's Scrapbook" handler om mr Dennistoun, der køber en gammel bog med illuminerede sider fra gamle håndskrifter. Bogen ejes af kirketjeneren også kaldet sakristanen og han sælger den med åbne øjne for en latterligt lav pris af 250 franc. Kirketjeneren ser nærmest lettet ud, da han har solgt bogen og drager en vis omsorg for den nye ejers helbred. Bagerst i bogen er der et skrækindjagende billede af en dæmon. Kirketjenerens datter forærer Dennistoun et krusifiks af sølv og det får han god brug for senere på aftenen, da han studerer tegningen. Senere tager han et fotografi af tegningen og brænder originalen. Han rejser til Comminges og besøger Kannik Alberics grav og slipper en hel del penge for at få holdt messe og sunget salmer for at Alberic de Mauléon kan hvile i fred.
"Lost Hearts" handler om forældreløse Stephen Elliott på 11 år, der bliver taget ind af sin aldrende slægtning Mr. Abney, der ellers ikke har ord for at være særligt rar. Stephen plages af drømme om døde børn med et hul, hvor hjertet skulle være og mr. Abney har studeret gamle hedenske guder. Men i stedet for at Stephen dør på sin 12-års fødselsdag, er det mr. Abney, der dør på en rædselsfuld måde.
"The Mezzotint" handler om ???
"The Ash Tree" handler om Castringham Hall i Suffolk. En mrs Mothersole blev brændt som heks efter vidnesbyrd fra Sir Matthew Fells om at hun hentede grene fra den store ask midt om natten. Hendes sidste ord var "Der kommer gæster til Castringham Hall". En aften kort efter har Matthew Fells besøg af sognepræsten og de går tur i parken under skumringen da de ser noget egernlignende løbe op i asketræet tæt ved huset. Ingen af dem kan se hvad det er, men præsten, mr Cromw, synes at det med sikkerthed havde mere end fire ben. Næste dag ligger Matthew død i sin seng og er helt sort. Præsten bliver tilkaldt og har gjort sig nogle notater. Der var to prikker på liget, men ingen spor af gift. En bibel i sengebordet blev for sjov slået op på tre tilfældige steder og det gav "Hug det om"; "Det skal ikke beboes" og "Og dens unger drikker blod". Sir Matthew afløses af sin søn, der ligeledes hedder Sir Matthew og denne igen af sin søn, Sir Richard. En vis overdødelighed plager dyrene på godset og jagtvildtet, men hvis man lukker dyrene ind for natten, sker der dem ikke noget. Men ingen ved hvad det skyldes. Cromes barnebarn kommer forbi med nogle papirer, samtidig med at Sir Richard har tænkt sig at tage Sir Matthews gamle værelse i brug igen efter fyrre år. Asketræet har vokset sig stort og Sir Richard beordrer det fældet næste dag. Men det er for sent, for han ligger død næste morgen præcis som Sir Matthew i sin tid. Man lægger mærke til en kat, der har kig på noget i træet, for den falder ned i en hulhed og skriger højt og længe. En mand med en lygte forsøger at se hvad der tog livet af katten, men han bliver forskrækket og taber lygten så der går ild i træet. Nogle store edderkoppelignende væsner med grå hår over hele kroppen forsøger at slippe væk fra ilden, men man holder vagt og slår dem alle ihjel. Man graver også rodklumpen ud og får has på de sidste par stykker. Man finder også her skelettet af en kvinde, der har været død i ca halvtreds år. Det passer nok meget godt med at heksens kiste var tom, da man kiggede efter.
"Number 13" handler om et hotel i Viborg, hvor værelse nr 13 ikke findes, men alligevel dukker der af og til en dør op med nr 13 på og de to naboværelser bliver lidt mindre. Efter en nervepirrende oplevelse med fortællerens fætter mr Anderson som hovedperson, beslutter hotelværten at brække gulvet op og de finder et gammelt skrift, gemt i en lille kobberkiste. Skriftet lader sig ikke deciffrere, men bliver i stedet overladt til 'Historisk Selskab'' i Viborg.
"Count Magnus" handler om en mr Wraxall, der er ved at skrive en slags rejsebog over et område af skandinavien. Han støder på en lille herregård på Vestgötland. I bogen kalder han den for Råbäck, men det er ikke det rigtige navn. Der er et lille aflåst gravkapel i kirken, hvor den første ejer grev Magnus og hans familie ligger. I herregården finder Wraxall stor gæstfrihed og han får også et portræt af grev Magnus at se. Denne har været en overordentlig grim mand at dømme efter maleriet. I herregårdens arkiv finder man også grevens regnskabsoptegnelser og notater om alkymi og magi. Fx en henvisning til at han har været på Den Sorte Pilgrimsfærd og taget noget med hjem. I en af bøgerne er der et notat om at man kan få stor magt ved at tage til byen Chorazin og der hylde herskeren aëris. Wraxall finder grevens sten på kirkegården og mumler for sig selv at det kunne være interessant at møde greven. Kroværten kan en uhyggelig historie om to mænd, Anders Björnsen og Hans Thorbjörn, der en aften gik på jagt i grevens skov efter at have grinet og sagt: "Greven er død. Ham kan vi være ligeglade med.". Næste dag blev den ene fundet død og den anden vanvittig af skræk. Den vanvittige kommer i dårehuset, men dør også snart derefter. Wraxall bliver nogle dage og kigger også ind i kapellet og mumler igen noget med greven. Dennes sarkofag er låst med tre låse, men de to er faldet af. Wraxall bliver kaldt tilbage til London og som det sidste går han forbi kapellet og siger igen noget med greven. Den sidste lås falder af og låget begynder at bevæge sig. Wraxall bliver pludseligt mere interesseret i at komme tilbage til London end i at opholde sig i kapellet bare et sekund længere. På turen tilbage til London holder han nøje tal med medpassagererne. Der er 28 og to af dem spiser aldrig med ved måltiderne. I London tager han en vogn videre til Belchamp St. Paul, hvor noget om natten skræmmer ham til døde. Ingen var siden interesserede i at bo i huset og fortælleren har nu arvet det og fået det revet ned. Wraxalls beretning kom til syne i et glemt skab, der var byttet ind under vinduet i det værelse, hvor han døde.
"'Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad'" handler om den skråsikre professor i Ontologi, Parkins, som tager på ferie og falder over en gammel fløjte med indskriften - Quis est iste qyi venit - dvs Hvem er det, der kommer? Han prøver selvfølgelig fløjten og så begynder det pludseligt at blæse. Om natten sover han uroligt og den anden seng på værelset ser ud som om nogen har sovet i den selv om han er alene på værelset. Næste nat er det ved at gå helt galt og han bliver reddet af en oberst Wilson, der efterfølgende får ham til at lade ham kaste fløjten langt ud i havet. Obersten har en ide om at væsenet er helt uden materiel tilstedeværelse og kun har evnen til at indgyde rædsel, men det er sandelig også nok. Parkins er langt mindre skråsikker og kan ikke gå forbi et fugleskræmsel uden at det koster nattesøvnen.
"The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" handler om en historiker mr Somerton, der via nogle mosaikvinduer med en krypteret indskrift finder anvisning på hvor man finder en brønd med en pose guld, som er gemt af abbed Thomas for mange år siden. Han tager ud til brønden sammen med sin tjener mr William Brown og nede i brønden finder han også en sten med syv prikker på, som dækker over et hulrum. Imidlertid er der noget væmmeligt derinde og kun med nød og næppe får tjeneren ham hevet op igen. Nogle dages hvilen på kroen overbeviser ham om at skabningen fra brønden lusker rundt efter ham om natten og han får sendt bud til sin ven, mr Gregory, som er sognepræst. Gregory og Brown får stoppet hullet og sat stenen tilbage ved dagslys. Og mr Somerton slipper for videre forfølgelse, må man tro.
"A School Story" handler om ???
"The Rose Garden" handler om ???
"The Tractate Middoth" handler om ???
"Casting the Runes" handler om en mr. Karswell, der er alkymist og ønsker at holde et foredrag om det ved et selskab, der udtrykkeligt ikke er interesseret. Han har indsendt et skrift, han selv har forfattet, men det bliver afvist. Dunning som har bedømt skriftet opdager snart at Karswell er trættekær og bærer nag. Karswell er på alle måder ubehagelig og skriftets afsnit om runer tyder på at han har prøvet en hel del af besværgelserne. Dunning får en stump papir stukket iblandt sine egne og der står nogle dystre runer på det. Han finder ud af at en John Harrington på lignende vis blev forbandet af Karswell og døde på dagen tre måneder efter. Dunning allierer sig med Johns broder og det lykkes for dem at returnere runerne til Karswell gemt i nogle togbilletter. På dagen er det Karswell, der dør.
"The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral" handler om ???
"Martin's Close" handler om ???
"Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance" handler om ???
"The Residence at Whitminster" handler om ???
"The Diary of Mr Poynter" handler om ???
"An Episode of Cathedral History" handler om ???
"The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance" handler om ???
"Two Doctors" handler om ???
"The Haunted Dolls' House" handler om ???
"The Uncommon Prayer-Book" handler om ???
"A Neighbour's Landmark" handler om ???
"A View from a Hill" handler om ???
"A Warning to the Curious" handler om ???
"An Evening's Entertainment" handler om ???
"There was a Man Dwelt by a Churchyard" handler om ???
"Rats" handler om ???
"After Dark in the Playing Fields" handler om ???
"Wailing Well" handler om ???
"Stories I have Tried to Write" handler om ???
Aldeles glimrende erstatning for aircondition på en hed sommerdag.
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Publication
Ware, Hertfordshire : Wordsworth, 1992.
Description
'I was conscious of a most horrible smell of mould, and of a cold kind of face pressed against my own...'Considered by many to be the most terrifying writer in English, M. R. James was an eminent scholar who spent his entire adult life in the academic surroundings of Eton and Cambridge. His classic supernatural tales draw on the terrors of the everyday, in which documents and objects unleash terrible forces, often in closedrooms and night-time settings where imagination runs riot. Lonely country houses, remote inns, ancient churches or the manuscript collections of great libraries provide settings for unbearable menace, from creaturesseeking retribution and harm. These stories have lost none of their power to unsettle and disturb.This edition presents all of James's published ghost stories, including the unforgettable 'Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad' and 'Casting the Runes', and an appendix of James's writings on the ghost story. Darryl Jones's introduction and notes provide a fascinating insight into James's background and his mastery of the genre he made his own.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Mikal9000
Quite possibly the finest pure ghost stories ever written in the English language. James explored a common theme through these tales: the comfortable world of Edwardian gentleman-scholars being violently breached by horrific supernatural events, usually rooted in the grim and bloody past of
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Britain. Simple inanimate objects are usually the source of this malevolent power; examples include a rusted whistle ("Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad"), a piece of notebook paper ("Casting the Runes"), an old engraving ("The Mezzotint"); and various old books ("Canon Alberic's Scrapbook"; "The Tractate Middoth"; "An Uncommon Prayer-Book"). Too, nobody could create the atmosphere of lurking menace and dread quite like James, and make the eruption of otherworldly terror into the placid English-academic setting so convincing. Horror greats from H.P. Lovecraft to Clive Barker have cribbed from James; read his stories to see why. Show Less
LibraryThing member xicanti
Henry James once said that the most effective ghost stories are connected to everyday life at a thousand different points. M.R. James took this to heart; the most effective stories herein are those that take some normal, everyday occurance and find the terror lurking beneath the surface. The
James does a masterful job of combining the ordinary and the strange. In each of these stories, the characters find themselves involved in some normal occurance that is nonetheless outside the norm. Many of them spend time in hotels, buildings that are both profoundly normal and divorced from the norm. Others make exciting new purchases and bring objects both everyday and sinister into their homes.
A hotel room with three windows suddenly has only two. A picture changes slightly every time the viewer returns to it. An empty bed isn't. In each case, the reader can imagine just such a thing happening to them. The true terror behind the stories lies not in the tales themselve but in the way they spark the reader's imagination.
If you have any interest in ghost stories, you really ought to pick up any of James's collections. He's exerted a huge influence on many, if not all, of the ghost story writers who've come after him. COLLECTED GHOST STORIES contains almost all his stories, but diehards may wish to pick up the COMPLETE GHOST STORIES instead. Penguin also publishes a gorgeous little edition of selected stories entitled THE HAUNTED DOLL'S HOUSE.
(This review originally appeared in a slightly different form on my blog, Stella Matutina).
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stories all begin rather pleasantly; there are polite conversations and new discoveries and some very funny turns of phrase. In some cases, there's a gradual buildup, a sense of menace that pervades the entire piece. In others, the horrific twist takes the characters by surprise. In all the stories, though, there's a real sense that this could happen to you.James does a masterful job of combining the ordinary and the strange. In each of these stories, the characters find themselves involved in some normal occurance that is nonetheless outside the norm. Many of them spend time in hotels, buildings that are both profoundly normal and divorced from the norm. Others make exciting new purchases and bring objects both everyday and sinister into their homes.
A hotel room with three windows suddenly has only two. A picture changes slightly every time the viewer returns to it. An empty bed isn't. In each case, the reader can imagine just such a thing happening to them. The true terror behind the stories lies not in the tales themselve but in the way they spark the reader's imagination.
If you have any interest in ghost stories, you really ought to pick up any of James's collections. He's exerted a huge influence on many, if not all, of the ghost story writers who've come after him. COLLECTED GHOST STORIES contains almost all his stories, but diehards may wish to pick up the COMPLETE GHOST STORIES instead. Penguin also publishes a gorgeous little edition of selected stories entitled THE HAUNTED DOLL'S HOUSE.
(This review originally appeared in a slightly different form on my blog, Stella Matutina).
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LibraryThing member Eloise
M R James is the greatest writer of ghost stories there has ever been. These stories are wonderful - I've read this book several times and always read James stories when I inevitably come across them in anthologies. No matter how much I think I know them they are always worth re-reading.
I find it
The only thing wrong with M R James is that he didn't write enough stories!
I find it
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heartbreaking that 'horror' these days has to be blood-soaked and full of sex. You don't find that in James, you just find scary stories, beautifully written, atmospheric and downright enjoyable. They comfort me strangely even when the hair on the back of my neck is sticking up! My personal favourite is 'Number 13' about the room number thirteen in a hotel which only appears at night complete with a deranged, dancing inhabitant. The only thing wrong with M R James is that he didn't write enough stories!
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LibraryThing member hobbsholler
You will think these stories aren't affecting you until you find yourself reflecting about them days later. Very penetrating, influences psychologically.
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Unlike the non-stop, bucket of blood horror stories of today, the Collected Ghost Stores of M.R. James are subdued, implied, and, at times, quite chilling. This collection contained 30 stories and for me not all of the stories worked, but there were some that definitely sent shivers down my back
Mostly set in England, many of these stories relied on the author’s knowledge of church history and the horror is almost always indirect and implied. The author trusts his audiences’ imagination to fill in the blanks and this, I believe, is what makes these stories so good. Whether it is being trapped on a dark staircase with the knowledge that something is with you or the sound of scratching outside your bedroom door late at night, the terror comes from the reader’s own mental images.
Rich in atmosphere, these dark and twisty stories are the perfect way to prepare oneself for Halloween. This is a book that I will put back on my shelves and pull down again on a future rainy, windy October night.
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and a need to turn up the lights. Mostly set in England, many of these stories relied on the author’s knowledge of church history and the horror is almost always indirect and implied. The author trusts his audiences’ imagination to fill in the blanks and this, I believe, is what makes these stories so good. Whether it is being trapped on a dark staircase with the knowledge that something is with you or the sound of scratching outside your bedroom door late at night, the terror comes from the reader’s own mental images.
Rich in atmosphere, these dark and twisty stories are the perfect way to prepare oneself for Halloween. This is a book that I will put back on my shelves and pull down again on a future rainy, windy October night.
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LibraryThing member AmiloFinn
MR James was an extremely learned man who must have encountered many musty tomes in his everyday work. I love all the dusty detail of intellectual research which is set out and dissected before James unleashes one of his hideous ghoulish creations on us. I find the ghost stories of MR James great
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morbid fun. It has taken me a while to get round to reading all of James' work, as I find the stories a bit too scary to be read in bed at night. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lukerik
I think the stories are arranged largely in chronological order as there's a marked increase in quality as you come to the middle of the book.
He's a master of fantastic understatement; I had to re-read a few passages, asking myself "Did that really just happen?"
He gives as sense of reality by
Overall though, a most unusual and enjoyable book.
He's a master of fantastic understatement; I had to re-read a few passages, asking myself "Did that really just happen?"
He gives as sense of reality by
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having the events seemingly reported but the downside is that you're removed emotionally from the action and no particular story stands out. As a result I found the sameness a bit of a strain towards the end.Overall though, a most unusual and enjoyable book.
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LibraryThing member Finxy
I often take Montague on holiday with me. He doesn't take up much room and he doesn't eat all the Baby Bells. I'm talking about Montague Rhodes James - my favourite writer of ghost stories. This time Montague is telling me the stories that didn't get printed in his four haunting anthologies. I
1. The Uncommon Prayer-Book
2. A Neighbour's Landmark
3. Rats
4. The Experiment
5. The Malice of Inanimate Objects
6. A Vignette
They are a little rough around the edges, lacking the gloss of a story that an author has done tinkering with. There are still chilling moments to be had but there are no classics present unfortunately. Also included are several excerpts from prefaces by James that were published in his collections and other ghost story anthologies. They are very honest descriptions and opinions on the writing process and the qualities James valued in the creation of stories of this genre. He also talks about that drawer that all writers possess that houses the unfinished writings, or unused ideas. It's all invaluable stuff for writers interested in developing a style that might be influenced by James and others of his degree of adeptness.
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prefer the individual publications to the doorstop collection here. It's pretty evident why these six stories didn't make it into the original publications.1. The Uncommon Prayer-Book
2. A Neighbour's Landmark
3. Rats
4. The Experiment
5. The Malice of Inanimate Objects
6. A Vignette
They are a little rough around the edges, lacking the gloss of a story that an author has done tinkering with. There are still chilling moments to be had but there are no classics present unfortunately. Also included are several excerpts from prefaces by James that were published in his collections and other ghost story anthologies. They are very honest descriptions and opinions on the writing process and the qualities James valued in the creation of stories of this genre. He also talks about that drawer that all writers possess that houses the unfinished writings, or unused ideas. It's all invaluable stuff for writers interested in developing a style that might be influenced by James and others of his degree of adeptness.
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LibraryThing member ghr4
M.R. James’s Collected Ghost Stories is among the finest anthologies in the genre. With a somewhat professorial tone yet wholly accessible, James’s stories exhibit a style and sense of eeriness that few authors can match. James includes authoritative details throughout that sublimely augment
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the reader’s suspension of disbelief. The tales generally fall into two broad plot lines: stories involving the search for or discovery of antiquarian manuscripts and artifacts; and stories centered in English manors or estates of some historical significance. These are all uniformly wonderful ghost stories by the unparalleled master storyteller. Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
A mix of stories mostly set in older england. Discovering things better left untouched. There is hardly nay gore in any of these stories and very seldom even any violence. Yet they manage to leave a shiver down the spine and an uneasy feeling when left on your own. Masterfully written.
LibraryThing member SkjaldOfBorea
Perhaps even better than Poe or Lovecraft, MR James knew that good horror writing rests on erudition & arcane detail. A James story may seem more delightfully scholarly than scary - but it's never harmless. A joy to read, at every sentence.
LibraryThing member mumfie
These are great classic ghost stories, that belong to a bygone era but that are nevertheless satisfying.
They include "Casting the Runes" which was made into "Night of the Demon", one of my favourite scary films
They include "Casting the Runes" which was made into "Night of the Demon", one of my favourite scary films
LibraryThing member gibbon
These tales were originally issued in four separate volumes in the early 20th century. They have a merited atmosphere of scholarship in medievalism and the black arts and have been frightening successive generations ever since their first appearances in print.
LibraryThing member kettle666
Rereading these stories still made me shake a bit. Antique and dated, but in the nicest sense.
LibraryThing member Devatipan
I will doubtless court the wrath of James devotees by saying I was somewhat disappointed by this book.
Not that it was bad. Some of the stories (notably "'Oh Whistle and I'll come to you my lad'" and "Casting the Runes" are well known and justly so. I also find "The Mezzotint" agreeably creepy.
But
Maybe a reread in a few months time will yield more. We shall see
Not that it was bad. Some of the stories (notably "'Oh Whistle and I'll come to you my lad'" and "Casting the Runes" are well known and justly so. I also find "The Mezzotint" agreeably creepy.
But
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tastes have changed and many of the stories, despite their excellent writing, have dated badly, seeming tame in comparison with today's more bloodthirsty writers. Almost nothing happens in many of them and in others I was left thinking "Huh?".Maybe a reread in a few months time will yield more. We shall see
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LibraryThing member isabelx
Well, the show went on, and the stories kept on becoming a little more terrifying each time, and the children were mesmerized into complete silence. At last he produced a series which represented a little boy passing through his own park--Lufford, I mean--in the evening. Every child in the room
M.R. James wrote his ghost stories between the 1890s and 1930s and most of them were initially told to colleagues and students at King's College Cambridge and Eton. A typical story would take place in an ancient building or on the desolate east coast of England, with a horror from the past being awoken when the unlucky protagonist unwittingly disturbs its rest. I really didn't like reading about a man reaching under his pillow only to touch a wet hairy mouth! Not a good story to read just before going to bed.
I was wondering why the white hopping thing in "Casting the Runes" seemed familiar even though that isn't one of the stories I have read before, but I think that is is because one of the model-makers in "The Bat Tattoo" by Rusell Hoban made a clockwork model showing that scene.
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could recognize the place from the pictures. And this poor boy was followed, and at last pursued and overtaken, and either torn to pieces or somehow made away with, by a horrible hopping creature in white, which you saw first dodging about among the trees, and gradually it appeared more and more plainly. Mr Farrer said it gave him one of the worst nightmares he ever remembered, and what it must have meant to the children doesn't bear thinking of.M.R. James wrote his ghost stories between the 1890s and 1930s and most of them were initially told to colleagues and students at King's College Cambridge and Eton. A typical story would take place in an ancient building or on the desolate east coast of England, with a horror from the past being awoken when the unlucky protagonist unwittingly disturbs its rest. I really didn't like reading about a man reaching under his pillow only to touch a wet hairy mouth! Not a good story to read just before going to bed.
I was wondering why the white hopping thing in "Casting the Runes" seemed familiar even though that isn't one of the stories I have read before, but I think that is is because one of the model-makers in "The Bat Tattoo" by Rusell Hoban made a clockwork model showing that scene.
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LibraryThing member auntieknickers
I read most of these as a child in another edition; they were terrifying, particularly "The Haunted Doll's House," "The Mezzotint," and "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad."
LibraryThing member JudyCroome
Written in a more innocent and graceful era, MR James's ghost stories are subtle, with very polite and, at times, utterly chilling ghosts.
I enjoyed most of them, with some of the stories giving me delicious goosebumps (The Ash Tree, Number 13, Oh Whistle & I'll come to thee, my Lad, The Uncommon
One issue I had with this particular text, was that the explanatory notes were by means of an * (no differentiaton within each story) and the note itself was at the back of the book, rather than at the foot of the relevant page, which would have made reading the explanations without interrupting the pace and tension of the story a lot easier. In the end, I stopped looking at the notes and just enjoyed the stories, although I would have liked to know what some references meant.
Quaint and appealing, these ghost stories are a great in bed late at night ...!
I enjoyed most of them, with some of the stories giving me delicious goosebumps (The Ash Tree, Number 13, Oh Whistle & I'll come to thee, my Lad, The Uncommon
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Prayer Book, Wailing Well and others).One issue I had with this particular text, was that the explanatory notes were by means of an * (no differentiaton within each story) and the note itself was at the back of the book, rather than at the foot of the relevant page, which would have made reading the explanations without interrupting the pace and tension of the story a lot easier. In the end, I stopped looking at the notes and just enjoyed the stories, although I would have liked to know what some references meant.
Quaint and appealing, these ghost stories are a great in bed late at night ...!
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LibraryThing member lauriebrown54
Born in 1862, M. R. James was a Victorian with a love of ghost stories. Many of the tales in this collection were meant to be read aloud a Christmas or New Year gatherings; it shows in their conversational tone. There are 33 stories in over 400 pages- with 48 pages of notes. I’ve never before
‘Ghost stories’ is not really the right name for a lot of these stories. Many of them feature not ghosts but demons, things that go bump in the night, haunted or bespelled pictures, rooms, binoculars, hills and other inanimate objects. James seemed to have a peculiar horror of animate fabric, as it features in several tales, in the form of evil curtains, pillowcases, blankets, etc., which sounds silly but when it comes down to it, would you want to confront drapes that form into a human shape and try to smother you? For the main part (although there are a couple of exceptions) the horror in these stories in not of the modern variety where the gore is splattered across the pages. James creates a sense of disturbing unease, a feeling that puts the hair on the back of your neck up, the sense that something is really NOT all right, and that if one is smart, one will get the heck out of that house/cemetery/library before the thing you don’t really see becomes visible. Highly enjoyable, but take your time reading it.
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seen endnotes in fiction, but I found them helpful. The author makes many references to places and events in England that an American would likely not understand, and the many colloquialisms of the time sometimes baffled me until I looked in the back of the book. I read right through this book, which turned out to not be the right way of approaching it. Read one after the other, they tended to run together and lose their effect. These stories would be best read one or two in an evening, perhaps read out loud- preferably by firelight. But it was a library book, so I persevered. ‘Ghost stories’ is not really the right name for a lot of these stories. Many of them feature not ghosts but demons, things that go bump in the night, haunted or bespelled pictures, rooms, binoculars, hills and other inanimate objects. James seemed to have a peculiar horror of animate fabric, as it features in several tales, in the form of evil curtains, pillowcases, blankets, etc., which sounds silly but when it comes down to it, would you want to confront drapes that form into a human shape and try to smother you? For the main part (although there are a couple of exceptions) the horror in these stories in not of the modern variety where the gore is splattered across the pages. James creates a sense of disturbing unease, a feeling that puts the hair on the back of your neck up, the sense that something is really NOT all right, and that if one is smart, one will get the heck out of that house/cemetery/library before the thing you don’t really see becomes visible. Highly enjoyable, but take your time reading it.
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LibraryThing member john257hopper
For the most part a chilling collection of short stories based around ghostly experiences. The collection started and ended with strong stories, though I felt a few in the middle of the book were a bit hard going and took too long to get to the point. So pretty good overall.
LibraryThing member Nandakishore_Varma
Montague Rhodes James brings the classic British understatement to the field of horror stories and makes them terrifying beyond imagination. His writing is without any frills; there is very little by the way of atmosphere-building; and the stories themselves seem to be an odd form of reportage. By
James' ghosts are most exclusively European, mostly British. They emanate from the Celtic woodlands of pre-Roman Britain, and inhabit the wooded copses and cavernous churches of the English countryside. Often the protagonist is a scholarly enquirer who stumbles upon unwelcome and potentially dangerous knowledge in the course of his enquiries, and his journey, along with the story, slowly descend into a madness equalling that of Lovecraft, but in a gentlemanly, English way.
I would rank Casting the Runes at the very top of these gems. This story has given me delicious nightmares ever since I first encountered it during my teens. "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" is another story which stays in the mind. Mind you, that does not mean the others are lesser-these are just personal favourites.
Curl up in your favourite corner during a rainy night, listen to the wind howling in the rafters, and read these stories preferably in dim light. That is, if you dare...
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going against convention, M. R. James creates a nightmare world which is more frightening than that of any of his more traditional contemporaries. He is helped in this by his encyclopaedic knowledge of Church History.James' ghosts are most exclusively European, mostly British. They emanate from the Celtic woodlands of pre-Roman Britain, and inhabit the wooded copses and cavernous churches of the English countryside. Often the protagonist is a scholarly enquirer who stumbles upon unwelcome and potentially dangerous knowledge in the course of his enquiries, and his journey, along with the story, slowly descend into a madness equalling that of Lovecraft, but in a gentlemanly, English way.
I would rank Casting the Runes at the very top of these gems. This story has given me delicious nightmares ever since I first encountered it during my teens. "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" is another story which stays in the mind. Mind you, that does not mean the others are lesser-these are just personal favourites.
Curl up in your favourite corner during a rainy night, listen to the wind howling in the rafters, and read these stories preferably in dim light. That is, if you dare...
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LibraryThing member kishields
Elegant, understated, well-written stories of demons, pagan rituals and haunted objects. Extremely enjoyable, especially compared to so many trashy and inferior contemporary ghost stories. Excellent footnotes add to the experience.
LibraryThing member flying_monkeys
Rating: 4 of 5
My first experience with M.R. James - intrigued.
"The Rose Garden" made me shiver. The face in the bush, totally creepy!
"Casting the Runes," when Dunning reached under his pillow, I jerked in my seat. Good times.
"...for happening to move his hand which hung down over the arm of the
The authenticity of James' characters and settings was most impressive.
My first experience with M.R. James - intrigued.
"The Rose Garden" made me shiver. The face in the bush, totally creepy!
"Casting the Runes," when Dunning reached under his pillow, I jerked in my seat. Good times.
"...for happening to move his hand which hung down over the arm of the
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chair within a few inches of the floor, he felt on the back of it just the slightest touch of a surface of hair...But the feel of it, and still more the fact that instead of a responsive movement, absolute stillness greeted his touch, made him look over the arm (p. 226)." EEK! This one freaked me out, big time.The authenticity of James' characters and settings was most impressive.
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LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
An interesting collection of ghost stories. James does have a knack for the genre, but there are a few that feel too much the same. My favorite was "The Mezzotint", which was creepy and easy to follow.
LibraryThing member janerawoof
Selection of 30+ ghost or just plain weird stories by a master of this form. Early gothics. The typical story has James as narrator telling of a particular character discovering a particular item and then strange happenings and appearances occur. Some stories take place in libraries, churches,
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estates, schools, etc. Disturbing and unsettling atmosphere. Writing is old-fashioned--Victorian or Edwardian--but keeps one's interest. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1904-1929
1931 (collection)
Physical description
368 p.; 19.6 cm
ISBN
1853260533 / 9781853260537
Local notes
Omslag: Mathias, Publishing Workshop
Omslaget er et maleri af John Arkinson Grimshaw og hedder "Moonlight Walk".
Omslaget viser en person, der går gennem en skov ad en grusvej i månelys.
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
M. R. James, hed Montague Rhodes James, men foretrak M. R. James som forfatternavn
Gutenberg, Canada
Omslaget er et maleri af John Arkinson Grimshaw og hedder "Moonlight Walk".
Omslaget viser en person, der går gennem en skov ad en grusvej i månelys.
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
M. R. James, hed Montague Rhodes James, men foretrak M. R. James som forfatternavn
Gutenberg, Canada
Similar in this library
Pages
368
DDC/MDS
| 813 |