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Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch
Dark, mysterious, deadly—the twilight world of Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch is a place of nightmares and superstition, where strange, unseen forces are constantly at work. Disturbing and often shocking, these haunting tales are set in shadowy regions where fantasy and reality merge, where the boundaries between good and evil begin to disappear, and where people who dabble in the supernatural get much more than their fingers burned…
This new edition of Dorothy K. Haynes’ award-wining collection of short stories includes a selection from the very best of her later work, plus the original illustrations drawn by Mervyn Peake for the first edition.
‘Mervin Peake’s surrealist drawings bring out perfectly the timeless horror and the cunning twists of plot that permeate all of Dorothy Haynes’ work’ Trevor Royle
This new edition of Dorothy K. Haynes’ award-wining collection of short stories includes a selection from the very best of her later work, plus the original illustrations drawn by Mervyn Peake for the first edition.
‘Mervin Peake’s surrealist drawings bring out perfectly the timeless horror and the cunning twists of plot that permeate all of Dorothy Haynes’ work’ Trevor Royle
291 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
1 person is currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy K. Haynes
32 books3 followersDorothy K. Haynes spent her childhood with her twin brother Leonard, in Aberlour Orphanage, Banffshire. Later she moved to Lanark, where she married John S. Gray (who was also a former Aberlour Orphanage resident). She had 4 children - Alison, Micheal, Leonard and Ian, with the first two dying from cystic fibrosis.
Haynes worked extensively in support of Girl Guides movement and remained involved with Aberlour Orphanage until its closure. She published the autobiographical novel Haste Ye Back in 1973 in memory of her time there.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer, and died in December 1987.
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorot...]
Haynes worked extensively in support of Girl Guides movement and remained involved with Aberlour Orphanage until its closure. She published the autobiographical novel Haste Ye Back in 1973 in memory of her time there.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer, and died in December 1987.
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorot...]
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 8, 2025
The importance of stories
Most of these focus on children, especially girls, several are rooted in Scots folklore, and some are fantastical, or suggestive of that. The writing is superb, especially the minds of children and descriptions of nature.
The core theme is the importance of imagination and storytelling, especially for lonely, unloved children. The boundary between fantasy and reality may blur, which the adults often abhor and try to suppress, with tragic consequences. Haynes understands that for children especially, stories can be necessary escape, social currency (if enthralling and consistent), as well as a source of fear.
Haynes' own childhood is echoed: she and her twin brother spent a few years in a Scottish orphanage, though they were not orphans. She married someone else from there and they had four children, two of whom died of cystic fibrosis. Her second son (who survived) was named after her twin brother. She herself died at 69 in 1987. This was published in 1949, when she was 31. See Wikipedia HERE.
The title is from Exodus 22:18, but omits two crucial words: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. It was cited in witch trials to justify killing them.
Ratings: The stories I've rated as 2* are better than 2*, and some of those I've rated 3* are nearer 4*, but with so many in the collection, I wanted a record of those I liked most and least.
The Head, 5*
Beautiful horror at man's cruelty to man - contrasted with the selfless (but pointless) respect afforded one victim by another.
“His face twitched and contorted with the borrowed agonies of the face opposite.”
The Gay Goshawk, 4*
An eerily deserted castle conjured images of Pompeii. The title comes from a folk ballad, HERE, but the story differs, and is about the impact of war on animals, rather than humans.
“The nettle which had grinned in daylight now stood like a spiky sentinel.”
Image: Mervyn Peake’s illustration of the dog on the castle stairs, wondering, “Where had they gone?”
Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch, 4*
Long ago, during a “tarnished summer full of stale yellow heat”, a young girl has fainting spells, gaps in her memory, and possibly hears voices. Is she a victim of malign forces, or could she be a witch? It's told opaquely, from Jinnot's point of view, so the reader is as unsure as the girl herself.
“She was fascinated by the romance of her own afflictions, but she was frightened as well.”
The Bean-Nighe, 4*
“There were only three colours left in the world, the purple of the night clouds, the yellow streaks in the western sky, and the colour of the river, dark green, like a channel filled with broken bottles.”
So it opens. And then:
“She lived in a perpetual dream of being otherwise, but did not realise it, because she did not know what she wanted.”
The nightmare is real, whether it's supernatural or not. Towards the end:
“There were only three colours left in the world, the purple of the night clouds, the grey of the heather, and the long black line of the river.”
Image: Mervyn Peake's illustration of the bean-nighe (banshee), who, in Scottish folklore, can be seen washing grave clothes when someone is about to die.
The Cure, 3*
Touching the rotting corpse of a hanged man is believed to be a cure. Maybe faith (placebo effect?) is as powerful as actual supernatural forces?
Three Times Round, 3*
An unexpectedly comic piece with duel [sic] characters, and focused on macho tradition, rather than superstition.
Paying Guests, 4*
A young couple buy a remote old house and open it up to paying guests for six months of the year.
“Wash your face in May dew... and see the fairies.”
A wealthy elderly lady is their first guest, and promises to stay the full six months if she's satisfied. Later that first day, 25 small men want to stay a single night, paying in “heavy yellow coins” - but they're very lively and might disturb the other guest. A tricky decision, with a surprising result.
Image: Mervyn Peake's illustration, “The small men were holding high carnival.”
Changeling, 4*
Reading this story with Short Story Club (see my review HERE), and realising Mervyn Peake illustrated this collection, led me to read them all.
Gas, 3*
A young woman is having two teeth extracted. The story is predictable, but there are some nice touches: lush descriptions of a country walk, a priest with an artificial hand, and a hedger-and-ditcher who also makes dulcimers.
“The hedges were electric with life... There were cows in the field, licking the stiff short grass with mournful tongues.”
Delirium, 4*
The visceral unreality in the aftermath of trauma, with the possibility of revelation.
“Her eyes squinted sideways, across the bedside table, where he had laid the sleeping tablet... What she told them, making a shy joke of it, desperate for reassurance, they said she had imagined.”
“He”, “they” - who and why?
Music in the Memory, 4*
It's strange how many times (including the opening sentence) it mentions how “clean” the village of “melody-swept streets” is. The yellow-faced woman, and the whole story, reminded me of Byatt's The July Ghost (see my review HERE). A poignant tribute to the power of lost love.
Image: Mervyn Peake’s illustration of the fiddler, “The tune came in wild little gusts”.
Such a Beautiful Life, 2*
“Miss Laver had the face of an educated dairymaid... She was an extremely nice woman, if you can stand the sort of person who is very, very sweet.”
Well written, and it raised a smile of comic surprise at a key point, but like Miss Laver herself, it was too sweet for my taste.
“It had been a wet day, but now the rain had stopped, and the streets were drying. The wind helped. It licked the pavement with a dry tongue.”
Class, 4*
This immersed me in the life and mind of a young woman whose best friend is wealthier, and gives her a glimpse of a more exciting and extravagant life, perhaps with an American GI. She has a choice to make.
“You can't really be happy unless you settle down with someone about your own level. At least, that's what I kept telling myself.”
Whether it's a happy or sad ending is unclear.
Pentecost - A Flashback, 2*
The caretake of the Brethren chapel is Mrs Funny, and this is a humorous piece. It's rather silly in some ways, but I admire the bravery of publishing such a story at the time she did: not only does Mrs Funny have a ludicrous name, but there's gentle mockery of doctrine, contradictory verses of scripture, and exposure of Christian hypocrisy. The ending was warm and funny, though.
Tinker's Child, 5*
Tinkers are often associated with folklore and the suggestion of mental or magical powers, but not really here - at least, not the adults.
“Nettie Foxglove was not exactly an orphan. She was just one of the children who are sent away to an orphanage at an early age and reclaimed when old enough to be useful.”
This was another incisive, plausible, and poignant view into the mind of a pragmatic child in difficult circumstances. She's wary in the woods because she's afraid of nettles - though not for the sting, but something more visceral and inexplicable, even to herself.
“The sun seemed to tarnish like light on yellow glass.”
Miss Vestal Visits, 5*
I read “vestal” and thought “virgin”, which was clearly the intention. The mundane sadness of a solitary woman, getting her kicks vicariously, and by being a busybody, felt very real - and also reminiscent of an Alan Bennett protagonist.
“The sunlight was deep and menacing, glaring against the cloud.”
On a hot yellow afternoon, she shuts her barely-visited haberdashery shop and watches the “flash of axes” as men chop wood.
“Miss Vestal gloated over the amount of work to be done.”
She sees things - and makes assumptions and a fool of herself.
The Memory, 4*
Another girl in an orphanage where there's social capital in being able to tell a compelling story (see Tinker's Child, above), especially on a boring wet day:
“The windows were misted with wistful breath.”
Bessie is 13, and has only one memory worth telling, but she tells it well again and again, and - just as importantly - without ever contradicting herself.
“Each time, she saw it more vividly, imagination brighter than memory.”
It ends with a mysterious question.
Good Bairns, 4*
The dialogue is in heavy dialect. Rab and Geordie are young brothers who are scolded for coming home with their clothes torn and muddy. The only other outfits are their Sunday best, so they're instructed to put them on, and go out - but not to get wet or messy. A tall order, and “there was no fun in it”. They get a bit more daring, but this was dull and predictable - until it turned very dark. Brilliant. Primroses, “yellow as margarine” are memorable.
Whuppitie Scoorie, 4*
An ancient Lanark festival on 1 March, with casual mention of “three times round” (the title of an earlier story), as well as plot similarities with Changeling. Towards the end of WW2, in the “jubilant muddle of the V days”, a boy abandons his sleeping baby sister to watch the medieval ceremony. When his mother finds him, she is, of course, furious. She hates his imaginative moods and they clearly have little affection or much in common. But although he misses the climax of the event, his beating links him to it, and his mother, in a profound way.
The Nest, 3*
From the evil omen of crows to compassion for refugees. Unsubtle (the metaphor is made explicit at the end), but it was well done.
Up, Like a Good Girl, 5*
“The child realised the potentialities of a good story... guaranteed to raise her status and the hair of those who listened.”
More orphanage lore, with a supernatural aspect, although the darkest horror is real. The first death is almost exciting: they have treats after the funeral. But the second is more alarming. A victim can be a perpetrator too.
Thirst, 2*
Destitute tinkers. Sad, realistic, and predictable. In any other context, it would be 3*, but I want to distinguish it from the others.
“Michael looked on his wife as a nagging old witch, and Janey... preferred the horse to her husband”
Dorothy Dean, 5*
Another young girl in an institution (sharing a first name with the author), this time, a remand home. Is it normal imagination, mental illness, something supernatural, or what? “She was always drawn to forbidden things” and things that repulse her. She indulges and cultivates her fears. Brilliantly vivid - and sad.
The Trap, 3*
The cook won't work until the rat is removed, but the hotel owner insists it is singed then released. The man charged with the task is simultaneously repulsed and turned on by the young maid's enthusiasm for cruelty.
Peake illustrated this very well, but I don't like rats, so am not including it.
Miss Poplar, 4*
A girl in the habit of peering through the gates of a big house is invited to tea with the mysterious owner. The girl's mother is excited because Miss Poplar is reputed to be wealthy and eccentric (I thought of Great Expectations, which I reviewed HERE). When the girl goes, Miss Poplar cannot be found. Does she even exist? The answer is sad and not fully explained.
Double Summer Time, 3*
The pointlessness of changing the clocks has always annoyed me: it doesn't change the number of hours of daylight, it merely calls them something else. Consequently, this was redeemed by the final words of an otherwise not very interesting story about an elderly woman working too hard to maintain the family home and help others:
“What is borrowed must be repaid. She ought to have known that there was no such thing as double summer time.”
It was the Month of January, 2*
The children enjoy Uncle Archibald's annual visit, not understanding their parents' reservations. When something happens they still don't fully comprehend. Not awful, but not memorable either. Just sadly realistic.
Windfall, 4*
A perfect mix of realism, metaphor, and unease. A travelling trader of trinkets and jewellery assesses a house from the outside, then the young woman who answers the door. He wants to buy and he's quietly persistent, subtly manipulative, and dishonest.
“It was a grand business if you knew how to work it.”
Image: Mervyn Peake's illustration of the dealer. I wouldn't trust this man.
The Peculiar Case of Mrs Grimmond, 5*
A standout story (despite not being focused on a child), perhaps because it was inspired by Peake's illustration in a handwritten letter to Haynes about her collection, below:
It's narrated by a childless widow who has down-sized to a bed-sitter (apartment) where she lives with her black cat, Deil (a Scots word for Devil). She's a retired teacher, who has weekly visits from a handful of girls, but she's isolated and gossiped about. No wonder she's presumed to be a modern witch.
One day, Deil brings in something unusual. It's not a mouse. Not a dragon or a salamander either:
“[He's] fierce and frightening... quaint and fascinating... there was antagonism in the hard tight fur.”
She names him Nicky (another Devil-related name) and though he never shows affection, she cares for him, at great personal cost. What this entails is surprising and deliciously grim (hence her name?), but the story takes an even darker and more shocking turn.
“It is the innocent who have to suffer.”
Fully Integrated, 4*
A family go on summer holiday to the guest house they always go to, albeit a bit later than usual. Mrs Tannahill is more like a friend than landlady, remembering their quirks and preferences. The family (middle-aged parents and their 13-year-old daughter) feel more at home than ever, as they're pampered and persuaded to stay another week. The arc of the story is not especially original or surprising, but it's deliciously told.
No Cakes and Honey, 5*
Another orphan, but a little boy, this time. Fred is sweet and seems to come from money. Perhaps that's why various women fight over caring for him:
“They were too severely kind to be motherly.”
He's always been fascinated by the Lady Mary Orphanage and is excited when his teacher offers to take him to look. They walk up a beautiful driveway (Haynes is always a delight when describing nature):
“The drives were at their best, with all the rhododendrons full out, like pink paper garlands hung among the bushes.”
There's a water-lily pond, grotto, and chapel before going to the grand house and being warmly greeted by Sister Perpetua. Inside, there are more flowers, along with iconography and statues of Mary.
“The air was tense and expectant with religion.”
Heartbreaking.
Vocation, 4*
A vocation as a nun, prompted by reluctant dabbling in the occult! But this is Haynes, so there's more to it than that, plus a twist at the end. It's also notable that this features a Sister Perpetua, as does the previous story (though no mention of this convent being an orphanage).
The Return of the Ritchies, 2*
They're not rich. This is far less sympathetic to outsiders and tinkers than previous stories.
“He looked as if he knew all about ferrets.”
The huge family are vividly portrayed, but it doesn't go anywhere, and it could have done.
“They went [to Sunday school,] neither to worship nor pray, but to take advantage of trips, treats, and other ecclesiastical amenities.”
The Sewing Machine, 2*
Also disappointing. Money is tight, and the sound of his wife's sewing machine (which brings in a little money) infuriates a man.
To Give an Illustration, 5*
Horribly realistic and brilliantly told. Unlike the other stories, the cruelty is overtly sexual. The worst of predatory patriarchy, and how false guilt becomes a secret, covered by a lie, which requires more lies.
A Story at Bedtime, 5*
A perfect way to end the collection, not just because it is so good, but because it's a return to female empowerment and picks up many of the common themes (stories, children, fear, supernatural, loneliness), looks at them from a slightly different angle, and leaves us... “quite alone”. Brilliant. And fitting that Peake chose to illustrate it.
“All children liked a story at bedtime, but there was a compulsion, a frightening fascination about these. The fear began in the afternoon... The beginning and ending of the stories were the worst; the climax found them anaesthetised to horror.”
Image: Mervyn Peake’s illustration of the girl on a broomstick and her mother “sailing by in an eggshell”
“A witch is not always a witch by choice... There is delight in obeying one's nature, and if Nature is evil, who is to blame? Who suffers? Damnation is a long way off.”
Most of these focus on children, especially girls, several are rooted in Scots folklore, and some are fantastical, or suggestive of that. The writing is superb, especially the minds of children and descriptions of nature.
The core theme is the importance of imagination and storytelling, especially for lonely, unloved children. The boundary between fantasy and reality may blur, which the adults often abhor and try to suppress, with tragic consequences. Haynes understands that for children especially, stories can be necessary escape, social currency (if enthralling and consistent), as well as a source of fear.
Haynes' own childhood is echoed: she and her twin brother spent a few years in a Scottish orphanage, though they were not orphans. She married someone else from there and they had four children, two of whom died of cystic fibrosis. Her second son (who survived) was named after her twin brother. She herself died at 69 in 1987. This was published in 1949, when she was 31. See Wikipedia HERE.
The title is from Exodus 22:18, but omits two crucial words: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. It was cited in witch trials to justify killing them.
Ratings: The stories I've rated as 2* are better than 2*, and some of those I've rated 3* are nearer 4*, but with so many in the collection, I wanted a record of those I liked most and least.
The Head, 5*
Beautiful horror at man's cruelty to man - contrasted with the selfless (but pointless) respect afforded one victim by another.
“His face twitched and contorted with the borrowed agonies of the face opposite.”
The Gay Goshawk, 4*
An eerily deserted castle conjured images of Pompeii. The title comes from a folk ballad, HERE, but the story differs, and is about the impact of war on animals, rather than humans.
“The nettle which had grinned in daylight now stood like a spiky sentinel.”
Image: Mervyn Peake’s illustration of the dog on the castle stairs, wondering, “Where had they gone?”
Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch, 4*
Long ago, during a “tarnished summer full of stale yellow heat”, a young girl has fainting spells, gaps in her memory, and possibly hears voices. Is she a victim of malign forces, or could she be a witch? It's told opaquely, from Jinnot's point of view, so the reader is as unsure as the girl herself.
“She was fascinated by the romance of her own afflictions, but she was frightened as well.”
The Bean-Nighe, 4*
“There were only three colours left in the world, the purple of the night clouds, the yellow streaks in the western sky, and the colour of the river, dark green, like a channel filled with broken bottles.”
So it opens. And then:
“She lived in a perpetual dream of being otherwise, but did not realise it, because she did not know what she wanted.”
The nightmare is real, whether it's supernatural or not. Towards the end:
“There were only three colours left in the world, the purple of the night clouds, the grey of the heather, and the long black line of the river.”
Image: Mervyn Peake's illustration of the bean-nighe (banshee), who, in Scottish folklore, can be seen washing grave clothes when someone is about to die.
The Cure, 3*
Touching the rotting corpse of a hanged man is believed to be a cure. Maybe faith (placebo effect?) is as powerful as actual supernatural forces?
Three Times Round, 3*
An unexpectedly comic piece with duel [sic] characters, and focused on macho tradition, rather than superstition.
Paying Guests, 4*
A young couple buy a remote old house and open it up to paying guests for six months of the year.
“Wash your face in May dew... and see the fairies.”
A wealthy elderly lady is their first guest, and promises to stay the full six months if she's satisfied. Later that first day, 25 small men want to stay a single night, paying in “heavy yellow coins” - but they're very lively and might disturb the other guest. A tricky decision, with a surprising result.
Image: Mervyn Peake's illustration, “The small men were holding high carnival.”
Changeling, 4*
Reading this story with Short Story Club (see my review HERE), and realising Mervyn Peake illustrated this collection, led me to read them all.
Gas, 3*
A young woman is having two teeth extracted. The story is predictable, but there are some nice touches: lush descriptions of a country walk, a priest with an artificial hand, and a hedger-and-ditcher who also makes dulcimers.
“The hedges were electric with life... There were cows in the field, licking the stiff short grass with mournful tongues.”
Delirium, 4*
The visceral unreality in the aftermath of trauma, with the possibility of revelation.
“Her eyes squinted sideways, across the bedside table, where he had laid the sleeping tablet... What she told them, making a shy joke of it, desperate for reassurance, they said she had imagined.”
“He”, “they” - who and why?
Music in the Memory, 4*
It's strange how many times (including the opening sentence) it mentions how “clean” the village of “melody-swept streets” is. The yellow-faced woman, and the whole story, reminded me of Byatt's The July Ghost (see my review HERE). A poignant tribute to the power of lost love.
Image: Mervyn Peake’s illustration of the fiddler, “The tune came in wild little gusts”.
Such a Beautiful Life, 2*
“Miss Laver had the face of an educated dairymaid... She was an extremely nice woman, if you can stand the sort of person who is very, very sweet.”
Well written, and it raised a smile of comic surprise at a key point, but like Miss Laver herself, it was too sweet for my taste.
“It had been a wet day, but now the rain had stopped, and the streets were drying. The wind helped. It licked the pavement with a dry tongue.”
Class, 4*
This immersed me in the life and mind of a young woman whose best friend is wealthier, and gives her a glimpse of a more exciting and extravagant life, perhaps with an American GI. She has a choice to make.
“You can't really be happy unless you settle down with someone about your own level. At least, that's what I kept telling myself.”
Whether it's a happy or sad ending is unclear.
Pentecost - A Flashback, 2*
The caretake of the Brethren chapel is Mrs Funny, and this is a humorous piece. It's rather silly in some ways, but I admire the bravery of publishing such a story at the time she did: not only does Mrs Funny have a ludicrous name, but there's gentle mockery of doctrine, contradictory verses of scripture, and exposure of Christian hypocrisy. The ending was warm and funny, though.
Tinker's Child, 5*
Tinkers are often associated with folklore and the suggestion of mental or magical powers, but not really here - at least, not the adults.
“Nettie Foxglove was not exactly an orphan. She was just one of the children who are sent away to an orphanage at an early age and reclaimed when old enough to be useful.”
This was another incisive, plausible, and poignant view into the mind of a pragmatic child in difficult circumstances. She's wary in the woods because she's afraid of nettles - though not for the sting, but something more visceral and inexplicable, even to herself.
“The sun seemed to tarnish like light on yellow glass.”
Miss Vestal Visits, 5*
I read “vestal” and thought “virgin”, which was clearly the intention. The mundane sadness of a solitary woman, getting her kicks vicariously, and by being a busybody, felt very real - and also reminiscent of an Alan Bennett protagonist.
“The sunlight was deep and menacing, glaring against the cloud.”
On a hot yellow afternoon, she shuts her barely-visited haberdashery shop and watches the “flash of axes” as men chop wood.
“Miss Vestal gloated over the amount of work to be done.”
She sees things - and makes assumptions and a fool of herself.
The Memory, 4*
Another girl in an orphanage where there's social capital in being able to tell a compelling story (see Tinker's Child, above), especially on a boring wet day:
“The windows were misted with wistful breath.”
Bessie is 13, and has only one memory worth telling, but she tells it well again and again, and - just as importantly - without ever contradicting herself.
“Each time, she saw it more vividly, imagination brighter than memory.”
It ends with a mysterious question.
Good Bairns, 4*
The dialogue is in heavy dialect. Rab and Geordie are young brothers who are scolded for coming home with their clothes torn and muddy. The only other outfits are their Sunday best, so they're instructed to put them on, and go out - but not to get wet or messy. A tall order, and “there was no fun in it”. They get a bit more daring, but this was dull and predictable - until it turned very dark. Brilliant. Primroses, “yellow as margarine” are memorable.
Whuppitie Scoorie, 4*
An ancient Lanark festival on 1 March, with casual mention of “three times round” (the title of an earlier story), as well as plot similarities with Changeling. Towards the end of WW2, in the “jubilant muddle of the V days”, a boy abandons his sleeping baby sister to watch the medieval ceremony. When his mother finds him, she is, of course, furious. She hates his imaginative moods and they clearly have little affection or much in common. But although he misses the climax of the event, his beating links him to it, and his mother, in a profound way.
The Nest, 3*
From the evil omen of crows to compassion for refugees. Unsubtle (the metaphor is made explicit at the end), but it was well done.
Up, Like a Good Girl, 5*
“The child realised the potentialities of a good story... guaranteed to raise her status and the hair of those who listened.”
More orphanage lore, with a supernatural aspect, although the darkest horror is real. The first death is almost exciting: they have treats after the funeral. But the second is more alarming. A victim can be a perpetrator too.
Thirst, 2*
Destitute tinkers. Sad, realistic, and predictable. In any other context, it would be 3*, but I want to distinguish it from the others.
“Michael looked on his wife as a nagging old witch, and Janey... preferred the horse to her husband”
Dorothy Dean, 5*
Another young girl in an institution (sharing a first name with the author), this time, a remand home. Is it normal imagination, mental illness, something supernatural, or what? “She was always drawn to forbidden things” and things that repulse her. She indulges and cultivates her fears. Brilliantly vivid - and sad.
The Trap, 3*
The cook won't work until the rat is removed, but the hotel owner insists it is singed then released. The man charged with the task is simultaneously repulsed and turned on by the young maid's enthusiasm for cruelty.
Peake illustrated this very well, but I don't like rats, so am not including it.
Miss Poplar, 4*
A girl in the habit of peering through the gates of a big house is invited to tea with the mysterious owner. The girl's mother is excited because Miss Poplar is reputed to be wealthy and eccentric (I thought of Great Expectations, which I reviewed HERE). When the girl goes, Miss Poplar cannot be found. Does she even exist? The answer is sad and not fully explained.
Double Summer Time, 3*
The pointlessness of changing the clocks has always annoyed me: it doesn't change the number of hours of daylight, it merely calls them something else. Consequently, this was redeemed by the final words of an otherwise not very interesting story about an elderly woman working too hard to maintain the family home and help others:
“What is borrowed must be repaid. She ought to have known that there was no such thing as double summer time.”
It was the Month of January, 2*
The children enjoy Uncle Archibald's annual visit, not understanding their parents' reservations. When something happens they still don't fully comprehend. Not awful, but not memorable either. Just sadly realistic.
Windfall, 4*
A perfect mix of realism, metaphor, and unease. A travelling trader of trinkets and jewellery assesses a house from the outside, then the young woman who answers the door. He wants to buy and he's quietly persistent, subtly manipulative, and dishonest.
“It was a grand business if you knew how to work it.”
Image: Mervyn Peake's illustration of the dealer. I wouldn't trust this man.
The Peculiar Case of Mrs Grimmond, 5*
A standout story (despite not being focused on a child), perhaps because it was inspired by Peake's illustration in a handwritten letter to Haynes about her collection, below:
It's narrated by a childless widow who has down-sized to a bed-sitter (apartment) where she lives with her black cat, Deil (a Scots word for Devil). She's a retired teacher, who has weekly visits from a handful of girls, but she's isolated and gossiped about. No wonder she's presumed to be a modern witch.
One day, Deil brings in something unusual. It's not a mouse. Not a dragon or a salamander either:
“[He's] fierce and frightening... quaint and fascinating... there was antagonism in the hard tight fur.”
She names him Nicky (another Devil-related name) and though he never shows affection, she cares for him, at great personal cost. What this entails is surprising and deliciously grim (hence her name?), but the story takes an even darker and more shocking turn.
“It is the innocent who have to suffer.”
Fully Integrated, 4*
A family go on summer holiday to the guest house they always go to, albeit a bit later than usual. Mrs Tannahill is more like a friend than landlady, remembering their quirks and preferences. The family (middle-aged parents and their 13-year-old daughter) feel more at home than ever, as they're pampered and persuaded to stay another week. The arc of the story is not especially original or surprising, but it's deliciously told.
No Cakes and Honey, 5*
Another orphan, but a little boy, this time. Fred is sweet and seems to come from money. Perhaps that's why various women fight over caring for him:
“They were too severely kind to be motherly.”
He's always been fascinated by the Lady Mary Orphanage and is excited when his teacher offers to take him to look. They walk up a beautiful driveway (Haynes is always a delight when describing nature):
“The drives were at their best, with all the rhododendrons full out, like pink paper garlands hung among the bushes.”
There's a water-lily pond, grotto, and chapel before going to the grand house and being warmly greeted by Sister Perpetua. Inside, there are more flowers, along with iconography and statues of Mary.
“The air was tense and expectant with religion.”
Heartbreaking.
Vocation, 4*
A vocation as a nun, prompted by reluctant dabbling in the occult! But this is Haynes, so there's more to it than that, plus a twist at the end. It's also notable that this features a Sister Perpetua, as does the previous story (though no mention of this convent being an orphanage).
The Return of the Ritchies, 2*
They're not rich. This is far less sympathetic to outsiders and tinkers than previous stories.
“He looked as if he knew all about ferrets.”
The huge family are vividly portrayed, but it doesn't go anywhere, and it could have done.
“They went [to Sunday school,] neither to worship nor pray, but to take advantage of trips, treats, and other ecclesiastical amenities.”
The Sewing Machine, 2*
Also disappointing. Money is tight, and the sound of his wife's sewing machine (which brings in a little money) infuriates a man.
To Give an Illustration, 5*
Horribly realistic and brilliantly told. Unlike the other stories, the cruelty is overtly sexual. The worst of predatory patriarchy, and how false guilt becomes a secret, covered by a lie, which requires more lies.
A Story at Bedtime, 5*
A perfect way to end the collection, not just because it is so good, but because it's a return to female empowerment and picks up many of the common themes (stories, children, fear, supernatural, loneliness), looks at them from a slightly different angle, and leaves us... “quite alone”. Brilliant. And fitting that Peake chose to illustrate it.
“All children liked a story at bedtime, but there was a compulsion, a frightening fascination about these. The fear began in the afternoon... The beginning and ending of the stories were the worst; the climax found them anaesthetised to horror.”
Image: Mervyn Peake’s illustration of the girl on a broomstick and her mother “sailing by in an eggshell”
“A witch is not always a witch by choice... There is delight in obeying one's nature, and if Nature is evil, who is to blame? Who suffers? Damnation is a long way off.”
April 24, 2017
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0076ph0Description: The Scottish author Dorothy K Haynes (1918-1987) was a prolific writer of short stories who specialised in the supernatural and the unsettling.
Gas: The first of five readings taken from her award-winning collection, Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch - first published in 1949 with illustrations by Mervyn Peake. An eerie journey on the way home from the dentist. Read by Tamara Kennedy. "Katherine felt tired and cold. It was only nine o'clock. The dentist entered silently, breathing an antiseptic welcome ..."The Gay Goshawk: An injured knight hopes for help from his trained hawkPentecost - a Flashback: A prayer meeting in wartime Glasgow is rudely interrupted, and the life of the hall caretaker is changed forever. Read by Tamara Kennedy.The Memory: A child is convinced that she witnessed an execution.Windfall: A woman sells her trinkets to a passing salesman. From Dorothy K Haynes' 1949 collection. Read by Mark McDonnell.
May 26, 2025
I read "The Changling," a single story in this collection, with the Short Story Club.
Her mother does not believe seven-year-old Moreen when she sees a witch sitting on the gargoyle across the street. During the night, the witch comes for Moreen to transport her to fairyland, and a changling is left in her bed.
When Moreen eventually returns to her home in the human world, her home is different. The young Moreen is confronted with her older self in the changling version of Moreen. While many years have passed in the human world, time was different in fairyland. This is an unsettling fantasy story where the author plays around with time, locations, and reality.
Will people think this young child has special powers to see the supernatural world, or will they think she is delusional and mentally ill? Is young Moreen's life now predestined to follow in the steps of the changling's life? The story is fun because it leaves the reader with many questions to which we'll really not have any answers--it's fantasy!
Her mother does not believe seven-year-old Moreen when she sees a witch sitting on the gargoyle across the street. During the night, the witch comes for Moreen to transport her to fairyland, and a changling is left in her bed.
When Moreen eventually returns to her home in the human world, her home is different. The young Moreen is confronted with her older self in the changling version of Moreen. While many years have passed in the human world, time was different in fairyland. This is an unsettling fantasy story where the author plays around with time, locations, and reality.
Will people think this young child has special powers to see the supernatural world, or will they think she is delusional and mentally ill? Is young Moreen's life now predestined to follow in the steps of the changling's life? The story is fun because it leaves the reader with many questions to which we'll really not have any answers--it's fantasy!
August 15, 2025
Ooo, is it Witchy?
Yes, but...
No, not like that cover...
Yes, there are witches...but so much more
Forget that insanely ridiculous 1996 book cover. Mervyn Peake's 1949 cover is better but still doesn't fully capture the breadth and depth of these stories. What is truly witchy is Haynes' talent as a story-teller.
From each story's first lines, Haynes whisks us into Scottish micro communities and into lives of its hapless residents, of their superstitions and the supernatural, of drunks and lonely old women, of little orphan girls and little wild boys, of the trauma of war and the misfires of love. And yes, a few witches.
She writes about humanity.
Haynes' depicts lives of all manner of individuals navigating ignorance and powerlessness against forces bigger than they are. Even at their most vulnerable, stupid, self-sabotaging, and sometimes criminal or cruel, Haynes treats each protagonist with such empathy and insight it will put you into a sympathetic connection with that struggling soul.
I wouldn't omit one single story in this collection. (OK, there is one, just one.). The collection contains a large number of the masterful and the remainder are sturdily wonderful. My personal 5 star rating test is, would I happily read this again? Yes! Would I recommend it to others? Yes!
Haynes is one of those writers who wrote their hearts out, made a living at it, and then have been mostly forgotten. There is a special thrill, a big dopamine hit, when re-discovering a rare gem like this among the mountains and mountains of books.
I've bolded the stories I found to be remarkable.
"The Head" 06/02/2025
Haynes knows how to write in vivid detail about the misery of the dejected: a man put in neck shackles at the church for being a thief where he must stay until nightfall. Luckily (?) he has a distraction from his own misery. Gruesome story, but so fine.
"The Gay Goshawk"06/02/2025
I think this is sequel the old ballad by the same name. Another sad story and like "The Head" not fantastical. Such detailed descriptions and with pacing that made it instantly immersive. I only wish the story was 10 times as long. Seems Haynes has a special affinity and talent for describing disoriented characters.
"Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch..."06/15/2025
Tragic! Tragic because this is probably not all that different from what happened historically. Haynes, in these first stories, is letting the Medieval ancestors have it with her empathy for the victims of village mob-mentality.
"The 'Bean-Nighe'" 06/16/2025
I had to look up what a Scottish bean-nighe was. Interesting how many cultures features a sad woman forever at a river or lake. I wonder what that means about humanity's deep-seated myth-making. The ending couldn't be more perfect.
"The Cure"06/17/2025
Another one of the stories by Haynes that is deeply empathetic. So far, that's what I would say is the main theme of these stories. Is she saying something about human ignorance throughout history or about mankind's ability to create its own misery?
"Three Times Round" 06/18/2025
Here, I definitely I think she is saying something about how humans make much of their own troubles and misery: an arranged duel...with knives...in a coach!
"Paying Guests" 06/19/2025
This is the first story that seems to incorporate the supernatural as a fact, not just superstition. No matter what Haynes writes about, though, there is that beautiful engrossing empathy.
"The Changeling" 05/26/2025
Dig this opening line, "The witch had been sitting on the gargoyle all day." Ha! If that doesn't get you drawn in, nothing will. I enjoyed the strong child emotions, such pitiful isolation and disorientation. Haynes herself was an orphan, grew up in an orphanage and surely she drew on that experience, dreaming of a warm, caring mother, taken away forever.
"Gas" 07/07/2025
Gas as in laughing gas given at the dentist's. I was a little disappointed by the ending, but still, even a weak Haynes story is entertaining and immersive with all her wonderful descriptions. How about the priest she encounters after her tooth extraction, "with his spectacles, his black hat, and his artificial hand." Wha? I love that.
"Delirium" 07/07/2025
I have a feeling that if one had lived through the Blitz, or maybe 9/11, they would be triggered by this story, a story of surviving a terrible bombing, desperately injured, and encountering a God who, in all His dignity and power, is only wildly enigmatic.
"Music in the Memory" 07/08/2025
Not your normal star-crossed story, certainly not in this collection. That ending says so much about our first loves.
"A Beautiful Life" 07/11/2025
A story about a single surprising moment, an extraordinary and beastly one in the life of a prim old lady after she had just finished her beautiful, orderly tea in her beautiful, orderly life. And how she enjoyed the change!
"Class" 07/11/2025
Ah youth. On a New Year's Eve, a Scottish lass's boyfriend on leave proposes to her, and although having lots of doubts but also having an abundance of youthful ignorance, she answers...well, the wrong answer.
"Pentecost—A Flashback" 07/11/2025
A mildly funny story about Mrs Funny's sudden and firm conversion.
"Tinker's Child" 07/11/2025
Oh! This story gave us a peek into the life of the author who spent her formative years in an orphanage but by 15 or so went back home to her father (still living) and was relegated to housemaid at home. With pluck, she went on to earning a living as a writer. It was at the orphanage that she got an education and discovered she had a writing ability where it was encouraged. This must have been a very personal story for her and that made it all the more special to read at this almost midpoint, after we have seen the extent of her talent.
"Miss Vestal" 07/20/2025
Living all alone in her tidy but outdated millinery shop, Miss Vestal crochets. And looks out her window. She lurks behind the curtains, waiting for the boisterous, masculine Bob Cooks crowd that have the shack on the allotment across the street. Not much happens when they arrive but it's more entertaining than crocheting. Then this one happy, rainy evening she has occasion to meet them face to face where she learns she's wrong about boisterous masculine men.
"The Memory" 07/20/2025
Another possible insight to Haynes' experiences at the orphanage. The story begins with a group of girls gathered, where one begins a story, "It was my father said to me, 'Bessie, there's a man being hanged in the street, and if you're good, I'll take you.' "
"Good Bairns" 07/20/2025
I had two younger brothers growing up and it seems half my childhood was spent hearing my mother scolding them for one thing or another, which likely was only half of what they deserved. Like the boys in this story.
"Whuppittie Scoorie" 07/25/2025
A peculiar, real annual Scottish celebration, one which no one knows quite the point of nor why it began. But for one boy, it had meaning.
"The Nest" 07/25/2025
One of the infinite tragedies of war that forever ravages lives. Broke my heart.
"Up, Like a Good Girl" 07/25/2025
Back to an orphanage, where even a girl's desperately longed for friendship is not the fulfillment she wished for. Not that of her friend either.
"Thirst" 07/25/2025
Haynes widens her net, and follows two desperate old alcoholics with their much aged horse and pathetic, empty cart.
"The Trap" 07/29/2025
A rat is caught in a trap, and humans can be caught in different kinds of traps, too.
"Miss Poplar" 07/29/2025
Things can look enviable, a garden full of peace and delights, when viewed from a distance.
"Double Summer Time" 07/29/2025
Haynes can write anything, even literature that could stand shoulder to shoulder with Muriel Spark or Elizabeth Taylor.
70% complete and am beginning to dread reaching the end. Such a rich, satisfying talent.
"It Was in the Month of January" 07/30/2025
Oh those down and out uncles that often have no where to go but to stay with a sister and her family. The kids love him but Mom know the real score.
"Windfall" 07/30/2025
What a superbly nuanced story about the brief encounter of a traveling junk buyer and a young woman trying to manage home and finances while her husband is away at war.
"The Peculiar Case of Mrs. Grimmond" 08/04/2025
Oooo, this is a good one, inspired by a drawing by Peake. Mrs. Grimmond, lonely old soul, has a cat that drags in a little creature that feeds on her loneliness.
"Fully Integrated" 08/05/2025
Only story I personally didn't care for because of its ick subject and even the title is now trick icky.
"No Cake and Honey" 08/05/2025
And just like that, we're back on track. Orphanages and little orphans are Haynes' special affection and insight. I could just scoop this little guy up and take him home with me where he and I would eat healthy fresh fruit and nuts for our treat, every day.
"Vocation" 08/13/2025
I'll let Haynes tell you what this one is about:
"How can I help?" Susan asked, speaking coaxingly. "What can I do?"
"C-O-M-E"
"Come where?"
The tumbler went berserk in an orgy of communication. "WHERE I BURN"
Yowza, right?!
"The Return of the Ritchies" 08/13/2025
Boo, too short and a too abrupt ending. I wanted more of the Ritchies. I laughed out loud a few times.
"The Sewing Machine" 08/13/2025
A small story about thrift. marriage, and gratitude at Christmas. A story that shows another side of the chops of Haynes. I'm telling you, she can write anything.
"To Give an Illustration" 08/13/2025
A story that every woman of a certain age will likely relate to, the unwanted and dangerous attentions of creepy old dudes when we are barely in our first flush of bloom. The story had an open ending, so in my mind, I went ahead and finished it to my satisfaction. Let's just say old creepy dude got his just desserts.
"A Story at Bedtime" 08/13/2025
YES! There it is, the last story and it's full on Haynes. A little girl discovers and embraces that she is a witch; the perfect ending to this collection.
I was introduced to this author in The Short Story Club. Two others in the group also wanted to read more after encountering Haynes' "The Changeling" in another anthology. Together we had a delightful buddy read. Thank you to Cecily and David J. for your companionship and many insightful comments.
Cecily's review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
David J.'s review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
If their reviews are not complete, check back as they both will be sure to entice you.
For The Short Story Club, join us at https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Yes, but...
No, not like that cover...
Yes, there are witches...but so much more
Forget that insanely ridiculous 1996 book cover. Mervyn Peake's 1949 cover is better but still doesn't fully capture the breadth and depth of these stories. What is truly witchy is Haynes' talent as a story-teller.
From each story's first lines, Haynes whisks us into Scottish micro communities and into lives of its hapless residents, of their superstitions and the supernatural, of drunks and lonely old women, of little orphan girls and little wild boys, of the trauma of war and the misfires of love. And yes, a few witches.
She writes about humanity.
Haynes' depicts lives of all manner of individuals navigating ignorance and powerlessness against forces bigger than they are. Even at their most vulnerable, stupid, self-sabotaging, and sometimes criminal or cruel, Haynes treats each protagonist with such empathy and insight it will put you into a sympathetic connection with that struggling soul.
I wouldn't omit one single story in this collection. (OK, there is one, just one.). The collection contains a large number of the masterful and the remainder are sturdily wonderful. My personal 5 star rating test is, would I happily read this again? Yes! Would I recommend it to others? Yes!
Haynes is one of those writers who wrote their hearts out, made a living at it, and then have been mostly forgotten. There is a special thrill, a big dopamine hit, when re-discovering a rare gem like this among the mountains and mountains of books.
I've bolded the stories I found to be remarkable.
"The Head" 06/02/2025
Haynes knows how to write in vivid detail about the misery of the dejected: a man put in neck shackles at the church for being a thief where he must stay until nightfall. Luckily (?) he has a distraction from his own misery. Gruesome story, but so fine.
"The Gay Goshawk"06/02/2025
I think this is sequel the old ballad by the same name. Another sad story and like "The Head" not fantastical. Such detailed descriptions and with pacing that made it instantly immersive. I only wish the story was 10 times as long. Seems Haynes has a special affinity and talent for describing disoriented characters.
"Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch..."06/15/2025
Tragic! Tragic because this is probably not all that different from what happened historically. Haynes, in these first stories, is letting the Medieval ancestors have it with her empathy for the victims of village mob-mentality.
"The 'Bean-Nighe'" 06/16/2025
I had to look up what a Scottish bean-nighe was. Interesting how many cultures features a sad woman forever at a river or lake. I wonder what that means about humanity's deep-seated myth-making. The ending couldn't be more perfect.
"The Cure"06/17/2025
Another one of the stories by Haynes that is deeply empathetic. So far, that's what I would say is the main theme of these stories. Is she saying something about human ignorance throughout history or about mankind's ability to create its own misery?
"Three Times Round" 06/18/2025
Here, I definitely I think she is saying something about how humans make much of their own troubles and misery: an arranged duel...with knives...in a coach!
"Paying Guests" 06/19/2025
This is the first story that seems to incorporate the supernatural as a fact, not just superstition. No matter what Haynes writes about, though, there is that beautiful engrossing empathy.
"The Changeling" 05/26/2025
Dig this opening line, "The witch had been sitting on the gargoyle all day." Ha! If that doesn't get you drawn in, nothing will. I enjoyed the strong child emotions, such pitiful isolation and disorientation. Haynes herself was an orphan, grew up in an orphanage and surely she drew on that experience, dreaming of a warm, caring mother, taken away forever.
"Gas" 07/07/2025
Gas as in laughing gas given at the dentist's. I was a little disappointed by the ending, but still, even a weak Haynes story is entertaining and immersive with all her wonderful descriptions. How about the priest she encounters after her tooth extraction, "with his spectacles, his black hat, and his artificial hand." Wha? I love that.
"Delirium" 07/07/2025
I have a feeling that if one had lived through the Blitz, or maybe 9/11, they would be triggered by this story, a story of surviving a terrible bombing, desperately injured, and encountering a God who, in all His dignity and power, is only wildly enigmatic.
"Music in the Memory" 07/08/2025
Not your normal star-crossed story, certainly not in this collection. That ending says so much about our first loves.
"A Beautiful Life" 07/11/2025
A story about a single surprising moment, an extraordinary and beastly one in the life of a prim old lady after she had just finished her beautiful, orderly tea in her beautiful, orderly life. And how she enjoyed the change!
"Class" 07/11/2025
Ah youth. On a New Year's Eve, a Scottish lass's boyfriend on leave proposes to her, and although having lots of doubts but also having an abundance of youthful ignorance, she answers...well, the wrong answer.
"Pentecost—A Flashback" 07/11/2025
A mildly funny story about Mrs Funny's sudden and firm conversion.
"Tinker's Child" 07/11/2025
Oh! This story gave us a peek into the life of the author who spent her formative years in an orphanage but by 15 or so went back home to her father (still living) and was relegated to housemaid at home. With pluck, she went on to earning a living as a writer. It was at the orphanage that she got an education and discovered she had a writing ability where it was encouraged. This must have been a very personal story for her and that made it all the more special to read at this almost midpoint, after we have seen the extent of her talent.
"Miss Vestal" 07/20/2025
Living all alone in her tidy but outdated millinery shop, Miss Vestal crochets. And looks out her window. She lurks behind the curtains, waiting for the boisterous, masculine Bob Cooks crowd that have the shack on the allotment across the street. Not much happens when they arrive but it's more entertaining than crocheting. Then this one happy, rainy evening she has occasion to meet them face to face where she learns she's wrong about boisterous masculine men.
"The Memory" 07/20/2025
Another possible insight to Haynes' experiences at the orphanage. The story begins with a group of girls gathered, where one begins a story, "It was my father said to me, 'Bessie, there's a man being hanged in the street, and if you're good, I'll take you.' "
"Good Bairns" 07/20/2025
I had two younger brothers growing up and it seems half my childhood was spent hearing my mother scolding them for one thing or another, which likely was only half of what they deserved. Like the boys in this story.
"Whuppittie Scoorie" 07/25/2025
A peculiar, real annual Scottish celebration, one which no one knows quite the point of nor why it began. But for one boy, it had meaning.
"The Nest" 07/25/2025
One of the infinite tragedies of war that forever ravages lives. Broke my heart.
"Up, Like a Good Girl" 07/25/2025
Back to an orphanage, where even a girl's desperately longed for friendship is not the fulfillment she wished for. Not that of her friend either.
"Thirst" 07/25/2025
Haynes widens her net, and follows two desperate old alcoholics with their much aged horse and pathetic, empty cart.
"The Trap" 07/29/2025
A rat is caught in a trap, and humans can be caught in different kinds of traps, too.
"Miss Poplar" 07/29/2025
Things can look enviable, a garden full of peace and delights, when viewed from a distance.
"Double Summer Time" 07/29/2025
Haynes can write anything, even literature that could stand shoulder to shoulder with Muriel Spark or Elizabeth Taylor.
70% complete and am beginning to dread reaching the end. Such a rich, satisfying talent.
"It Was in the Month of January" 07/30/2025
Oh those down and out uncles that often have no where to go but to stay with a sister and her family. The kids love him but Mom know the real score.
"Windfall" 07/30/2025
What a superbly nuanced story about the brief encounter of a traveling junk buyer and a young woman trying to manage home and finances while her husband is away at war.
"The Peculiar Case of Mrs. Grimmond" 08/04/2025
Oooo, this is a good one, inspired by a drawing by Peake. Mrs. Grimmond, lonely old soul, has a cat that drags in a little creature that feeds on her loneliness.
"Fully Integrated" 08/05/2025
Only story I personally didn't care for because of its ick subject and even the title is now trick icky.
"No Cake and Honey" 08/05/2025
And just like that, we're back on track. Orphanages and little orphans are Haynes' special affection and insight. I could just scoop this little guy up and take him home with me where he and I would eat healthy fresh fruit and nuts for our treat, every day.
"Vocation" 08/13/2025
I'll let Haynes tell you what this one is about:
"How can I help?" Susan asked, speaking coaxingly. "What can I do?"
"C-O-M-E"
"Come where?"
The tumbler went berserk in an orgy of communication. "WHERE I BURN"
Yowza, right?!
"The Return of the Ritchies" 08/13/2025
Boo, too short and a too abrupt ending. I wanted more of the Ritchies. I laughed out loud a few times.
"The Sewing Machine" 08/13/2025
A small story about thrift. marriage, and gratitude at Christmas. A story that shows another side of the chops of Haynes. I'm telling you, she can write anything.
"To Give an Illustration" 08/13/2025
A story that every woman of a certain age will likely relate to, the unwanted and dangerous attentions of creepy old dudes when we are barely in our first flush of bloom. The story had an open ending, so in my mind, I went ahead and finished it to my satisfaction. Let's just say old creepy dude got his just desserts.
"A Story at Bedtime" 08/13/2025
YES! There it is, the last story and it's full on Haynes. A little girl discovers and embraces that she is a witch; the perfect ending to this collection.
I was introduced to this author in The Short Story Club. Two others in the group also wanted to read more after encountering Haynes' "The Changeling" in another anthology. Together we had a delightful buddy read. Thank you to Cecily and David J. for your companionship and many insightful comments.
Cecily's review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
David J.'s review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
If their reviews are not complete, check back as they both will be sure to entice you.
For The Short Story Club, join us at https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
August 13, 2025
Dorothy Haynes is bleak. Reading too many of these stories in one sitting (and 'too many' probably means more than two) is a disturbing but also depressing experience because Haynesworld has no sympathy for providence. If you're old or very young, frightened, vulnerable, lonely, socially marginal or just different in some indefinable way, it's more than likely that you will suffer. Haynes is the George Gissing of weird fiction, but she is not pointlessly cruel in a Charles Birkin kind of way. Instead, she uses the supernatural to bring home uncomfortable suspicions that our world may not be a fair or just place. In it, suffering is an existential (and almost inevitable) condition rather than crudely physical. My favourite of these stories, 'Changeling', is wonderfully ambiguous. Does it depict a child being abducted by a witch and taken to a horrible fairyland, or is the story instead a sort of allegory in which a child uses the imaginative associations of fairy tale to attempt to explain what might be adoption or being taken into care? It's ruthless and unsentimental and because it is so, it's all the more poignant.
Haynes excels in sketching-in character in a few strokes of the pen. She uses neat (but not too neat) plotting and her descriptions are vivid and haunting, helped by eye-catching imagery. She's a dour writer, but then, having what sounds like a difficult life (growing up in an orphanage, having children who died from Cystic Fibrosis), it's perhaps not surprising that she wasn't all sweetness and light. Mervyn Peake's illustrations reinforce the menacing atmosphere here.
This is an impressive collection and deserves to be better known. The original edition is augmented with a selection of Haynes' tales from later in her career, notably from the Pan Horror Stories volumes edited by Herbert van Thal...twenty or so years after 'Witch', she had not changed her tune.
Haynes excels in sketching-in character in a few strokes of the pen. She uses neat (but not too neat) plotting and her descriptions are vivid and haunting, helped by eye-catching imagery. She's a dour writer, but then, having what sounds like a difficult life (growing up in an orphanage, having children who died from Cystic Fibrosis), it's perhaps not surprising that she wasn't all sweetness and light. Mervyn Peake's illustrations reinforce the menacing atmosphere here.
This is an impressive collection and deserves to be better known. The original edition is augmented with a selection of Haynes' tales from later in her career, notably from the Pan Horror Stories volumes edited by Herbert van Thal...twenty or so years after 'Witch', she had not changed her tune.
September 4, 2017
¿En busca de folklore escocés? Entonces este libro es perfecto para ustedes. Las historias narradas por Haynes son inclementes, utlizando los juicios contra brujas y su respectiva paranoia, los "changelings" y varios otros elementos más, tanto de la mitología como de la historia escocesa, nos presenta una serie de cuentos que te dejan sin aliento.
En otra reseña, leí que los cuentos de Haynes son como ver una sola escena de la película y me parece totalmente cierto. A veces, pareciera que ni siquiera hay una resolución satisfactoria, justo como si fuera el capítulo de una novela más que un cuento. Creo que ese estilo de escritura no es para todos, pero a mí me encantó.
En suma, una colección de historias que no se tientan el corazón y que están llenas de guiños a las antiguas creencias de los escoceses, muy recomendable. No le doy 5 estrellas, porque como pasa con toda antología, unas narraciones son mucho mejores que otras.
En otra reseña, leí que los cuentos de Haynes son como ver una sola escena de la película y me parece totalmente cierto. A veces, pareciera que ni siquiera hay una resolución satisfactoria, justo como si fuera el capítulo de una novela más que un cuento. Creo que ese estilo de escritura no es para todos, pero a mí me encantó.
En suma, una colección de historias que no se tientan el corazón y que están llenas de guiños a las antiguas creencias de los escoceses, muy recomendable. No le doy 5 estrellas, porque como pasa con toda antología, unas narraciones son mucho mejores que otras.
January 26, 2013
Originally published on my blog here in January 2003.
Dorothy K. Haynes was not a name I had come across before, my eye being drawn to this short story collection because it was illustrated by Mervyn Peake. It is easy to see why the stories captivated an initially reluctant Peake (to the extent that he produced an extra "illustration to an unwritten story by Dorothy Hayes" for which a tale was duly produced). The stories are about atmosphere, for the most part exploring the edges of the supernatural. The title story is typical: a Crucible-like tale of a young girl frightened into making accusations of witchcraft. Many of them take the point of view of a lonely small child, an echo of Haynes' own orphanage upbringing.
In this edition, the original collection is expanded about half again with some of Haynes' later stories. The standard is high, but the tales are very uniform; it is a collection to read in small doses. The apparent lack of development is quite surprising, given the inclusion of the later work. Though probably found in the horror section of a bookshop or library, Haynes' stories are not really frightening despite the occasional gruesome touch. This is partly because none of them have a formal plot, being more like a passage setting the scene for a novel than a conventional short story; and yet, they are complete enough in their creation of a dourly Scots world tinged with the supernatural that they are extremely satisfying.
Dorothy K. Haynes was not a name I had come across before, my eye being drawn to this short story collection because it was illustrated by Mervyn Peake. It is easy to see why the stories captivated an initially reluctant Peake (to the extent that he produced an extra "illustration to an unwritten story by Dorothy Hayes" for which a tale was duly produced). The stories are about atmosphere, for the most part exploring the edges of the supernatural. The title story is typical: a Crucible-like tale of a young girl frightened into making accusations of witchcraft. Many of them take the point of view of a lonely small child, an echo of Haynes' own orphanage upbringing.
In this edition, the original collection is expanded about half again with some of Haynes' later stories. The standard is high, but the tales are very uniform; it is a collection to read in small doses. The apparent lack of development is quite surprising, given the inclusion of the later work. Though probably found in the horror section of a bookshop or library, Haynes' stories are not really frightening despite the occasional gruesome touch. This is partly because none of them have a formal plot, being more like a passage setting the scene for a novel than a conventional short story; and yet, they are complete enough in their creation of a dourly Scots world tinged with the supernatural that they are extremely satisfying.
July 2, 2025
I read The Changeling and was captivated by it . Full of terrifying suspense it captures the awful erasure of a child's imaginative talents and the child herself . Haynes uses the fantastic to remind us that children are liminal beings and we can often restrain and contain them with our good intentions , determined by the prevailing expectations in a culture . Terrible and powerful stuff .
August 18, 2025
Just when you think you've heard of all the great fantasists, along comes Haynes. In this collection alone she's proven herself to be skillful and sharp-eyed, able to write convincingly from a variety of perspectives due to a mixture of deeply understood human nature, a terrific handle on pacing, and an uncanniness that casts the world in a new light. If Haynes were well known today, there's no doubt she'd be included on many lists of classic fantasy and horror.
Now, contrary to the title of the book (and its blurb), it contains plenty of non-fantastical stories, which may be disappointing to discover. Some of the realistic stories are too plain for their own good, or too straightforward, but overall they're well written and make for worthwhile reads. Haynes doesn't skimp on character psychology in these stories, either. She always infuses her characters with eccentricities, streaks of madness, contradictions and endearments, all resulting in memorable identities.
There's also a profound sense of longing and sorrow in Haynes' stories. This can be traced back to her time spent growing up in an orphanage--an experience that carries over into some very passionate and compelling orphanage stories. She writes from a place of great pain, but her stories rarely become flimsy or overly sentimental. She takes human suffering and portrays it in a very honest but fierce way.
And it is her use of language that really conveys a vivid sense of weirdness and sublimity. Her sentences are precise and carefully tailored, but at the same time, Haynes is not afraid to embrace the wild beckoning of her imagination, allowing her to create some startlingly beautiful and haunting passages. She also doesn't shy away from showing Scottish dialects some love, and throughout the collection there will be stories full of phonetic Scottish dialogue. It can be a challenge to understand these sections, but with some patience it's possible to figure out what's being said.
Besides Haynes' knack for depicting people and crafting effective tonal settings, she also excels when it comes to psychological and supernatural horror. Her macabre and sensory details have a way of lingering in your mind, and some scenes are utterly grotesque and unsettling. She explores ideas such as the horror of alienation, autophobia, disorientation, and witchery, resulting in characters often losing themselves to hallucinatory realms or obsessions, their senses of time and place twisting and warping. And the moments where a story's dread reaches its height wouldn't be nearly as successful if not for the depth of characterization. Such an important element tends to be missing from many older horror stories, whereas for Haynes it's a priority; a valuable part of her writing.
You'll also be hard-pressed to find a moral in this book, and when there does appear to be a story with an ethical point, it's always left up to the reader to ruminate on. Even some of the crueler characters tend to be sympathetic. Haynes' worldview never gets in the way of a character's authenticity, and she runs the gamut of perspectives with ease--from children to the elderly, from older time periods to her own, to the point where I rarely, if ever, found the stories unconvincing or one-sided. That alone makes her a storyteller worth her salt.
Near the end of the book, the stories take an unfortunate dive in terms of plot and intrigue. Or, perhaps because they follow some of the best stories in the collection, they pale in comparison. The two stories at the end are much better, especially the final one, which is one of the most surreal and captivating stories of the book. It really is the ideal ending to this collection; a final showcase of Haynes' excellent writing and her overall philosophy joined by an unbound imagination. While this book could've been better with fewer stories, I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless, and look forward to reading more of Haynes' work.
*As an aside, BBC Radio did readings of some stories from this collection, you can listen to them here ("Windfall" is a great one, but the performance of it is rather bad--too dramatic for my taste). You can also read this book for free with an Internet Archive account over here.
And let me not forget to give Peake some credit, too, as his illustrations were a real delight to see, and added much to each respective story. I'll never say "no" to checking out more of his artwork.
**Last but not least, I'd like to thank the fine folks over at The Short Story Club, as I doubt I would've discovered Haynes otherwise. Getting to do a buddy read and share insights was a great, enjoyable experience, too.
Now, contrary to the title of the book (and its blurb), it contains plenty of non-fantastical stories, which may be disappointing to discover. Some of the realistic stories are too plain for their own good, or too straightforward, but overall they're well written and make for worthwhile reads. Haynes doesn't skimp on character psychology in these stories, either. She always infuses her characters with eccentricities, streaks of madness, contradictions and endearments, all resulting in memorable identities.
There's also a profound sense of longing and sorrow in Haynes' stories. This can be traced back to her time spent growing up in an orphanage--an experience that carries over into some very passionate and compelling orphanage stories. She writes from a place of great pain, but her stories rarely become flimsy or overly sentimental. She takes human suffering and portrays it in a very honest but fierce way.
And it is her use of language that really conveys a vivid sense of weirdness and sublimity. Her sentences are precise and carefully tailored, but at the same time, Haynes is not afraid to embrace the wild beckoning of her imagination, allowing her to create some startlingly beautiful and haunting passages. She also doesn't shy away from showing Scottish dialects some love, and throughout the collection there will be stories full of phonetic Scottish dialogue. It can be a challenge to understand these sections, but with some patience it's possible to figure out what's being said.
Besides Haynes' knack for depicting people and crafting effective tonal settings, she also excels when it comes to psychological and supernatural horror. Her macabre and sensory details have a way of lingering in your mind, and some scenes are utterly grotesque and unsettling. She explores ideas such as the horror of alienation, autophobia, disorientation, and witchery, resulting in characters often losing themselves to hallucinatory realms or obsessions, their senses of time and place twisting and warping. And the moments where a story's dread reaches its height wouldn't be nearly as successful if not for the depth of characterization. Such an important element tends to be missing from many older horror stories, whereas for Haynes it's a priority; a valuable part of her writing.
You'll also be hard-pressed to find a moral in this book, and when there does appear to be a story with an ethical point, it's always left up to the reader to ruminate on. Even some of the crueler characters tend to be sympathetic. Haynes' worldview never gets in the way of a character's authenticity, and she runs the gamut of perspectives with ease--from children to the elderly, from older time periods to her own, to the point where I rarely, if ever, found the stories unconvincing or one-sided. That alone makes her a storyteller worth her salt.
Near the end of the book, the stories take an unfortunate dive in terms of plot and intrigue. Or, perhaps because they follow some of the best stories in the collection, they pale in comparison. The two stories at the end are much better, especially the final one, which is one of the most surreal and captivating stories of the book. It really is the ideal ending to this collection; a final showcase of Haynes' excellent writing and her overall philosophy joined by an unbound imagination. While this book could've been better with fewer stories, I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless, and look forward to reading more of Haynes' work.
*As an aside, BBC Radio did readings of some stories from this collection, you can listen to them here ("Windfall" is a great one, but the performance of it is rather bad--too dramatic for my taste). You can also read this book for free with an Internet Archive account over here.
And let me not forget to give Peake some credit, too, as his illustrations were a real delight to see, and added much to each respective story. I'll never say "no" to checking out more of his artwork.
**Last but not least, I'd like to thank the fine folks over at The Short Story Club, as I doubt I would've discovered Haynes otherwise. Getting to do a buddy read and share insights was a great, enjoyable experience, too.
August 4, 2024
Scottish Shirley Jackson/ vintage Jenni Fagan
Some of these stories will genuinely haunt me for a good while
Some of these stories will genuinely haunt me for a good while
August 17, 2025
Well I can honestly say this is by far the best collection of short stories I've ever come across!
Haynes is a quiet, creeping genius. These stories are dark and nasty with no hint of a nice happy ending; they are tales of punishment, retribution, malice, injustice, penalising, chastising and misery.
Despite the darkness and the wickedness, they are actually really fun to read with sumptuous descriptive phrases, evocations of atmosphere and cutting assessments of character.
I read that Haynes grew up in an orphanage with her twin brother, and this really drives her narratives. There are many tales of abandonment, loss, deception, betrayal, desertion and an inevitable sense of resignation to a bad situation.
The stories show a great variety with witches, folklore, tinkers, gypsies, poor and rich, well and ill, young and old, naughty and pious.
I absolutely loved this collection and will definitely be returning to them in the future. What a gem of a book. All the bloody stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Haynes is a quiet, creeping genius. These stories are dark and nasty with no hint of a nice happy ending; they are tales of punishment, retribution, malice, injustice, penalising, chastising and misery.
Despite the darkness and the wickedness, they are actually really fun to read with sumptuous descriptive phrases, evocations of atmosphere and cutting assessments of character.
I read that Haynes grew up in an orphanage with her twin brother, and this really drives her narratives. There are many tales of abandonment, loss, deception, betrayal, desertion and an inevitable sense of resignation to a bad situation.
The stories show a great variety with witches, folklore, tinkers, gypsies, poor and rich, well and ill, young and old, naughty and pious.
I absolutely loved this collection and will definitely be returning to them in the future. What a gem of a book. All the bloody stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
June 6, 2025
Solo he leído el relato "The Changeling" con The Short Story Club, pero no va a ser el único que lea de la colección porque me ha parecido fascinante, tanto por la historia en sí como por los paralelismos que tiene con la vida de la autora y todo el jugo que se le ha podido sacar en el club de lectura. Toca temas interesantes que me encantaría seguir explorando en la obra de la autora y, además, se ambienta en Escocia y habla mucho del folklore escocés, que es uno de mis lugares y temáticas favoritas. No puedo estar más emocionada por seguir leyendo a la autora.
October 2, 2018
I enjoy many short stories especially chilling ones. I really enjoyed The Memory the most. Something very mysterious about that story.
December 8, 2025
I read this story as recommended by GR The Short Story Club - and it may be the beginning of a love affair for me with Dorothy Haynes. While completely outside the norm of my reading genres, the prose and ambience had me riveted from start to finish. There is an other-wordliness imbued in the few stories I've read by Haynes.
Beatrice, a manipulaitng young girl begs and whines until MC Jinnie agrees to claim to be bewitched by Minty, who is the object of Jack's affection. Easy enough to be rid of Minty and insinuate herself into Jack's affection, once Minty is suspected of being a witch...
Minty drowns rather than floats, proving her innocence of the accusation to the community lynch mob (the irony of this test is mindboggling).
Ah, the unbearable lightness of aspersions! Now, having achieved her goal, Beatrice is happily married to Jack and they have a new baby infant. Although she gets her come-uppance at the expense of her baby - an even more horrifying fate awaits Jinnie, once she floats, ultimately failing the test of innocence and branded a witch by the community lynch mob.
Although the "witch test" shows up under similar circumstatnces in many stories and books, it is none-the-less horrific in each.
Beatrice, a manipulaitng young girl begs and whines until MC Jinnie agrees to claim to be bewitched by Minty, who is the object of Jack's affection. Easy enough to be rid of Minty and insinuate herself into Jack's affection, once Minty is suspected of being a witch...
Minty drowns rather than floats, proving her innocence of the accusation to the community lynch mob (the irony of this test is mindboggling).
Ah, the unbearable lightness of aspersions! Now, having achieved her goal, Beatrice is happily married to Jack and they have a new baby infant. Although she gets her come-uppance at the expense of her baby - an even more horrifying fate awaits Jinnie, once she floats, ultimately failing the test of innocence and branded a witch by the community lynch mob.
Although the "witch test" shows up under similar circumstatnces in many stories and books, it is none-the-less horrific in each.
September 19, 2014
This woman's talent was all in the descriptive aspects of her tales which was the only positive I can think of; these were however quite bewitching when considered on their own merit.
The plots were otherwise insubstantial and anti-climatic. Tedious; and I gave up about a third of the way through
The plots were otherwise insubstantial and anti-climatic. Tedious; and I gave up about a third of the way through
Want to read
October 23, 2009Read the first 2/3 and really liked, just got sidetracked. The stories reminded me a bit of Susanna Clarke.
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