The House by the Poppy Field: A Ghost Story for Christmas

by Marjorie Bowen, Seth (Illustrator)

“[This] series of Christmas ghost stories, miniature books chosen and illustrated by the cartoonist Seth … [offers] chills―and charm.” ― New York Times Book Review World-renowned cartoonist Seth returns with three new ghost stories for 2023.

Maitland returns to his ancestral estate after having lived a largely solitary life. He soon finds himself increasingly obsessed with the magnificent field of poppies surrounding his home, as well as the man harvesting them.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Christmas, Fiction

43 pages, Paperback

Published October 31, 2023

About the author

Marjorie Bowen (pseudonym of Mrs Gabrielle Margaret V[ere] Long née Campbell), was a British author who wrote historical romances, supernatural horror stories, popular history and biography. Her total output numbers over 150 volumes with the bulk of her work under the 'Bowen' pseudonym. She also wrote under the names Joseph Shearing, George R. Preedy, John Winch, Robert Paye, and Margaret Campbell. As Joseph Shearing, she wrote several sinister gothic romances full of terror and mystery. Many of these stories were published as Berkley Medallion Books. Several of her books were adapted as films. Her books are much sought after by aficionados of gothic horror and received praise from critics.

Bowen's alcoholic father left the family at an early age and was eventually found dead on a London street. After this, Bowen's prolific writings were the chief financial support for her family. She was married twice: first, from 1912-16, to a Sicilian named Zefferino Emilio Constanza, who died of tuberculosis, and then to one Arthur L. Long. Her first novel was The Viper of Milan (1906), after which she produced a steady stream of writings until the day of her death on 23rd December 1952. Her last, posthumous, novel was The Man with the Scales (1954).

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure if this is a lovely tale about death or a spooky tale about inheritance.

How about both?

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another from the Seth's Christmas Ghost Story series and for me it is an interesting departure from the those I have read so far (I will admit that I am still working my way through the series so this may all change).

I guess in all genres big or small that there are tropes that all to easily come to mind - so when you read a story that feels like it is heading in the direction of something predictable and well work but then suddenly veers off in a new direction it can be quite a surprise. How that is handled for me makes or breaks a story - and this one for me handled it perfectly.

It is tricky not to give away spoilers - but suffice to say that on reflection I have seen this metaphor being used before however how it is handled here is brilliant.

[Eleanor Gravestock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short stories are always interesting because the limitation of their limit demands clever crafting in order to move the story onwards through the virtue of all but length. A good chilling Christmas short story.

[jackson]

christmas eve ghost stories 👻 🎄

[Breen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kids were perplexed. We enjoyed the oddity of it.

[Adam Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting rather than ghostly tale about a solitary man and a solitary house in a poppy field. Clever, well written and full of haunting metaphor.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Maryland inherits a white elephant of a house surrounded by a field of poppies. He doesn’t want to keep it, yet he is inexplicably drawn in. Will he ever get out?

[Kayleigh Wiebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man arrives at his recently inherited ancestral estate. While empty, to his surprise, it's not neglected. The concept of a tended house awaiting an owner who will never return saddens him, and he tries to leam more about the history of the estate as a balm for his inexplicable melancholy.

Okay, so the first thing I did after finishing this one was Google "The House by the Poppy Field explained", because I was like, what did I just read? I was certain something about this story went over my head.

Overall, I liked all the gothic tropes but it just felt too short for the dread and foreboding to build effectively. Also, with the shortness comes loose ends, making it less satisfying than I’d hope. An interesting allegory about peace and death for fans of the gothic, but I don’t think I’d be recommending this one to anyone else any time soon.

[Paul Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Biblioasis] (2023). SB. 43 Pages. Purchased from Amazon.co.uk.

The Publisher’s Note erroneously states that this story first appeared in “Kecksies and Other Twilight Tales” (1976). Light research shows that it was previously presented - at least four times, in periodicals and anthologies - 1918, 1919, 1930 and 1951.

The drab, naive drawings by “Seth” (Gregory Gallant (1962-)) bring nothing worthwhile to this book. Additional contextual information, for instance a more detailed biographical sketch of the author*, would have been a welcome substitute. (*A mere four lines… but ten for the illustrator…)

This subtle, creepy, dreamy tale is beautifully evocative and awash with saudade.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The next story in my quest to finish all of the Ghost Story for Christmas series. This one begins with the tired old Gothic trope: A distant relative inherits a house in the middle of nowhere, and the place is not what it seems. However, there was enough of an original twist to the trope to catch my interest and earn this one three stars.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing and fascinating story of an obsession. The author does a good job in describing the emotions, the surrounding and the character.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Ron Kerrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit too subtle to be spooky, but an okay (very short) tale. Story fills 25 pages, the rest taken up with Seth's blah drawings and publisher information.

[Catherine Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subtle and atmospheric.

[JA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and jam packed with the hand on the doorknob feeling. Makes you think of poppies in a fresh way.

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

No ghost and no connection to Christmas, but it was a nice little story. I don't know if I would pick up another in the series.

[Samoyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very atmospheric tale. It definitely has certain intensity to it.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviving the practice of reading a ghost short story on Christmas Eve, I picked up this atmospheric read. I found it too short to really build an eerie screen or an interest in the lead John Maitland

[Sarah Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book in the store and I was actually surprised it was not bad