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The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales
Rooted in the elemental landscapes of Sussex, Brittany and the Languedoc, here are tales of ghosts and spirits seeking revenge, grief-stricken women and haunted men coming to terms with their destiny.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
194 people are currently reading
2932 people want to read
About the author
Kate Mosse
91 books3,348 followersKate Mosse is an international bestselling author with sales of more than five million copies in 42 languages. Her fiction includes the novels Labyrinth (2005), Sepulchre (2007), The Winter Ghosts (2009), and Citadel (2012), as well as an acclaimed collection of short stories, The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales (2013). Kate’s new novel, The Taxidermist’s Daughter is out now.
Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize) and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex.
Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize) and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 329 reviews
October 25, 2021
Rating: ⭐⭐
Genre: Horror + Short Stories
A collection of short horror stories by Kate Mosse. This is the first time I read a book by the author. Unfortunately, it was not a good experience for me. I’m not sure if this is because these stories were short and that her novels are different. That remains to be seen when I read a novel written by her. The short description of these stories is “boring”.
I appreciate that the author included the origin of these stories or what inspired her to write them at the end of each story. That was an interesting thing to know. Most of the stories can be termed historical with a gothic feel to them. A lot of these felt half-baked to me and lacked a certain atmosphere of what I can call a horror tale.
The book is not long and the stories vary in length but all are basically short. Despite that, reading this collection still felt like a tedious chore. The best stories of the collection can easily be termed forgettable. They just slip out of your mind the moment you are reading the next. Not a good sign! I still want to read books by Kate Mosse but to be frank I am not as enthusiastic as I used to be before reading The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales!
Genre: Horror + Short Stories
A collection of short horror stories by Kate Mosse. This is the first time I read a book by the author. Unfortunately, it was not a good experience for me. I’m not sure if this is because these stories were short and that her novels are different. That remains to be seen when I read a novel written by her. The short description of these stories is “boring”.
I appreciate that the author included the origin of these stories or what inspired her to write them at the end of each story. That was an interesting thing to know. Most of the stories can be termed historical with a gothic feel to them. A lot of these felt half-baked to me and lacked a certain atmosphere of what I can call a horror tale.
The book is not long and the stories vary in length but all are basically short. Despite that, reading this collection still felt like a tedious chore. The best stories of the collection can easily be termed forgettable. They just slip out of your mind the moment you are reading the next. Not a good sign! I still want to read books by Kate Mosse but to be frank I am not as enthusiastic as I used to be before reading The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales!
February 2, 2016
The Mistletoe Bride is a good collection of stories for those who already like Kate Mosse’s work, I think. It’s fairly standard fare for her: timeslips, connections across time, history in the landscape, etc. If you’re big on the folklore of Brittany and that sort of area, it might also interest you: there are a few tales in this collection drawn from that. The writing is usually good, though occasionally somewhat stilted or just… too familiar. As if the same phrases are being used in different stories, the same images recurring.
The stories aren’t creepy-creepy, but they are in that mysterious gothic-ish style which reminds me a little of Daphne du Maurier’s short stories. It’s not an immensely special collection, and the tone is mostly the same, but for fans of the genre and of Kate Mosse in particular, it should be reasonably satisfying. One or two of the stories just made me cringe with their triteness, though — ‘In the Theatre at Night’ is something I would’ve written as a child, and I couldn’t take it seriously.
I think my favourite aspect was actually reading about the origin of each story, getting at the folklore behind it. ‘The Drowned Village’ and ‘The Ship of the Dead’ were probably my favourites, and the title story is better than the other version of the same story, ‘The Yellow Scarf’, which again struck me as just… too convenient. Overall, the collection lacks a spark, I think.
Originally posted here.
The stories aren’t creepy-creepy, but they are in that mysterious gothic-ish style which reminds me a little of Daphne du Maurier’s short stories. It’s not an immensely special collection, and the tone is mostly the same, but for fans of the genre and of Kate Mosse in particular, it should be reasonably satisfying. One or two of the stories just made me cringe with their triteness, though — ‘In the Theatre at Night’ is something I would’ve written as a child, and I couldn’t take it seriously.
I think my favourite aspect was actually reading about the origin of each story, getting at the folklore behind it. ‘The Drowned Village’ and ‘The Ship of the Dead’ were probably my favourites, and the title story is better than the other version of the same story, ‘The Yellow Scarf’, which again struck me as just… too convenient. Overall, the collection lacks a spark, I think.
Originally posted here.
November 20, 2020
I really enjoyed this collection of stories by Kate Mosse. They have much in common with her novels including location (mostly France and Southern England although one story is set in New York ), the inclusion of historical events, time slips and atmosphere. Some of these are based in myth, and local legends. She’s a lovely writer and even in the shortened form I found myself immersed in the stories, and the characters are strong.
October 16, 2022
I have read a number of Kate Mosse books over the years and I was so pleased to find this collection of ghost stories as now is the perfect season for them.
Each story comes with an authors notes and a stylised front piece of art that represents (though may not actually be referenced in the story).
The whole series of stories are easy to read and cover a wide range of styles and topics and I have to say work perfectly together. We are not looking at terrifying horror stories rather those stories that cannot be explained in any other way than by supernatural powers.
This is a book I think falls right in the middle of the Winter/Christmas ghost story and as such I would recommend to anyone who wants to read these seasonal stories.
Each story comes with an authors notes and a stylised front piece of art that represents (though may not actually be referenced in the story).
The whole series of stories are easy to read and cover a wide range of styles and topics and I have to say work perfectly together. We are not looking at terrifying horror stories rather those stories that cannot be explained in any other way than by supernatural powers.
This is a book I think falls right in the middle of the Winter/Christmas ghost story and as such I would recommend to anyone who wants to read these seasonal stories.
November 20, 2013
Just finished this! Absolutely loved it- very atmospheric and enchanting reading- will keep this safe on my shelf for a re read in the future-
Wonderfully crafted short stories - of which I am not normally a fan- I gave it a go because of the author
So glad I picked it up!
Wonderfully crafted short stories - of which I am not normally a fan- I gave it a go because of the author
So glad I picked it up!
December 30, 2021
I’m quite glad that my summer & fall reading slump led me to read this beautiful collection now, at the close of the year. Perfect for rainy, snowy, chilly December evenings, each story was crafted with a careful blend of solitude, memory, and thin veils. Every tale (save one) perfectly described the English sense of place as the characters were haunted by history, regret, or actual ghosts. While definitely NOT horrific or scary, several of the stories were suitably chilling and I enjoyed every minute. Highly recommended!
March 26, 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03xd2kh
Description: "The Mistletoe Bride and other Haunting Tales" is a collection of haunting short stories written, abridged and introduced by Kate Mosse. They are all inspired by legends and folktales from the French and Sussex Countryside and each story explores the relationship between landscape and emotion. Grief and Guilt. Loss and happiness. They are timeless in their telling, ranging from the mythical past to the present day. Kate Mosse has chosen 5 out of the collection that exemplify the redemption experienced by the various grief stricken men and women as they come to terms with their destiny.
Producer: Celia de Wolff
Made for 4 Extra by Pier Productions.
Episode 1: The Mistletoe Bride: The happiness of a young bride on her wedding day comes to a tragic and abrupt end. Read by Bryony Hannah. Episode 2: On Harting Hill: A horrified man thinks he's run over a young girl only to find all is not quite as it seems. Read by Robert Glenister. Episode 3: Red Letter Day: A grief-stricken mother goes on a journey in search of peace. Read by Claire Skinner. Episode 4: The House on the Hill: A young woman's life is protected by the haunting walls of a house within a house. Read by Lily James. Episode 5: The Revenant: An old man's guilt will haunt him and not release him until the truth is told. Read by Charlotte Emmerson.
November 22, 2018
Some stories I enjoyed more than others but overall I like her style of writing and the historical gothic genre.
August 14, 2023
3.5 stars. I mostly enjoyed this collection of atmospheric ghost/haunting tales that reflected a lot on grief and loss.
November 10, 2013
An enjoyable and atmospheric set of tales, but ultimately a rather forgettable collection which I can find little to say about. There are echoes of Daphne du Maurier's early stories in some of Mosse's, with 'early' being the operative word, both because those du Maurier stories aren't particularly strong (so that's not as much of a compliment as it seems), and because many of the tales included here are early themselves, originally published or written before the author became successful. Mosse's main strength here is the creation of magical, wintery settings, rather than the 'haunting' content, which is often quite predictable. In fact, I think 'winter tales' might make a more fitting subtitle. If you're accustomed to reading ghost stories then there isn't going to be much here that will surprise or spook you: there are some clumsy endings and a distinct lack of unexpected twists. The author's full-length ghost story, The Winter Ghosts, is better, but this is certainly worth a look. Personally, my favourites were Red Letter Day, The House on the Hill, Sainte-Thérèse, The Revenant and On Harting Hill.
March 25, 2015
I very much enjoyed this book for the most-part, given there was only one tale I didn't really like. Though overall I enjoyed the stories the first being one of the best. Great job Kate Mosse, you get a solid 4 stars for this one.
October 12, 2017
3.5 stars
Beautifully written ghost stories to snuggle up with for autumn. Not all of them were for me, but the tale of The Mistletoe Bride is probably the most memorable one, closely followed by The Drowned Village. Recommended if you're in the mood for something with atmosphere over action.
Beautifully written ghost stories to snuggle up with for autumn. Not all of them were for me, but the tale of The Mistletoe Bride is probably the most memorable one, closely followed by The Drowned Village. Recommended if you're in the mood for something with atmosphere over action.
December 6, 2020
This collection of short stories is full of tales of the supernatural and is mostly inspired by myths/legends from southern England, Brittany and the Languedoc. Some of the stories were creepy, others were simply sad. A lovely collection and perfect reading for a dark winter's night.
May 18, 2022
Ok, but not for me. I prefer my ghost stories a bit creepier, bit more scary. The author's notes are nice, but I'm not sure every story needed one.
May 28, 2015
A really sweet, beautiful book.
I really enjoyed Kate Mosse's Winter Ghosts book, and so I pick up this book feeling it would be a good read. And I wasn't disappointed!
What I enjoyed about Winter Ghosts was the slow, lyrical pace of a compelling hauntingly beautiful story, touched with so much sadness. Now The Mistletoe Bride strives for the same thing, and it does achieve this. Of course, this is a book of short stories so you don't get the depth or the detail of Winter Ghosts. But you are still left with the same feeling that you have been touch by something mystical, something that you can almost touch.
My personal favourites of this collection, were the stories that dealt with grief or sadness. Those stories touched me the most, because they were beautifully written, with a hint of otherworldly happenings but they also seemed to include hope. In particular the stories, The Ghost of Christmas Past, La Fille de Mélisande, Sainte-Thérèse and Governors Island.
A few of the stories reminded me of 'old fashioned' haunting tales, where it is slower pace and very thoughtful. I enjoyed this, though I know it won't appeal to everyone. But I certainly enjoyed the quiet reflection of sadness, grief, hope, duty and life presented in hauntingly soulful stories.
I read this book as part of my 2015 Reading Challenge. This book was for the criteria of a book of short stories.
I really enjoyed Kate Mosse's Winter Ghosts book, and so I pick up this book feeling it would be a good read. And I wasn't disappointed!
What I enjoyed about Winter Ghosts was the slow, lyrical pace of a compelling hauntingly beautiful story, touched with so much sadness. Now The Mistletoe Bride strives for the same thing, and it does achieve this. Of course, this is a book of short stories so you don't get the depth or the detail of Winter Ghosts. But you are still left with the same feeling that you have been touch by something mystical, something that you can almost touch.
My personal favourites of this collection, were the stories that dealt with grief or sadness. Those stories touched me the most, because they were beautifully written, with a hint of otherworldly happenings but they also seemed to include hope. In particular the stories, The Ghost of Christmas Past, La Fille de Mélisande, Sainte-Thérèse and Governors Island.
A few of the stories reminded me of 'old fashioned' haunting tales, where it is slower pace and very thoughtful. I enjoyed this, though I know it won't appeal to everyone. But I certainly enjoyed the quiet reflection of sadness, grief, hope, duty and life presented in hauntingly soulful stories.
I read this book as part of my 2015 Reading Challenge. This book was for the criteria of a book of short stories.
August 1, 2016
This is a beautiful collection of tales that are haunting in every sense of the word, some are utterly bone chilling while others are heart wrenching and drenched in sadness, all written with Mosse's excemptional style and flair for character. Each story has an unique feel with its own characters and purpose. Mosse also includes a short explanation as to the inspiration for the story and how it come about (I admit I glossed over these sections as I find such information tends to reduce the impact of the story itself). The title story was one of my favourites as the reality of who the narrator is and how they came to be in their current situation creeps up on you slowly then suddenly hits you full in the face with an almighty thud. 'The Ship of the Dead' was another that has stuck in my mind and is particularly haunting given the villagers response to such a sad yet necessary task. I was also rather taken with 'Why the Yew Tree Lives So Long' as it reminded me of the local folk stories I heard in my area growing up and am still fond of today.
January 26, 2014
Oh dear. I was hoping to enjoy this but it was dry, cliched, tedious, and the author's notes pretty much ruined any atmosphere and mystique that might have been there.
January 7, 2020
It is impossible to rate a collection of short stories because each of the little tales are different, and some are better than the rest. So I settled on an average of 3.6 stars.
Haunting, melancholic tales of people and the ghosts of their pasts, literal and figurative. Some filled me with dread, some made me happy. Some were downright creepy.
There are 14 stories and 1 short play. 15 chapters in total.
My favourites were:
●The Revenant
●Duet
●The House on the Hill
●The Ship of the dead
●On Harting hill
.
This book is perfect for reading in winter, by the fireplace, swaddled in warm blankets, before bedtime. Atmospheric, with beautiful writing, Mosse takes you on an adventure to the old French and English villages, seacoasts and mountains.
Recommend this for those who love old classic ghost stories and Haunting of Hill House.
Haunting, melancholic tales of people and the ghosts of their pasts, literal and figurative. Some filled me with dread, some made me happy. Some were downright creepy.
There are 14 stories and 1 short play. 15 chapters in total.
My favourites were:
●The Revenant
●Duet
●The House on the Hill
●The Ship of the dead
●On Harting hill
.
This book is perfect for reading in winter, by the fireplace, swaddled in warm blankets, before bedtime. Atmospheric, with beautiful writing, Mosse takes you on an adventure to the old French and English villages, seacoasts and mountains.
Recommend this for those who love old classic ghost stories and Haunting of Hill House.
May 22, 2019
Having read a Kate Mosse novel in the recent past and enjoying it, I thought I’d give this collection of short stories a go. As with any group of stories, some were better than others. I particularly enjoyed The Mistletoe Bride, The House on the Hill and Sainte-Thérèse as they had a haunting kind of feel to them. That said, I’m rating this a three star as the other stories didn’t quite do it for me.
June 15, 2022
4 sterren- Nederlandse paperback
Ik ben niet zo van de verhalen. Vaak zijn ze te kort om een vertelling goed over te laten komen.
Maar deze lezen lekker weg en zijn stuk voor stuk erg goed . Je kan makkelijk tussendoor even één verhaal lezen. Tijdens het wachten in een overvolle wachtkamer bijvoorbeeld. Miste de trein, haha.
Ik ben niet zo van de verhalen. Vaak zijn ze te kort om een vertelling goed over te laten komen.
Maar deze lezen lekker weg en zijn stuk voor stuk erg goed . Je kan makkelijk tussendoor even één verhaal lezen. Tijdens het wachten in een overvolle wachtkamer bijvoorbeeld. Miste de trein, haha.
September 6, 2020
Wonderfully spooky and atmospheric. The black and white illustrations were fantastic as well. Highly recommended, especially as a Halloween read.
Mosse is a talented writer.
Mosse is a talented writer.
June 20, 2021
Having read Jeanette Winterson's version of 'The Mistletoe Bride' (in 'Christmas Days'), I was interested in reading this book, plus always up for 'haunting' tales. Now I'd read a few pages of Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (2005) some time ago and not been impressed, but I thought the material might be more interesting here. Unfortunately this is just an 'ok' 2 stars for me. Not very interesting or surprising but an easy read, and sometimes a boring one.
February 21, 2016
I am not going to ramble on and on giving you a synopsis for all the stories but I will let you know some of the ones that I enjoyed the most out of this collection. I really wanted to start reading some more short stories so I have continuously made an effort in reading a collection per month. With each book there are obviously going to be some better than others. I think the hardest thing for the authors is to create a really good and atmospheric story that will truly grip you and Kate Mosse has certainly done that in some of these stories. Others were a bit weak and easily forgettable.
The stories included are:
The Mistletoe Bride – 4/5 stars
Duet – 3.5/5 stars
Red Letter day – 2.5/5 stars
The drowned village – 3/5 stars
The house on the hill – 3/5 stars
Why the yew tree lives so long -1.5/5stars
Sainte-Therese – 3/5 stars
The ship of the dead -4/5 stars
La Fille de Melisande -2/5 stars
The revenant -5/5 star – FAVOURITE
On Harting hill -3.5/5 stars
The princess Alice -3/5 stars
In the Theatre at night 2.5/5 stars
The yellow scarf -3.5/5 stars
Syrinx 1/5 stars
Each of these stories comes with an authors note as what inspired her to write them. There are also some black and white gothic illustrations before each of the stories drawn by Rohan Daniel Eason which sets the tone. The stories are set in Sussex, Brittany and Languedoc that are based on Folk tales ranging from the 1800’s to the present day.
I will admit as writing this review I had to check the stories again to see which ones were which as they are somewhat forgettable. The ones that have clearly stuck with me is ‘The Mistletoe Bride’, ‘Duet’ and ‘The Revenant’.
The revenant was the best story by far in the book, it was eerie and creepy and had me on the edge of my seat with my pulse racing as I was actually scared but couldn’t stop reading. It is probably one of the scariest short stories that I have read! Mosse manages to create an intense atmosphere and completely grips the reader. The writing style is very easy to read and flows beautifully.
I would recommend this to people who are looking to read some short-stories that have historical fiction with supernatural elements and a bit of horror.
Overall I rated this 3.5/5 stars
The stories included are:
The Mistletoe Bride – 4/5 stars
Duet – 3.5/5 stars
Red Letter day – 2.5/5 stars
The drowned village – 3/5 stars
The house on the hill – 3/5 stars
Why the yew tree lives so long -1.5/5stars
Sainte-Therese – 3/5 stars
The ship of the dead -4/5 stars
La Fille de Melisande -2/5 stars
The revenant -5/5 star – FAVOURITE
On Harting hill -3.5/5 stars
The princess Alice -3/5 stars
In the Theatre at night 2.5/5 stars
The yellow scarf -3.5/5 stars
Syrinx 1/5 stars
Each of these stories comes with an authors note as what inspired her to write them. There are also some black and white gothic illustrations before each of the stories drawn by Rohan Daniel Eason which sets the tone. The stories are set in Sussex, Brittany and Languedoc that are based on Folk tales ranging from the 1800’s to the present day.
I will admit as writing this review I had to check the stories again to see which ones were which as they are somewhat forgettable. The ones that have clearly stuck with me is ‘The Mistletoe Bride’, ‘Duet’ and ‘The Revenant’.
The revenant was the best story by far in the book, it was eerie and creepy and had me on the edge of my seat with my pulse racing as I was actually scared but couldn’t stop reading. It is probably one of the scariest short stories that I have read! Mosse manages to create an intense atmosphere and completely grips the reader. The writing style is very easy to read and flows beautifully.
I would recommend this to people who are looking to read some short-stories that have historical fiction with supernatural elements and a bit of horror.
Overall I rated this 3.5/5 stars
May 21, 2014
This is less to this book that meets the eye.
It was obviously aimed at the Christmas gift market. A gift for a ghost story fan. I nearly bought it myself but didn’t.
Maybe it was the mock Simon Marsden cover which didn’t quite work for me or the fact that most of the stories contained inside aren’t that creepy or spooky. I haven’t previously read any of Kate Mosse’s books
It can be a problem with your usually literary author trying to write a convincing ghost story. I noticed it with Helen Dunsmore’s ‘The Greatcoat’ . It wasn’t convincing as I didn’t believe that she believed in it. Dunsmore is a gifted writer, capable of creating vivid imagery as in the one book of hers that I’ve read ‘The Siege’ but ‘The Greatcoat’ was rather flat.
In The Mistletoe Bride there are 14 stories and a short play , Syrinx. I must admit that I don’t enjoy reading plays. They are meant to be performed and I found it difficult to bring its characters to life in my head. Like some of the stories in this book they refused to take shape, to come out of the shadows and make an appearance.
The title story was very disappointing as it felt underdeveloped and more wraith like than the narrator. It was as if the author was afraid to actually take writing a ghost story seriously.
However, there area few that did stand out: ‘Red Letter Day’ about the aftermath of a cot death, ‘The Revenant’ a tale of retribution, ‘The Ship of the Dead’, ‘Duet’ and the House on the Hill featuring a dolls house. I do enjoy a good haunted dolls house story .
Others like ‘The Theatre at Night’ tantalised as the plot remained just out of reach and it was like a sketch not the full picture.. ‘On Harting Hill’ featured the too familiar tale of a phantom hitchhiker without adding anything new to it
Each tale is followed by a brief explanation from the author about the story’s inspiration which can make interesting reading for anyone who’s ever thought ‘How did they think that one up?’
A collection of stories that, while they passed the time sufficiently, didn’t linger s in the mind afterwards. A book you can read late at night without nightmares.
It was obviously aimed at the Christmas gift market. A gift for a ghost story fan. I nearly bought it myself but didn’t.
Maybe it was the mock Simon Marsden cover which didn’t quite work for me or the fact that most of the stories contained inside aren’t that creepy or spooky. I haven’t previously read any of Kate Mosse’s books
It can be a problem with your usually literary author trying to write a convincing ghost story. I noticed it with Helen Dunsmore’s ‘The Greatcoat’ . It wasn’t convincing as I didn’t believe that she believed in it. Dunsmore is a gifted writer, capable of creating vivid imagery as in the one book of hers that I’ve read ‘The Siege’ but ‘The Greatcoat’ was rather flat.
In The Mistletoe Bride there are 14 stories and a short play , Syrinx. I must admit that I don’t enjoy reading plays. They are meant to be performed and I found it difficult to bring its characters to life in my head. Like some of the stories in this book they refused to take shape, to come out of the shadows and make an appearance.
The title story was very disappointing as it felt underdeveloped and more wraith like than the narrator. It was as if the author was afraid to actually take writing a ghost story seriously.
However, there area few that did stand out: ‘Red Letter Day’ about the aftermath of a cot death, ‘The Revenant’ a tale of retribution, ‘The Ship of the Dead’, ‘Duet’ and the House on the Hill featuring a dolls house. I do enjoy a good haunted dolls house story .
Others like ‘The Theatre at Night’ tantalised as the plot remained just out of reach and it was like a sketch not the full picture.. ‘On Harting Hill’ featured the too familiar tale of a phantom hitchhiker without adding anything new to it
Each tale is followed by a brief explanation from the author about the story’s inspiration which can make interesting reading for anyone who’s ever thought ‘How did they think that one up?’
A collection of stories that, while they passed the time sufficiently, didn’t linger s in the mind afterwards. A book you can read late at night without nightmares.
September 8, 2016
Read: January 2016
I have never read anything by Kate Mosse before, however I have been interested in her work for a while as I like modern Gothic fiction. I saw this book at the library and impulsively borrowed it. It is a book of short stories which are listed below with an individual rating. Each short story comes with an author's note describing the circumstances around writing each piece as well as including at least one black and white illustration which adds to the Gothic feel of the book.
The Mistletoe Bride - 4/5 stars
Duet - 4/5 stars
Red Letter Day - 4.5/5 stars
The Drowned Village - 4.5/5 stars
The House on the Hill - 5/5 stars
Why the Yew Tree Lives so Long - 4/5 stars
Sainte-Therese - 5/5 stars - FAVOURITE
The Ship of the Dead - 4/5 stars
La Fille de Melisande - 4/5 stars
The Revenant - 4.5/5 stars
On Harting Hill - 5/5 stars
The Princess Alice - 5/5 stars
In the Theatre at Night - 4/5 stars
The Yellow Scarf - 4.5/5 stars
Syrinx -4/5 stars
Governors Island - 4/5 stars
The Ghost of Christmas Past - 4/5 stars
I absolutely loved this book to the point where I am going to buy my own copy so I can re-read it in the future (I have actually already re-read 'Sainte-Therese' since I finished the book!) The stories in here are haunting and wonderfully written; there wasn't a bad one in the lot.
Overall rating: 5/5 stars. Best of 2016.
I have never read anything by Kate Mosse before, however I have been interested in her work for a while as I like modern Gothic fiction. I saw this book at the library and impulsively borrowed it. It is a book of short stories which are listed below with an individual rating. Each short story comes with an author's note describing the circumstances around writing each piece as well as including at least one black and white illustration which adds to the Gothic feel of the book.
The Mistletoe Bride - 4/5 stars
Duet - 4/5 stars
Red Letter Day - 4.5/5 stars
The Drowned Village - 4.5/5 stars
The House on the Hill - 5/5 stars
Why the Yew Tree Lives so Long - 4/5 stars
Sainte-Therese - 5/5 stars - FAVOURITE
The Ship of the Dead - 4/5 stars
La Fille de Melisande - 4/5 stars
The Revenant - 4.5/5 stars
On Harting Hill - 5/5 stars
The Princess Alice - 5/5 stars
In the Theatre at Night - 4/5 stars
The Yellow Scarf - 4.5/5 stars
Syrinx -4/5 stars
Governors Island - 4/5 stars
The Ghost of Christmas Past - 4/5 stars
I absolutely loved this book to the point where I am going to buy my own copy so I can re-read it in the future (I have actually already re-read 'Sainte-Therese' since I finished the book!) The stories in here are haunting and wonderfully written; there wasn't a bad one in the lot.
Overall rating: 5/5 stars. Best of 2016.
February 26, 2014
A short story collection from Kate Mosse, with a tv play thrown in for bulk.
Her familiar time slip, historical, supernatural style is evident in most of them, and mostly they all work. None are overly long to unbalance the overall reading experience, but one bog standard tale of a haunting is completely ruined and loses all sense of mystery previously imbued by a cheery happy summing up paragraph. Actually, a lot of them do have 'happy endings' which does defeat the purpose a bit, but as mentioned, only one is jarring enough to really ruin itself.
This only took a couple of nights to get through, so I feel a bit unsatisfied. It seems she can only do sweeping historical epics, or tiny bits of fluff. As well as adding a tv script, every story has a note, explaining it, and further padding out the pages, on top of utterly killing any lingering unease or atmosphere left over from each tale, not already murdered by the cheerful endings of some.
A bit more padding still, in the form of ink illustrations are a nice touch before every story. It would be a shame if they didn't make the transition to paperback. (Are the in the Kindle/eBook versions?)
Her familiar time slip, historical, supernatural style is evident in most of them, and mostly they all work. None are overly long to unbalance the overall reading experience, but one bog standard tale of a haunting is completely ruined and loses all sense of mystery previously imbued by a cheery happy summing up paragraph. Actually, a lot of them do have 'happy endings' which does defeat the purpose a bit, but as mentioned, only one is jarring enough to really ruin itself.
This only took a couple of nights to get through, so I feel a bit unsatisfied. It seems she can only do sweeping historical epics, or tiny bits of fluff. As well as adding a tv script, every story has a note, explaining it, and further padding out the pages, on top of utterly killing any lingering unease or atmosphere left over from each tale, not already murdered by the cheerful endings of some.
A bit more padding still, in the form of ink illustrations are a nice touch before every story. It would be a shame if they didn't make the transition to paperback. (Are the in the Kindle/eBook versions?)
October 24, 2013
This is a lovely book, with beautifully crafted short stories, however I found them more lingering rather than haunting. That is not to say they are not good. There is a great span of genres and also a play that Kate Mosse wrote.
It was very interesting to read some of the stories which felt based on different genres, or completely different styles to what we are more used to.
The play has been performed on TV and I will certainly be looking it up to try and watch it and see how it was performed.
About the short stories I loved how powerful, absorbing and atmospheric some of them are. The title story is fantastic and rather nostalgic with a classic feel to it. Other notable and personal favourites were The Revenant , Why the yew tree lives so long (mythical and classic), La Fille de Melisande which felt and read like a fantasy short.
A very interesting book giving us an insight to her many talents and with the additional bonus of Author notes to tell us how she came about each piece.
Brilliant read, though not so haunting.
It was very interesting to read some of the stories which felt based on different genres, or completely different styles to what we are more used to.
The play has been performed on TV and I will certainly be looking it up to try and watch it and see how it was performed.
About the short stories I loved how powerful, absorbing and atmospheric some of them are. The title story is fantastic and rather nostalgic with a classic feel to it. Other notable and personal favourites were The Revenant , Why the yew tree lives so long (mythical and classic), La Fille de Melisande which felt and read like a fantasy short.
A very interesting book giving us an insight to her many talents and with the additional bonus of Author notes to tell us how she came about each piece.
Brilliant read, though not so haunting.
November 6, 2021
Happened to find this at the thrift store. Only took me a few hours to read. There are 17 short stories in this book (one of them a play). Most of these have something to do with ghosts, death, tragedy.. Often in a historical setting, some inspired by old legends.
Here are notes I made about some of the stories as I read this.
The Mistletoe Bride: I've read about this legend before! The way it's written here it also reminds me of the lady of the lake in the Netflix show The Haunting Of Bly Manor.
On Harting Hill: Read ghost stories pretty much exactly like this many times! Very spooky.
The Princess Alice: I really liked this one! I would read an entire novel about this, but it also worked well as a short.
The Yellow Scarf: This one was really good!
Syrinx: A play! That was different. Interesting
There were stories I just found "meh", as well as stories I loved. This is a pretty decent collection to cozy up under a blanket with and spend an evening reading!
Here are notes I made about some of the stories as I read this.
The Mistletoe Bride: I've read about this legend before! The way it's written here it also reminds me of the lady of the lake in the Netflix show The Haunting Of Bly Manor.
On Harting Hill: Read ghost stories pretty much exactly like this many times! Very spooky.
The Princess Alice: I really liked this one! I would read an entire novel about this, but it also worked well as a short.
The Yellow Scarf: This one was really good!
Syrinx: A play! That was different. Interesting
There were stories I just found "meh", as well as stories I loved. This is a pretty decent collection to cozy up under a blanket with and spend an evening reading!
November 6, 2013
I adored the Languedoc trilogy but didn't like The Winter Ghosts at all.
I bought this with some hesitation, worried that I wouldn't really like it if it was on a par with Winter Ghosts; I'm sad to say is just wasn't for me at all. It starts off well with The Mistletoe Bride, The House on the Hill, Red Letter Day and The Drowned Village (slightly weird) but when I started Why the Yew Tree lives so long things became a little tedious for me and I felt it was a chore reading the other stories, rather than an enjoyment.
I limped to the finishing post somewhat reluctantly as I thought it might improve but, to my regret, it didn't.
I thought the whole thing very strange indeed and there was a definite lack of haunting to any of the stories.
If you enjoyed Winter Ghosts then this is for you, if not avoid it.
Sorry Kate, I did try and like it.
I bought this with some hesitation, worried that I wouldn't really like it if it was on a par with Winter Ghosts; I'm sad to say is just wasn't for me at all. It starts off well with The Mistletoe Bride, The House on the Hill, Red Letter Day and The Drowned Village (slightly weird) but when I started Why the Yew Tree lives so long things became a little tedious for me and I felt it was a chore reading the other stories, rather than an enjoyment.
I limped to the finishing post somewhat reluctantly as I thought it might improve but, to my regret, it didn't.
I thought the whole thing very strange indeed and there was a definite lack of haunting to any of the stories.
If you enjoyed Winter Ghosts then this is for you, if not avoid it.
Sorry Kate, I did try and like it.
August 31, 2016
When I was a teenager I used to love to read library books with titles such as "The Big Book of Ghost Stores of Britain and Ireland". This book really reminded of these stories especially as most of the them are set either in England or in France. They are eerie and atmospheric rather than scary "Stephen King" horror stories. Nothing really to write home about but enjoyable all the same.
For the memories it has earned four star but it may really be a three star book - I am not sure.
For the memories it has earned four star but it may really be a three star book - I am not sure.
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