Stories to Be Read with the Lights On, Book 2

by Alfred Hitchcock (Editor)

CONTENTS

Agony Column by Barry N. Malzberg
Guessing Game by Rose Million Healey
The $2,000,000 Defense by Harold Q. Masur
The Man in the Well by Berkely Mather
Crawfish by Ardath Mayhar
The Strange Case of Mr. Pruyn by William F. Nolan
Ludmila by David Montross
The One Who Got Away by Al Nussbaum
It's a Lousy World by Bill Pronzini
Only So Much to Reveal by Joan Richter
Who's Got the Lady? by Jack Ritchie
Hey You Down There by Harold Rolseth
Too Many Sharks by William Sambrot
Christopher Frame by Nancy C. Swoboda
Obituary by Paul Theridion
Random Demand by Jeffrey M. Wallmann
The Mother Goose Madman by Betty Ren Wright
The Green Fly and the Box by Waldo Carlton Wright
The Blue Rug by Mitsu Yamamoto

Genres: Horror

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1976

About the author

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (1899-1980) was an iconic and highly influential film director and producer, who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres.

Following a very substantial career in his native Britain in both silent films and talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood and became an American citizen with dual nationality in 1956, thus he also remained a British subject.

Hitchcock directed more than fifty feature films in a career which spanned six decades, from the silent film era, through the invention of sound films, and far into the era of colour films. For a complete list of his films, see Alfred Hitchcock filmography.

Hitchcock was among the most consistently recognizable directors to the general public, and was one of the most successful film directors during his lifetime. He continues to be one of the best known and most popular filmmakers of all time.

Reviews

[Heath Lowrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

The paperback version of Stories to Be Read with the Lights On came out in two volumes; Breaking the Scream Barrier is the second. It covers a period between 1956 and 1972, with stories pulled from AHMM, EQMM, New Yorker, Yankee Magazine, Mike Shayne’s Mystery Magazine, and Playboy.
The vast majority of these stories are good-to-great, but this is the third AH anthology in a row I’ve read that starts with a weak story. “Payment Received” from Robert L. McGrath, is very short, at least.
The second story, Barry N. Malzberg’s “Agony Column” more than makes up for it. Told in a series of letters back and forth, it’s a dark, funny commentary on the frustration of not having a voice in society. I really loved it.
“Guessing Game”, by Rose Million Healey, is another winner, in which a housekeeper is tormented by a sinister little boy. “The $20,000,000 Defense”, by Harold Q. Masur, is a compelling courtroom drama with a clever twist ending. Berkley Mather’s “The Man in the Wall” is an exotic adventure that proves karma is a bitch.
Ardath F. Mayhar’s “Crawfish” is fantastic; a chilling little backwoods tale of murder and depravity. “The Strange Case of Mr. Pruyn”, by William F. Nolan, has merit but isn’t particularly memorable. “Ludmila”, by David Montross, is a very good story about a young Russian girl contemplating her tempestuous relationship with her evil-tempered Babushka.
“The One Who Got Away”, from Al Nussbaum, is a clever story about a border guard who suspects a frequent border-crosser of smuggling. The ending made me laugh out loud. “It’s a Lousy World”, by Bill Pronzini, is a solid tale of his acclaimed Nameless Detective. Joan Richter’s “Only So Much to Reveal” is set in Africa, where the servant is horrified at his employer’s death, until he realizes exactly who is behind it. “Who’s Got the Lady?”, from Jack Ritchie, is a good one about what appears to be a devious art theft.
Harold Rolseth’s “Hey You Down There” is a weird one, but highly enjoyable—a jerk redneck of a husband digging a well accidentally digs down to… something sinister. And hungry.
William Sambrot’s “Too Many Sharks” lowers the bar a bit with a predictable tale of a husband getting revenge on the fella sleeping with his wife. An old, old formula, even when this one was written, with nothing new to add.
I was uncertain at first about Nancy C. Swoboda’s “Christopher Frame”, but it really grew on me as it went along—a story about a man who meditates himself, via an old photo, into a past he feels he truly belongs to. Sweet story, but maybe a strange choice for this collection. “Obituary”, by Paul Theridion, is the short, funny tale of a reporter and a copy-editor at deadly odds with each other. In Jeffrey M. Wallmann’s “Ransom Demand”, a housewife gets a call that her husband has been kidnapped, but the situation isn’t exactly what it appears to be.
In “The Mother Goose Madman”, by Betty Ren Wright, an emotionally damaged book editor’s life is threatened by a mysterious nursery rhyme-fixated madman. The female protagonist in this one is one of the most believable and sympathetic I’ve come across in a while, and this is a very, very good story.
“The Green Fly and the Box”, by Waldo Carton Wright, is a mediocre story of a recently dead farmer floating around at his wake, piecing together the events of his death. Finally, in “The Blue Rug”, by Mitsu Yamamoto, a chemist uses his knowledge to make sure the other man doesn’t get the girl he wants to marry.
Stand-out stories: “Agony Column”, “Guessing Game”, “Crawfish”, “The One Who Got Away”, “Obituary”, and “The Mother Goose Madman”.

[Carla Oliveira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nessa edição da Record, são publicados treze contos, sendo seis do "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Stories to Be Read With the Lights On – Volume One":
– "Morte Fora de Época" ("Death Out of Season", Mary Barrett)
– "O Sr. Mappin Executa uma Hipoteca" ("Mr. Mappin Forecloses", Zena Collier)
– "A Senhoria" ("The Landlady", Roald Dahl)
– "Escalada Social" ("Social Climber", Robert J. Higgins)
– "O Melhor Amigo do Homem" ("Man's Best Friend", Dee Stuart)
– "Um Assassino Está na Estrada" ("Killer On the Turnpike", William P. McGivern)
E sete, do "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Stories to Be Read With the Lights On - Volume Two":
– "O Homem no Poço" ("The Man In the Well", Berkely Mather)
– "As Lagostas" ("Crawfish", Ardath F. Mayhar)
– "Ludmila" ("Ludmila", David Montross)
– "Obituário" ("Obituary", Paul Theridion)
– "O Louco das Histórias Infantis" ("The Mother Goose Madman", Betty Ren Wright)
– "O Tapete Azul" ("The Blue Rug", Mitsu Yamamoto)
– "A Dívida Saldada" ("Payment Received", Robert L. Mc Grath)

[Gláucia Renata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seleção de 13 contos realizadas pelo velho Hitch, foram utilizados na ótima série de TV "Alfred Hitchcock Apresenta".
Contos policiais em sua maioria, alguns são excelentes. Destaco:
O Sr.Mappin Executa Uma Hipoteca: se tivesse esperado um pouco...
A Senhoria: de Roal Dahl, autor de Matilda e da Fantástica Fábrica de Chocolate. Muito sinistro e de gelar o sangue.
Ludmilla: a história se passa na Rússia rural e tem toda aquela melancolia dos contos russos.
Obituário: final interessante.
O Louco das Histórias Infantis: o terror à espreita.


Essa seleção está bem melhor que a do anterior "Histórias dos Mestres do Suspense" que também recebeu 3 estrelas pois não consegui dar 2 para um livro que leva o nome de Hitchcock.


"A Dívida Saldada - Robert L.McGrath"

"O Tapete Azul — Mitsu Yamamoto"

"O Louco Das Histórias Infantis —Betty Ren Wright"

"Obituário —Paul Theridion"

"Ludmila —David Montross"

"As Lagostas - Ardath F.Mayhar"

"O Homem no Poço - Berkely Mather"

"Um Assassino Está na Estrada - William P.McGivern"

"O Melhor Amigo do Homem - Dee Stuart"

"Escalada Social - Robert J. Higgins"

"A Senhoria - Roald Dahl"

"O Sr. Mappin Executa Uma Hipoteca - Zena Collier"

"Morte Fora de Época - Mary Barrett"

[Karl Kindt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these short stories are interesting and intriguing and well-written, all of them are odd and strange. From murder mystery to ghost stories to heists, this collection is as good as any in the Hitchcock-edited series. To give you an idea of my taste, my favorite short story writers are: Philip K. Dick, O. Henry, F.S. Fitzgerald, and Nabokov.

[Evy · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's perfect to read on night

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting enough stories, but none were actually scary.