Christmas Tales of Terror

Tales of Terror

by Chris Priestley

From malevolent snowmen to Father Christmas - with a difference... Chris Priestley is on absolute top form in these atmospheric, clever, and thoroughly chilling stories. Add a new kind of thrill to the fluffiest of seasons with seven brilliantly conceived examples of why you'd better be good at Christmas time. For stories which can be enjoyed by the whole family, unwrap these perfectly formed festive tales of terror, each with a gripping yarn and genius twist.Singing carols may never seem quite the same again... especially after dark.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Christmas, Fiction, Childrens, Ebooks, Middle Grade

94 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 8, 2012

About the author

His father was in the army and so he moved around a lot as a child and lived in Wales. He was an avid reader of American comics as a child, and when he was eight or nine, and living in Gibraltar, he won a prize in a newspaper story-writing competition. He decided then “that my ambition was to write and illustrate my own book”.
He spent his teens in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, before moving to Manchester, London and then Norfolk. He now lives in Cambridge with his wife and son where he writes, draws, paints, dreams and doodles (not necessarily in that order). Chris worked as an illustrator and cartoonist for twenty years, working mainly for magazines & newspapers (these include The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Economist and the Wall Street Journal) before becoming a writer. He currently has a weekly strip cartoon called 'Payne's Grey' in the New Statesman.

Chris has been a published author since 2000. He has written several books for children & young-adults, both fiction and non-fiction, and
has been nominated for many awards including the Edgar Awards, the UKLA Children's Book Award and the Carnegie Medal. In recent years he has predominantly been writing horror.
Ever since he was a teenager Chris has loved unsettling and creepy stories, with fond memories of buying comics like 'Strange Tales' and 'House of Mystery', watching classic BBC TV adaptations of M R James ghost stories every Christmas and reading assorted weirdness by everyone from Edgar Allen Poe to Ray Bradbury. He hopes Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror will haunt his readers in the way those writers have haunted him.

Reviews

[Coos Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relatos al mejor estilo R.L. Stine, para chicos y no tan chicos. Ya había leído al autor y me gusta que siempre toque temas paranormales, de apariciones y otras cosas. Muy navideño, me gustó mucho.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yikes. I read this last year, but never reviewed it. I don't have much to say about it at this point (I can't remember much, LOL!) It was okay. I enjoyed the other book I read by this author more: Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror. This was a bit dry. It could have been the narrator. I love a good British accent, but an older, stuffy butler British accent doesn't work for me when I'm listening to an audiobook. I liked the unsettling conclusions, which I admit, I do enjoy in my middle grade books. I don't like the horror to be too soft (but it should be age appropriate). I would put it at about a 3.25/5.0 stars.

[Aleshanee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Von Chris Priestley gibt es ja einige Schauergeschichten - und diese Weihnachtsstorys musste ich mir jetzt zur Adventszeit natürlich auch anhören. Das Buch gibts auf deutsch leider nur in der Hörbuchversion. Wobei Lutz Herkenrath einen guten Job gemacht hat - ich aber dennoch Dietmar Mues bei Onkel Montague vom Stil und der Atmosphäre her passender fand. Wahrscheinlich auch weil es mit etwas mehr akustischen Details untermalt war und dadurch die Stimmung noch schauriger rüberkam.
Allerdings gibt es hier zwischen den einzelnen Geschichten immerhin kleine weihnachtliche Musikeinlagen.

Entgegen den anderen Schauergeschichten wird hier keine Rahmenhandlung erzhält, in der die Geschichten eingebettet sind - sie spielen allerdings alle zur Weihnachtszeit.

Es beginnt dann auch direkt mit der ersten:

Der grüne Mann
★★★
Weihnachtliche Traditionen gibt es ja viele und noch länger natürlich heidnische Glauben und heilige Stätten. Hier sollte man vorsichtig sein, denn in manchen Überlieferungen mag ein Fünkchen Wahrheit stecken, die plötzlich zu grausigen Wirkungen führen.

Die Spieldose
★★★
Der verbotene Dachboden ist ein magischer Anziehungspunkt für die junge Georgia, wo sie eine alte Spieldose entdeckt, die sie zum Tanzen verleitet. Hier spielt Aberglauben eine Rolle und dass manche Verbote tiefere Hintergründe haben, als man ahnen würde.

Der Schneemann
★★★
Wie jedes Jahr möchte John einen Schneemann bauen und dieses Jahr scheint der Schnee perfekt dafür zu sein. Als Onkel Henry mit seinem Cousin Charles erscheint, ist Johns Laune allerdings direkt im Keller, denn Charles ist jedes immer, wenn sie sich treffen, extrem gemein zu ihm. Doch dieses Mal bleibt das nicht ohne Folgen...

Frost
★★★★
Der Reverend macht an Weihnachten seine Runde und erfährt so einiges über Ungerechtigkeiten - das Bild, das ein Junge malt, spielt hier eine entscheidende Rolle.

Mitten im kalten Winter
★★★
Ein Chor zieht zum Weihnachtssingen durch das Dorf um für eine neue Kirchenglocke zu sammeln - und weckt mit ihren Stimmen nahezu die Toten auf...

Ruß vom Weihnachtsmann
★★★
Elizabeth freut sich, dem Weihnachtsmann des nachts zu begegnen, auch wenn sie sich nicht traut, ihn anzusehen, damit er ihr auch ja, die Geschenke bringt. Doch ihre Neugier hält eine böse Überraschung bereit.

Das letzte Geschenk
★★★★
Unter dem Baum befindet sich noch ein Geschenk, das anscheinend niemandem gehört - und das hat es in sich. Die Verhöhnung und Schadenfreude gegenüber einer Hausiererin hat böse Folgen.


Wie man sieht, hat sich der Autor auch hier wieder viele unterschiedliche Geschichten ausgedacht. Ein richtiges Highlight war für mich nicht dabei, auch wenn sie alle originell und stimmungsvoll erzählt sind. Es fehlt mir noch etwas mehr Grusel und auch die Überraschungsmomente am Ende hätten gerne noch etwas mehr Kick haben dürfen. Insgesamt also nett für zwischendurch, wenn man auch mal etwas "böse" Weihnachtsgeschichten hören mag.

Weltenwanderer

[Badseedgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella includes 7 short winter tales. All of them occur on or around Christmas. Although none of them are what I would call scary, they do have that delightful Victorian ghost story feel about them. A nice little distraction for the holidays.

[Overbooked ✎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t find this collection of stories as engaging as Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror and Tales of Terror from the Black Ship by the same author.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title pretty much says it all - Priestley continues his Tales of Terror series with seven stories set around Christmas. These are meant for children, so they're unlikely to actually frighten you (and they aren't as scary as some of the previous installments in the series...) but the author's style is masterful, and there's always a ghoulish twist. Perfect as an easy winter read.

[Abigail F · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. Not as engaging as “Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror,” and I missed having a frame story.

I also felt like several of the stories were incomplete in some way. Perhaps this is because the “ghoulish twist” was often explained after the fact, therefore many of the stories lacked tension during the telling. Though this technique can work to great effect in some cases, and Priestley wielded it well in ‘The Gilt Frame’ in “UMToT,” the ultimate reveals in this collection were not striking enough to have merited saving the explanation. The best of the bunch, to me, was ‘The Snowman,’ and I enjoyed the church choir tale—though a bit more backstory about singing in a graveyard would not have gone amiss there. The worst tale was ‘The Green Man,’ perhaps because it had so much potential, but several elements in the tale (such as Stephen’s visit to the hill) made little sense given the end.

Still, Priestley includes some striking images and the tales were enjoyable for the holiday season. These would be fun tales to share with your family around a Yule Log, or to listen to as an audiobook during holiday travels.

[Nicole Urbančíková · Rating 4 out of 5]

Na to, ze je to detska knizka musim rict, ze detem bych ji rozhodne nedoporucila

[Ettelwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I když jsou tyto povídky jenom kraťoučké, perfektně jimi prostupuje temnější atmosféra anglického venkova minulé doby. Strukturou jsou všechny povídky stejné, jdou od nuly přes postupný vývoj, který vede až ke gradaci. Některé jsou silnější a propracovanější než jiné, ale tak to zkrátka je. Také jsou primárně určeny mladším čtenářům, a na tom jsou postaveny. I když ten strašidelnější ráz prostupuje některé hezky :D

[Jana P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Co jsem to sakra právě dočetla? :-O :-D Takovéhle creepy příběhy pro děti jsem už dlouho neviděla. Bylo to poněkud zvrácené, ale stejně jsem si to užila.

[Blančitos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Na to, že je kniha určena mladším čtenářům, mi jde docela mráz po zádech.

[James Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad collection of Christmas stories. Didn't realise it was intended for children until I started, so not overly spooky or frightening, but nonetheless still an enjoyable collection.

[Jillian Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I was 9 year old these stories probably would have been added to the collection of things that freaked me out at night. At my big age they were just fun to read.

[Ex_Libris_J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Düsterer Weihnachtsgrusel mit starker Atmosphäre und toller Vertonung – eine ungewöhnliche, aber sehr passende Winterlektüre.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars.

Loved this collection as I also do with Chris Priestley's other books. I only wish it was longer.

[Jenn M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not usually read horror or terror genre stories and novels, but was in the mood for something to read for the Christmas holidays. This short story work by Chris Priestly was available as an Overdrive selection from my local library's e-book collection.

While in my experience, short stories can often be bereft of detail, sacrificing descriptive language for the sake of telling a complete story within the confines of the "short" story space, Priestley's tales were well-written to provide enough setting that readers can imagine themselves "there." The tales all seemed to be set in earlier times--perhaps Victorian or Edwardian--but certainly at a time when horses and carriages/sleighs were the primary mode of local transportation. To me, using a Dickensian setting for Christmas--playing off of the familiarity of many to "A Christmas Carol"--certainly seems appropriate and allows the stories to "feel" more in the holiday spirit.

Each story introduces several characters and describes events and occurrences until the story rushes to an unexpected end. Each is different and stands apart; these are not cookie cutter copied stories.

I enjoyed my brief foray into terror/horror for the holidays, and may seek out another Priestley

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been 3 years now that I've planned to read this book in the Christmas period and each time I completely forget about it at that time of year. Well this year I came across it in January and I thought, close enough, let's do this.

I was hoping that this book would follow the same format as the other Tales of Terror. So one story that binds all the smaller stories together like the story of Uncle Montague in Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror. That was unfortunately not the case. The stories do give off the same vibe and I did like them. Short horror stories are really my thing, the only thing I like more is having them framed in a bigger story. So I rated this book 4 stars instead of 5 because my expectations weren't completely met, but other than that I really did enjoy reading these stories.

[The Half-blood Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this during Christmas season. Needless to say, it was perfectly eerie and creepy.

These are a bunch of Christmas themed short terror stories for kids. Some may end up better than others. Or not. Some will creep you out more than others. They are also beautifully constructed.

Chris Priestley really is an English man. Only someone from the UK could write like this: the tone, the atmosphere, the language...

I'm looking forward to reading his other works!

[Martin Balaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Čekal jsem atmosférickou nálož chytrých povídek z prostředí Vánoc.

Dostal jsem sbírku předvídatelných a prvoplánových příběhů, u kterých jsem měl pocit, jako bych si četl slohovky studentů středních škol. Žádné velké zápletky, žádná překvapení, nuda, šeď. Aspoň, že to rychle skončilo - každá ze sedmi povídek se dá přečíst za nějakých pět, deset minut.
Jen ta vánoční atmosféra to trochu zachraňovala.

[Luci Ann Keenagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!!!!! WONDERFULLY spooky, creepy stories for the festive season! Just wish there were more! Can't get enough of Mr. Priestley, he writes his gothic, creepiness sooo beautifully :-):-):-):-):-) There's no-one else quite like him.

[Vojtěch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mno nebylo to špatné. Že by to bylo nějak převratné dílo, to se říct nedá, ale povídky mě bavily a měly rozhodně solidní atmosféru. Takže pokud si chcete oddechnout a zároveň být tak trochu napnutí, Příšerné příběhy vánoční jsou to pravé strašidelné.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great little spooky tales for Christmas. Read them just before you go to sleep, by candlelight, while a chill winter wind whistles outside and tree branches tap tap at your window.

[Chelsea Hagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was like the old fashion scary stories.

[Alena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Předvánoční jednohubka s příjemně mrazivou atmosférou.

http://www.kniznibanket.com/priserne-...

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chris Priestley (2014) CHRISTMAS TALES OF TERROR (AUDIOBOOK)
BorrowBox - Bolinda/Audible

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 out of 5 stars

BorrowBox writes, "From malevolent snowmen to Father Christmas - with a difference - Chris Priestley is on absolute top form with these seven atmospheric, clever, and thoroughly chilling stories. Add a new kind of thrill to the fluffiest of seasons with these brilliantly conceived examples of why you'd better be good at Christmas time. These perfectly formed festive tales of terror - 'The Green Man', 'The Musical Box', 'The Snowman', 'Frost', 'In the Bleak Midwinter', 'Soot', and 'The Last Present' - each have a gripping yarn and genius twist. Singing carols may never seem quite the same again - especially after dark...."
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Interesting.
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[Rézina Dějová · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strašidelné příběhy pro děti s vánoční atmosférou. Jedná se o krátké povídky na pár stránek, takže často působí trochu nedotaženě. To mi ale u čtení vůbec nepřekáželo, protože celá série Příšerných příběhů je právě víc o atmosféře, než v pečlivě budované pointě.

Protože jsem strašpytel a mráz mi běhá po zádech dokonce i u hororů pro děti, netroufám si úplně odhadnout vhodnou věkovou cílovku. Určitě bych ale počkala aspoň do třetí, čtvrté třídy - fakt je to docela děsivé. 🙂

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just discovered Priestley's Tales of Terror even though he's been around for awhile. I'm a little slow on the uptick. I'm enjoying them greatly and still wondering why the judge for horror fiction said my story wasn't horror. I'm not obsessed much, am I?
Really liked In the Mid-Deep Winter story in this book.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised that this collection of stories were actually scary. I find it difficult to get too scared reading a story (but make it into a movie or short film and it's a different story) but these were well thought out and full of terror. Quick read too. Highly recommend and plan to read some of his other stories as well.

[Lavender Tea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Samotné příběhy mi přišly maličko slabší než v ostatních dílech, každopádně stále vcelku příjemné oddychové čtení. Co mi chybělo více, byl nějaký propojující příběh, přitom by nebylo nic jednoduššího, než aby dětem vyprávěl např. jakýsi "Santa", ve kterém se pak ukáže někdo úplně jiný, třeba lupič a příběhy jim vypráví v souvislosti s tím, co nakradl.

[MandalorianChick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of family friendly Christmas horror stories. All of the stories have a Victorian ghost story feel and a twist to the ending, but all feel distinct from the others.

My personal favorites were, “Frost” and “In the Bleak Midwinter” while I felt “The Green Man” was the weakest of the stories.