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The Phantom Coach: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Ghost Stories
Ghost stories date back centuries, but those written in the Victorian era have a unique atmosphere and dark beauty. Michael Sims, whose previous Victorian collections Dracula's Guest (vampires) and The Dead Witness (detectives) have been widely praised, has gathered twelve of the best stories about humanity's oldest supernatural obsession. The Phantom Coach includes tales by a surprising, often legendary cast, from Charles Dickens and Margaret Oliphant to Henry James, Rudyard Kipling, and Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as well as lost gems by forgotten masters such as Mary E. Wilkins Freeman and W.F. Harvey. Amelia Edwards' chilling story gives the collection its title, while Ambrose Bierce (“The Moonlit Road”), Elizabeth Gaskell, (“The Old Nurse's Story”) and W. W. Jacobs (“The Monkey's Paw”) will turn you white as a sheet. With a skillful introduction to the genre and notes on each story by Michael Sims, The Phantom Coach is a spectacular collection of ghostly Victorian thrills.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2014
31 people are currently reading
437 people want to read
About the author
Michael Sims
53 books69 followersMichael Sims is the author of the acclaimed "The Story of Charlotte's Web, Apollo's Fire: A Day on Earth in Nature and Imagination," "Adam's Navel: A Natural and Cultural History of the Human Form," and editor of "Dracula's Guest: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Vampire Stories" and "The Dead Witness: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Detective Stories." He lives in western Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
December 17, 2019
These Victorian age ghost stories are fair for the most part; three exceptional ones are by Margaret Oliphant, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman and Rudyard Kipling. Oliphant is an author I got to know recently through a recommendation by Melindam, a Goodreads friend. Miss Marjoribanks was the book I read by her and it was exceptional. It's a pity Oliphant is not better known. "The Library Window" by her was all things a great ghost story needs, a young impressionable girl has increasingly clear visions of a window that isn't there through which she glimpses a fascinating man. Who is he? And why is he haunting her?
I have never heard of Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, but her "The Southwest Chamber" is deliciously creepy. The old woman who died there is not ready to give up her room quite yet. Yankee good sense can't triumph over this malevolent spirit. And last, but not least, Rudyard Kipling's "They" is a sweet, sentimental and charming story of a blind old lady who never had any children of her own, who accepts that some children may not be ready for the next world and may want to linger a bit.
I have never heard of Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, but her "The Southwest Chamber" is deliciously creepy. The old woman who died there is not ready to give up her room quite yet. Yankee good sense can't triumph over this malevolent spirit. And last, but not least, Rudyard Kipling's "They" is a sweet, sentimental and charming story of a blind old lady who never had any children of her own, who accepts that some children may not be ready for the next world and may want to linger a bit.
October 20, 2021
This book of 12 short stories, written during the Victorian times, is very different from short stories of the present day. There is no violence, no plot twists, and each author leaves much to the reader's interpretation of exactly what is happening. I would classify these supernatural tales as cerebral.....not particularly shocking but guaranteed to cause a chill down the spine.
The authors were all known to me and I was surprised to see a Rudyard Kipling story with the great title, They, since I was unaware that he had written such a tale. And of course, the greatest of the Victorian (or any era) thrillers, The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs was included.
The stories are subtle, unusual, and well worth reading. This is my Halloween read.
The authors were all known to me and I was surprised to see a Rudyard Kipling story with the great title, They, since I was unaware that he had written such a tale. And of course, the greatest of the Victorian (or any era) thrillers, The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs was included.
The stories are subtle, unusual, and well worth reading. This is my Halloween read.
October 29, 2021
Excellent.
February 2, 2018
This Victorian collection includes the famous Monkey's paw the classic story but also have The Phantom coach a ride of life time,strange trial from Dickens,before Holmes a ice cold story,from The turn screw author creepy story,an other famous classic The Yellow sign ,strange b& b story,classic Kipling & hot ghost story
November 18, 2016
This is a superior collection of Victorian and Edwardian ghost stories from both sides of the Atlantic. Top-notch Halloween reading, with stories by big names such as Henry James and Rudyard Kipling, and including several women authors who deserve to be better known.
February 20, 2023
A great collection of ghost stories with a surprising variety of topics considering they were all published fairly close together.
October 28, 2014
Perfect for Halloween, this collection of ghost stories from the Victorian era is creepy, atmospheric, and a lot of fun.
Originally published in periodicals which were very popular at the time, these tales were written by such iconic authors as Dickens, Kipling, Henry James, and Arthur Conan Doyle.
Be prepared for a spooky, spine-tingling ride.
Originally published in periodicals which were very popular at the time, these tales were written by such iconic authors as Dickens, Kipling, Henry James, and Arthur Conan Doyle.
Be prepared for a spooky, spine-tingling ride.
November 14, 2020
Man, the Victorians could write a mean ghost story. Granted with some of the stories I still had to navigate some antiquated prose, but I wouldn't say I was straight up bored or disappointed with any of them. Some gave me ridiculous chills up my spine like "The Southwest Chamber" and other ones were so moving, like Rudyard Kipling's "They." Loved this.
October 18, 2025
Strong stories from this collection:
The Old Nurse's Story
The Phantom Coach
The Trial for Murder
The Captain of the Pole Star
The Monkey's Paw
The Southwest Chamber
The Old Nurse's Story
The Phantom Coach
The Trial for Murder
The Captain of the Pole Star
The Monkey's Paw
The Southwest Chamber
January 7, 2019
I love classic ghost stories but I'm always leery of collections, particularly audio collections. It always seems like the same stories are collected over and over with the only difference being the narrator. The Phantom Coach caught my attention because, to be honest, I really liked the cover. I checked out a sample of the narrator...so far so good. The Phantom Coach ended up being an excellent listening experience.
Starting the book with a very personal introduction editor Michael Sims has put together a good collection of stories in The Phantom Coach. Some of the stories I have heard before but the editor seemed to at least try to make an effort to not go straight for the expected stories from the various authors. His biographies of the authors before the stories were also very good. They were quite thorough but kept short enough so as not to weigh the bios down with unnecessary information. The information was interesting and not the usual copy/paste that you usually find in the biographies of well-known authors. One of the pieces of information regarding Margaret Oliphant I'd never heard before and made me see her life in a whole new light.
The tales included are as follows:
The Old Nurse's Story - Elizabeth Gaskell
The Phantom Coach - Amelia B. Edwards
The Trial for Murder - Charles Dickens
The Captain of the Pole-Star - Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Edmund Orme - Henry James
The Yellow Sign - Robert W. Chambers
The Library Window: A Story of the Seen and Unseen - Margaret Oliphant
The Monkey's Paw - W.W. Jacobs
The Southwest Chamber - Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
They - Rudyard Kipling
The Moonlit Road - Ambrose Bierce
August Heat - William F. Harvey
The narrator, Matthew Waterson, does an excellent narration of the books. He catches the tones of each story very well and does not try too hard at the feminine voices. He seems to know his limits and stays within them. The stories are well-chosen for the most part and are very interesting. There are one or two that seem to end rather abruptly ('August Heat' and 'They' being the two that stand out the most) and Arthur Conan Doyle's story 'The Captain of the Pole-Star' has an unnecessary epilogue.
After all of this praise the four star rating might be a little confusing. It mostly comes down to this. The editor, while mentioning multiple female writers and speaking very highly of them, only includes four of them in this collection. In a book that contains twelve stories that seems a little light to me. Particularly when at least two of the stories, 'The Monkey's Paw' and 'The Yellow Sign' could have been replaced altogether. Don't misunderstand me, I think they are excellent stories but they have each shown up in many collections (particularly 'The Monkey's Paw') that their inclusion here is a bit superfluous. The editor mentions at least five contemporary female writers that are not as widely known as W.F. Jacobs and Robert W. Chambers. I have to question why he didn't choose one of their stories instead to give the book more balance.
All in all I would certainly recommend this audiobook and I have no doubt that the print or e-book would be just as good for a dip into some hidden (and a few not so hidden) gems of the era for some ghostly goodness.
For this review and much more visit https://www.scifiandscary.com/
Starting the book with a very personal introduction editor Michael Sims has put together a good collection of stories in The Phantom Coach. Some of the stories I have heard before but the editor seemed to at least try to make an effort to not go straight for the expected stories from the various authors. His biographies of the authors before the stories were also very good. They were quite thorough but kept short enough so as not to weigh the bios down with unnecessary information. The information was interesting and not the usual copy/paste that you usually find in the biographies of well-known authors. One of the pieces of information regarding Margaret Oliphant I'd never heard before and made me see her life in a whole new light.
The tales included are as follows:
The Old Nurse's Story - Elizabeth Gaskell
The Phantom Coach - Amelia B. Edwards
The Trial for Murder - Charles Dickens
The Captain of the Pole-Star - Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Edmund Orme - Henry James
The Yellow Sign - Robert W. Chambers
The Library Window: A Story of the Seen and Unseen - Margaret Oliphant
The Monkey's Paw - W.W. Jacobs
The Southwest Chamber - Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
They - Rudyard Kipling
The Moonlit Road - Ambrose Bierce
August Heat - William F. Harvey
The narrator, Matthew Waterson, does an excellent narration of the books. He catches the tones of each story very well and does not try too hard at the feminine voices. He seems to know his limits and stays within them. The stories are well-chosen for the most part and are very interesting. There are one or two that seem to end rather abruptly ('August Heat' and 'They' being the two that stand out the most) and Arthur Conan Doyle's story 'The Captain of the Pole-Star' has an unnecessary epilogue.
After all of this praise the four star rating might be a little confusing. It mostly comes down to this. The editor, while mentioning multiple female writers and speaking very highly of them, only includes four of them in this collection. In a book that contains twelve stories that seems a little light to me. Particularly when at least two of the stories, 'The Monkey's Paw' and 'The Yellow Sign' could have been replaced altogether. Don't misunderstand me, I think they are excellent stories but they have each shown up in many collections (particularly 'The Monkey's Paw') that their inclusion here is a bit superfluous. The editor mentions at least five contemporary female writers that are not as widely known as W.F. Jacobs and Robert W. Chambers. I have to question why he didn't choose one of their stories instead to give the book more balance.
All in all I would certainly recommend this audiobook and I have no doubt that the print or e-book would be just as good for a dip into some hidden (and a few not so hidden) gems of the era for some ghostly goodness.
For this review and much more visit https://www.scifiandscary.com/
December 1, 2016
This book of Victorian ghosts brings out the big guns of the genre. Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, Henry James and Ambrose Bierce all have stories in this collection but there are also some writers - A.C. Doyle and Rudyard Kipling for example - who are not as well known for the tales of the supernatural. All their stories are good and fit well into the concept of Victorian Ghost stories but it's the lesser known writers stories who shine the most. Most of the tales in this collection will probably seem tame to the modern reader and are predictable but they lose in horror and spookiness is countered by the language and settings and the writers masterful use of suspense. These stories will not keep you awake at night but they will not be forgotten and I for one got lost in the wonderful language of the words and the characters that inhabit the stories. Nothing fits the beginning of winter better that a good Victorian ghost story and this book certainly delivers on that.
January 18, 2025
I really enjoyed listening to this collection. It was the perfect kickoff to my fall reading. Like all collections there are stories that you like and some that you love. That is a matter of personal choice. The narrator was good. If you are looking for some good stories for Halloween without the sex and guts that so many books have now, give this a try. I always suggest getting a sample from the electric version, and listening to a sample of narration, if you are uncertain a book is for you.
March 10, 2023
August Heat, by W.F. Harvey is the reason I requested this book from the library.
Not all stories are included in this review; some are rated 2 stars by me, so are not included.
The Old Nurse's Story, Elizabeth Gaskell, 4 stars
Gowk=abusive term for someone you think is dumb
Maud=a cloak that shepherds wore
"All at once, the East door gave way with a thundering crash, as if torn open in a violent Passion, and there came into that broad and mysterious light the figure of a tall old man, with Gray hair and gleaming eyes. He drove before him, with many a relentless gesture of abhorrence, a Stern and beautiful woman, with a little child clinging to her dress."
The Phantom Coach, Amelia B. Edwards, 2 stars
Usquebaugh=whiskey
The Trial for Murder, Charles Dickens, 3 stars
The ghost of the murdered man shows up at the trial of his murderer.
The Captain of the Pole-Star, Arthur Conan Doyle, 3 stars
Said by Doyle about his trip as a ship's surgeon, towards the end of his medical school, and about which he wrote this story:
"...soon he was high in the Crow's nest, surveying the breeding ice field, densely populated with many thousands of dark mother seals and their white cubs. The yowling of the Cubs sounded so human that the Hope seemed moored beside a nursery - yet soon Arthur was helping slaughter them, as acres of crimson blood stained the ice...."😡
Fey=giving an impression of vague unworldliness
Medusse=a kind of jellyfish
Sealemon=any of several nudibrancheate mollusks
The Yellow Sign, Robert W. Chambers, 3 stars
I mainly liked this for its similarity to the works of HP lovecraft, And Edgar Allan Poe.
The Library Window, Margaret Oliphant, 3 stars
"... The light had changed in some wonderful way during that 5 minutes I had been gone, and there was nothing, nothing, not a reflection, not a glimmer. It looked exactly as they all said, the blank form of a window painted on the wall. It was too much: I sat down in my excitement and cried as if my heart would break...."
A Scottish girl goes to stay for the summer with her aunt. She loves to sit in her aunt's window seat, and look across the way, to a window of the college library there. But at times, it seems a window that's only painted on the building. At other times, she sees through the window, dimly, into the room, where a man sits writing at a desk. She almost falls in love with him, wishing for him to turn around and look at her. It's like she has a spell cast on her by this window, that's not a window.
The Monkey's Paw, by W.W. Jacobs, 5 stars
(" Despite his conservatism, Jacobs married a busy suffragette, Agnes Eleanor Williams, and apparently they did not flourish as a couple.") 😆
" 'It had a spell put on it by an old fakir,' said the sergeant-major, a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow. He put a spell on it so that 3 separate men could each have 3 wishes from it.' "
...
" 'I only just thought of it,' she said hysterically. 'why didn't I think of it before? Why didn't you think of it?'
'think of what?' he questioned.
'the other 2 wishes,' she replied rapidly. 'we've only had 1.'
'was not that enough?' he demanded fiercely.
'no,' she cried, triumphantly; 'we'll have 1 more. Go down and get it quickly, and wish our boy alive again.' "
The Southwest Chamber, Mar E. Wilkins Freeman, 4 stars
" That night about 12 o'clock the reverend John dunn essayed to go to his nightly Slumbers. He had been sitting up until that hour preparing his sermon…
...he could not believe his senses. The door was certainly open; he could look into the room full of soft lights and shadows under the moonlight which streamed into the windows. He could see the bed in which he had expected to pass the night, but he could not enter. Whenever he strove to do so he had a curious sensation as if he were trying to press against an invisible person who met him with a force of opposition impossible to overcome.…"
A room in a house is cursed by the evil aumt wholived there.
They, Rudyard Kipling, 4 stars
" ...' I only don't like being laughed at about them. It hurts; and when one can't see.. I don't want to seem silly"
' - her chin quivered like a child as she spoke - 'but we blindies have only 1 skin, I think. Everything outside hits straight at our souls. It's different with you. You've such good defenses in your eyes - looking out - before anyone can really pain you in your soul. People forget that with us.' "
Supposedly written about Kipling's own dead daughter. The story is about a place in the woods where dead children come to play. (Children who have died and are not yet ready to enter heaven.)
The Moonlit Road, Ambrose Bierce, 3 stars
"... At any small surprise of the senses he would start visibly and sometimes turn pale, then relapse into a melancholy apathy deeper than before. I suppose he was what is called a 'nervous wreck.' as to me, I was younger then than now - there was much in that. youth is Gilead, in which is balm for every wound.… "
A ghost story about a jealous husband who strangles his wife; afterwards, she hangs around their old house, in her Life Invisible.
August Heat, W.F. Harvey, 4 stars
"It is after 11 now. I shall be gone in less than an hour.
But the heat is stifling.
It is enough to send a man mad."
Not all stories are included in this review; some are rated 2 stars by me, so are not included.
The Old Nurse's Story, Elizabeth Gaskell, 4 stars
Gowk=abusive term for someone you think is dumb
Maud=a cloak that shepherds wore
"All at once, the East door gave way with a thundering crash, as if torn open in a violent Passion, and there came into that broad and mysterious light the figure of a tall old man, with Gray hair and gleaming eyes. He drove before him, with many a relentless gesture of abhorrence, a Stern and beautiful woman, with a little child clinging to her dress."
The Phantom Coach, Amelia B. Edwards, 2 stars
Usquebaugh=whiskey
The Trial for Murder, Charles Dickens, 3 stars
The ghost of the murdered man shows up at the trial of his murderer.
The Captain of the Pole-Star, Arthur Conan Doyle, 3 stars
Said by Doyle about his trip as a ship's surgeon, towards the end of his medical school, and about which he wrote this story:
"...soon he was high in the Crow's nest, surveying the breeding ice field, densely populated with many thousands of dark mother seals and their white cubs. The yowling of the Cubs sounded so human that the Hope seemed moored beside a nursery - yet soon Arthur was helping slaughter them, as acres of crimson blood stained the ice...."😡
Fey=giving an impression of vague unworldliness
Medusse=a kind of jellyfish
Sealemon=any of several nudibrancheate mollusks
The Yellow Sign, Robert W. Chambers, 3 stars
I mainly liked this for its similarity to the works of HP lovecraft, And Edgar Allan Poe.
The Library Window, Margaret Oliphant, 3 stars
"... The light had changed in some wonderful way during that 5 minutes I had been gone, and there was nothing, nothing, not a reflection, not a glimmer. It looked exactly as they all said, the blank form of a window painted on the wall. It was too much: I sat down in my excitement and cried as if my heart would break...."
A Scottish girl goes to stay for the summer with her aunt. She loves to sit in her aunt's window seat, and look across the way, to a window of the college library there. But at times, it seems a window that's only painted on the building. At other times, she sees through the window, dimly, into the room, where a man sits writing at a desk. She almost falls in love with him, wishing for him to turn around and look at her. It's like she has a spell cast on her by this window, that's not a window.
The Monkey's Paw, by W.W. Jacobs, 5 stars
(" Despite his conservatism, Jacobs married a busy suffragette, Agnes Eleanor Williams, and apparently they did not flourish as a couple.") 😆
" 'It had a spell put on it by an old fakir,' said the sergeant-major, a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow. He put a spell on it so that 3 separate men could each have 3 wishes from it.' "
...
" 'I only just thought of it,' she said hysterically. 'why didn't I think of it before? Why didn't you think of it?'
'think of what?' he questioned.
'the other 2 wishes,' she replied rapidly. 'we've only had 1.'
'was not that enough?' he demanded fiercely.
'no,' she cried, triumphantly; 'we'll have 1 more. Go down and get it quickly, and wish our boy alive again.' "
The Southwest Chamber, Mar E. Wilkins Freeman, 4 stars
" That night about 12 o'clock the reverend John dunn essayed to go to his nightly Slumbers. He had been sitting up until that hour preparing his sermon…
...he could not believe his senses. The door was certainly open; he could look into the room full of soft lights and shadows under the moonlight which streamed into the windows. He could see the bed in which he had expected to pass the night, but he could not enter. Whenever he strove to do so he had a curious sensation as if he were trying to press against an invisible person who met him with a force of opposition impossible to overcome.…"
A room in a house is cursed by the evil aumt wholived there.
They, Rudyard Kipling, 4 stars
" ...' I only don't like being laughed at about them. It hurts; and when one can't see.. I don't want to seem silly"
' - her chin quivered like a child as she spoke - 'but we blindies have only 1 skin, I think. Everything outside hits straight at our souls. It's different with you. You've such good defenses in your eyes - looking out - before anyone can really pain you in your soul. People forget that with us.' "
Supposedly written about Kipling's own dead daughter. The story is about a place in the woods where dead children come to play. (Children who have died and are not yet ready to enter heaven.)
The Moonlit Road, Ambrose Bierce, 3 stars
"... At any small surprise of the senses he would start visibly and sometimes turn pale, then relapse into a melancholy apathy deeper than before. I suppose he was what is called a 'nervous wreck.' as to me, I was younger then than now - there was much in that. youth is Gilead, in which is balm for every wound.… "
A ghost story about a jealous husband who strangles his wife; afterwards, she hangs around their old house, in her Life Invisible.
August Heat, W.F. Harvey, 4 stars
"It is after 11 now. I shall be gone in less than an hour.
But the heat is stifling.
It is enough to send a man mad."
January 8, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I'd read the monkeys paw a long time ago but enjoyed it again. I think I like the older books written early 20th century or even earlier because I love the English language spoken so formally and beautifully. All the ladies and gentlemen so mannered. Whether good or bad.
June 11, 2024
English review below the Greek one...
Διάλεξα το βιβλίο μήπως οι ομίχλες, οι υγρασίες και οι ανατριχίλες τέτοιων αναγνωσμάτων με κάνουν να ξεχάσω για λίγο τον καύσωνα που μας βρήκε αρχές Ιουνίου και ως ένα βαθμό κατάφερα να ξεχαστώ λιγάκι.
Για να είμαι ειλικρινής, έχω διαβάσει μέσα στα χρόνια πάρα πολλά έργα της Βικτωριανής εποχής, ιστορίες φαντασμάτων κτλ, οπότε ακόμα κι όταν νομίζω ότι μία ιστορία είναι καινούρια συχνά ανακαλύπτω ότι την έχω διαβάσει τελικά. Έτσι συνέβη κι εδώ, ωστόσο αυτό δεν με ενόχλησε.
Κάποιες ιστορίες ήταν καλύτερες από άλλες για διαφορετικούς λόγους, από τις πιο απολαυστικές λόγω "ατμόσφαιρας" ήταν νομίζω της Gaskell και του Doyle, ωστόσο όλες ήταν άνω του μέτριου.
Αν τυχόν κάποιος είναι καινούριος σε αυτό το είδος λογοτεχνίας ή δεν γνωρίζει τους συγγραφείς, υπάρχει μια μικρή εισαγωγή πριν από κάθε ιστορία που θα του είναι χρήσιμη.
Γενικά η συλλογή μου άρεσε.
I chose this while in the middle of a very early, terrible heat wave here in Greece.
I thought that some dump and wintry weather on my readings and maybe some chilling effect might offer a respite for a few hours- and I was right.
To be honest, I have read so many Victorian works and "classic" ghost stories over the years, that even when I think a story is new to me, I often find out that's not the case after all. This happened here too, some titles didn't ring a bell but I realised I've read them before when I got to read them.
This doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book. I'm one of those people who often re-read books multiple times anyway.
The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell 4/5
This features all the usual traits of the genre and creates quite a feeling of the place and era, and a very appropriate ambiance in general for this kind of story.
The Phantom Coach by Amelia B. Edwards 4/5
A quite interesting story but it starts differently and twists towards a very different direction too. It made me wonder what about the "recluse" of the first part of the story etc.
The Trial for Murder by Charles Dickens 3½/5
A haunting of a different kind and pleasant to read, mostly for the oddity of it all. The dignified and kind of distant voice of the narration by a gentleman of the era, offers an ambiance of curiosity rather than a chilling factor.
The Captain of the Pole-Star by Arthur Conan Doyle 4/5
Not exactly chilling, but creates an ambiance of dread and desparation. The final developments are a bit too abrupt, but I enjoyed the story a lot. And I enjoyed the setting, all the cold and ice ; )
Sir Edmund Orme by Henry James 3½/5
Henry James' prose is always a bit too dry and ornate for my liking . This story focused too much on the Victorian obsession to present physical effects of this and that to people, especially women. She turned pale, she couldn't talk, she felt dizzy, this sort of thing irks me, as irks me the half-uttered sentences due to dignity and propriety holding people back from expressing their selves. It helps the story moving I guess by revealing plot elements very gradually, but still... I liked the premise thought and it was still a very decent story to read.
The Yellow Sign by Robert W. Chambers 4/5
I liked very much the more modern, cosmopolitan feeling alternating with the more antique, usual traits of the genre. The curiosities happening at the first half of the book were more to my liking than the turn the story took towards the end though...
The Library Window: A Story of the Seen and Unseen by Margaret Oliphant 3½/5
I liked this kind of ambiance that the author created for the story and the gradual mild suspense. But I felt that the story was much longer than necessary and it doesn't really lead to much. There are hints for some side-plot that never materialized either.
The Monkey's Paw - W.W. Jacobs 4/5
This is an enjoyable, clever and atmospheric story, but while complete, I wanted it to last longer. The ends is abrupt.
The Southwest Chamber by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman 4/5
A very well-written story that makes you wonder if it goes for a chilling factor or a light hearted, parody kind of thing on the genre. There is the usual mention of a malicious haunting and an interesting if stereotypical cast of characters, but their reactions and the mischievious acts of the ghost, sometimes made me visualize the story in cartoons' pictures in my mind.
They by Rudyard Kipling 4/5
Kind of a different setting and a more modern feeling in the story. A captivating read but there isn't so much a chilling factor, mostly a "why doesn't he get it?", an ending that was fizzled out and a sad aftertaste.
The Moonlit Road by Ambrose Bierce 4/5
This was an interesting story mostly for the three different points of view and especially for the take on the ghost's perspective. There is some presence that started all the chain of events that is never explained, but I liked how the author chose to explain all the rest.
August Heat by William F. Harvey 4/5
This isn't strictly a ghost story and features an end that makes you wonder what would really happen next, but I found it very decent and I liked it.
All in all, a very decent collection if you are into this kind of read. If one isn't very familiar with the authors or their work, there is a small introduction before each story too, which might be informative.
Διάλεξα το βιβλίο μήπως οι ομίχλες, οι υγρασίες και οι ανατριχίλες τέτοιων αναγνωσμάτων με κάνουν να ξεχάσω για λίγο τον καύσωνα που μας βρήκε αρχές Ιουνίου και ως ένα βαθμό κατάφερα να ξεχαστώ λιγάκι.
Για να είμαι ειλικρινής, έχω διαβάσει μέσα στα χρόνια πάρα πολλά έργα της Βικτωριανής εποχής, ιστορίες φαντασμάτων κτλ, οπότε ακόμα κι όταν νομίζω ότι μία ιστορία είναι καινούρια συχνά ανακαλύπτω ότι την έχω διαβάσει τελικά. Έτσι συνέβη κι εδώ, ωστόσο αυτό δεν με ενόχλησε.
Κάποιες ιστορίες ήταν καλύτερες από άλλες για διαφορετικούς λόγους, από τις πιο απολαυστικές λόγω "ατμόσφαιρας" ήταν νομίζω της Gaskell και του Doyle, ωστόσο όλες ήταν άνω του μέτριου.
Αν τυχόν κάποιος είναι καινούριος σε αυτό το είδος λογοτεχνίας ή δεν γνωρίζει τους συγγραφείς, υπάρχει μια μικρή εισαγωγή πριν από κάθε ιστορία που θα του είναι χρήσιμη.
Γενικά η συλλογή μου άρεσε.
I chose this while in the middle of a very early, terrible heat wave here in Greece.
I thought that some dump and wintry weather on my readings and maybe some chilling effect might offer a respite for a few hours- and I was right.
To be honest, I have read so many Victorian works and "classic" ghost stories over the years, that even when I think a story is new to me, I often find out that's not the case after all. This happened here too, some titles didn't ring a bell but I realised I've read them before when I got to read them.
This doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book. I'm one of those people who often re-read books multiple times anyway.
The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell 4/5
This features all the usual traits of the genre and creates quite a feeling of the place and era, and a very appropriate ambiance in general for this kind of story.
The Phantom Coach by Amelia B. Edwards 4/5
A quite interesting story but it starts differently and twists towards a very different direction too. It made me wonder what about the "recluse" of the first part of the story etc.
The Trial for Murder by Charles Dickens 3½/5
A haunting of a different kind and pleasant to read, mostly for the oddity of it all. The dignified and kind of distant voice of the narration by a gentleman of the era, offers an ambiance of curiosity rather than a chilling factor.
The Captain of the Pole-Star by Arthur Conan Doyle 4/5
Not exactly chilling, but creates an ambiance of dread and desparation. The final developments are a bit too abrupt, but I enjoyed the story a lot. And I enjoyed the setting, all the cold and ice ; )
Sir Edmund Orme by Henry James 3½/5
Henry James' prose is always a bit too dry and ornate for my liking . This story focused too much on the Victorian obsession to present physical effects of this and that to people, especially women. She turned pale, she couldn't talk, she felt dizzy, this sort of thing irks me, as irks me the half-uttered sentences due to dignity and propriety holding people back from expressing their selves. It helps the story moving I guess by revealing plot elements very gradually, but still... I liked the premise thought and it was still a very decent story to read.
The Yellow Sign by Robert W. Chambers 4/5
I liked very much the more modern, cosmopolitan feeling alternating with the more antique, usual traits of the genre. The curiosities happening at the first half of the book were more to my liking than the turn the story took towards the end though...
The Library Window: A Story of the Seen and Unseen by Margaret Oliphant 3½/5
I liked this kind of ambiance that the author created for the story and the gradual mild suspense. But I felt that the story was much longer than necessary and it doesn't really lead to much. There are hints for some side-plot that never materialized either.
The Monkey's Paw - W.W. Jacobs 4/5
This is an enjoyable, clever and atmospheric story, but while complete, I wanted it to last longer. The ends is abrupt.
The Southwest Chamber by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman 4/5
A very well-written story that makes you wonder if it goes for a chilling factor or a light hearted, parody kind of thing on the genre. There is the usual mention of a malicious haunting and an interesting if stereotypical cast of characters, but their reactions and the mischievious acts of the ghost, sometimes made me visualize the story in cartoons' pictures in my mind.
They by Rudyard Kipling 4/5
Kind of a different setting and a more modern feeling in the story. A captivating read but there isn't so much a chilling factor, mostly a "why doesn't he get it?", an ending that was fizzled out and a sad aftertaste.
The Moonlit Road by Ambrose Bierce 4/5
This was an interesting story mostly for the three different points of view and especially for the take on the ghost's perspective. There is some presence that started all the chain of events that is never explained, but I liked how the author chose to explain all the rest.
August Heat by William F. Harvey 4/5
This isn't strictly a ghost story and features an end that makes you wonder what would really happen next, but I found it very decent and I liked it.
All in all, a very decent collection if you are into this kind of read. If one isn't very familiar with the authors or their work, there is a small introduction before each story too, which might be informative.
October 1, 2014
good anthology of Victorian ghost stories
March 6, 2016
over all a thrilling read, love reading the older stories.
November 1, 2023
A collection of Victorian ghost stories from prominent authors of the era, Michael Sims creates an interesting collection. Although these stories are not as how we classify horror works today, they definitely do keep with the Gothic tone. Many of these stories are ones that play with vivid, and flowery details, which I like. However, while these stories are less violent, they have more of a mental toying, and left to reader's interpretations. In certain cases, this left some outcomes very vague.
As such with anthologies, some stories vary in quality. Of which, I found "The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Arthur Conan Doyle, " The Southwest Chamber" by Mary E. Wilkins and the famous "Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs as ones that managed to keep my interest and retain in my memory. I may try other works by these authors in the process. Unfortunately, the rest didn't keep my interest as strongly as those three, hence my three star rating. However, if you are a fan of classical ghost/horror stories, then Phantom Coach will surely be entertaining to go through.
As such with anthologies, some stories vary in quality. Of which, I found "The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Arthur Conan Doyle, " The Southwest Chamber" by Mary E. Wilkins and the famous "Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs as ones that managed to keep my interest and retain in my memory. I may try other works by these authors in the process. Unfortunately, the rest didn't keep my interest as strongly as those three, hence my three star rating. However, if you are a fan of classical ghost/horror stories, then Phantom Coach will surely be entertaining to go through.
October 24, 2020
The Phantom Coach
290 pages
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Donate/Keep?: Keep
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
This is a connoisseurs collection of 12 Victorian ghost stories by authors such as Charles Dickens, Henry James and Arthur Conan Doyle. Each ghost story was about 30 pages, and had an introduction written by Michael Sims about the author and notes on each story.
I enjoyed reading this collection. A few of the ghost stories didn’t feel very scary and one was super dry to me, but the rest of them were creepy and suspenseful.
My favorite story was definitely The Phantom Coach by Amelia B. Edwards. A close second was The Library Window by Margaret Oliphant!
This is definitely a book I’ll be keeping and probably rereading every few spooky seasons.
290 pages
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Donate/Keep?: Keep
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
This is a connoisseurs collection of 12 Victorian ghost stories by authors such as Charles Dickens, Henry James and Arthur Conan Doyle. Each ghost story was about 30 pages, and had an introduction written by Michael Sims about the author and notes on each story.
I enjoyed reading this collection. A few of the ghost stories didn’t feel very scary and one was super dry to me, but the rest of them were creepy and suspenseful.
My favorite story was definitely The Phantom Coach by Amelia B. Edwards. A close second was The Library Window by Margaret Oliphant!
This is definitely a book I’ll be keeping and probably rereading every few spooky seasons.
September 26, 2018
If you like classic ghost stories without much gore, where the scares are psychological, this collection is for you. This collection contains brief biographical sketches of the authors, which was helpful. As per normal with a short story collection, I enjoyed some stories more than others. The title story was a particular standout. Some seemed to go on a bit long, but I expect that's more an aspect of Victorian tastes vs. modern ones. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a creepy read leading up to Halloween.
May 17, 2023
The first two stories had me enthralled. I thought, "There's nothing better than a Victorian ghost story!" I was proven wrong the longer I read as the quality deteriorated with perhaps half the stories. All in all, I enjoyed the book, but as I said, half were meh. One in particular toward the end was ludicrous. Another was downright confusing. I wish the quality had been a bit more consistent, but it wasn't a bad selection.
I listened to an audiobook of this read by Matthew Waterson. I found him to be an excellent narrator for this content, though I know others had issues with his reading.
I listened to an audiobook of this read by Matthew Waterson. I found him to be an excellent narrator for this content, though I know others had issues with his reading.
May 22, 2018
3.5 stars.
Like many anthologies, this has some very good stories and some not so good stories. For my money, the best stories were: The Monkey's Paw, The Moonlit Road, The Southwest Chamber (which is the only one that is particularly scary as opposed to creepy or off-putting), and August Heat. All of these are highly recommended.
I also enjoyed Sims' introduction and brief bios of the writers.
Like many anthologies, this has some very good stories and some not so good stories. For my money, the best stories were: The Monkey's Paw, The Moonlit Road, The Southwest Chamber (which is the only one that is particularly scary as opposed to creepy or off-putting), and August Heat. All of these are highly recommended.
I also enjoyed Sims' introduction and brief bios of the writers.
January 23, 2020
For what it's worth, I did like some of these classic ghost stories. Some of them were not enjoyable, but I did like the Phantom Coach and the Old Nurse's Story. These are little ghost stories from the Victorian Age and you can really feel their age in how the story is told. I am not that big of a fan of Charles Dickens ghost story or Conan Doyle's, but the others with few exceptions were somewhat enjoyable for me as a reader.
November 18, 2021
Really enjoyed this collection of classics, most of which I hadn't actually read. After reading a story, I'd really find it coming to me even a couple of days later, as if I was back there in the story. Maybe because they're so descriptive. I especially liked the last story in the collection, a good reminder that the Victorians' reputation for loquaciousness doesn't mean they can't write a story that's short and whatever the opposite of sweet is!
August 24, 2022
This was a really nice collection of ghostly short stories from around the Victorian era. Some were, of course, better than others, but overall a really lovely collection of delicate stories. I especially liked The Captain of the Pole-Star, The Southwest Chamber, and August Heat. The stories were well-arranged, too; I rarely notice the order in which an anthology is presented, but thought had obviously been given to the progression of tales in this book.
February 7, 2023
A very enjoyable, readable anthology of Victorian ghost stories. A few of them didn't quite grab me, but overall I enjoyed this quite a lot. I liked how Sims included a brief blurb about each writer before their respective story, too. My favorite stories were The Captain of the Pole-Star, Sir Edmund Orme, The Yellow Sign, and The Library Window.
October 24, 2023
Although these stories are in general pretty
tame when compared to today's standards they are an interesting read nonetheless.Each story is prefaced by a few pages about the author which is almost as interesting as the stories themselves and a good source for other reading suggestions.I enjoyed the book.
tame when compared to today's standards they are an interesting read nonetheless.Each story is prefaced by a few pages about the author which is almost as interesting as the stories themselves and a good source for other reading suggestions.I enjoyed the book.
November 5, 2023
A representative collection that mostly shows that the genre is not all about cheap thrills, but a quite variegated research field for angst and longing and the human condition. Some of the stories fall short of that expectation and, being nevertheless of the genre, have to be represented as such. This is how genre works, I posit.
November 1, 2017
I really enjoyed this collection of scary stories. They weren’t too scary - just a little creepy or uneasy. I usually had a good idea of where the story was going. It was a perfect read for the couple of weeks leading up to Halloween, especially because I don’t like to be scared out of my wits.
June 13, 2018
A superb collection of Victorian ghost stories. I started reading without taking a look at the contents and Chamber's "The Yellow Sign" was a pleasant surprise, but there were many other great choices too.
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