The Ghost Stories of Wilkie Collins

Gilded Nightmares – Timeless British Library Books

by Wilkie Collins

Vengeful spirits, mysterious revenants and haunted objects stalk the pages of Wilkie Collins' short fiction, and yet his reputation as a sensation and detective novelist has long overshadowed his inventive contributions to the ghost story genre. Drawing from across the writer's career, Xavier Aldana Reyes presents eight stories of the strange and uncanny to celebrate this lesser-known side of the Collins' imaginative and ground-breaking fiction, guiding the reader into a candlelit night in which unearthly forces - and inescapable doom - lie in wait.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Classics, Mystery, Gothic

238 pages, Hardcover

First published September 19, 2024

About the author

Wilkie Collins was an English novelist and playwright, best known for The Woman in White (1860), an early sensation novel, and The Moonstone (1868), a pioneering work of detective fiction. Born to landscape painter William Collins and Harriet Geddes, he spent part of his childhood in Italy and France, learning both languages. Initially working as a tea merchant, he later studied law, though he never practiced. His literary career began with Antonina (1850), and a meeting with Charles Dickens in 1851 proved pivotal. The two became close friends and collaborators, with Collins contributing to Dickens' journals and co-writing dramatic works.
Collins' success peaked in the 1860s with novels that combined suspense with social critique, including No Name (1862), Armadale (1864), and The Moonstone, which established key elements of the modern detective story. His personal life was unconventional—he openly opposed marriage and lived with Caroline Graves and her daughter for much of his life, while also maintaining a separate relationship with Martha Rudd, with whom he had three children.
Plagued by gout, Collins became addicted to laudanum, which affected both his health and later works. Despite declining quality in his writing, he remained a respected figure, mentoring younger authors and advocating for writers' rights. He died in 1889 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery. His legacy endures through his influential novels, which laid the groundwork for both sensation fiction and detective literature.

Reviews

[Magdalena Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few novels by Wilkie Collins and really liked them, so was very excited to read some of his ghost stories. I've always found him super easy and enjoyable to read because classic/Victorian literature can sometimes be a tiny bit challenging. Out of the eight stories in the collection, my favourites were "The Dream-Woman" and "Mrs. Zant and the Ghost" - absolutely brilliant. Also, this book looks STUNNING. I love this Gilded Nightmares series from the British Library and can't wait to get more (with Halloweird: Classic Stories from the Season of Samhain already on my TBR).

[Paul Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written but I can't help but feel that ghost stories from the 1860s were very much of their time and so we don't get the sense of amazement and awe that the contemporary readership would have. Still, what's not to like about any Wilkie Collins novel?

[Elysian Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilkie Collins always hits for me, and I can't exactly explain way. It might be becaise like this short story collection, the adventures, the characters, the hints of supernatural always bring me joy and exciting experiences.