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In Ghostly Company
Amyas Northcote's vintage collection of horror stories first appeared in 1922 and is highly regarded among collectors of classic supernatural fiction.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 23, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 28, 2019
This is probably the best book of ghost stories that could written by someone who has a love for the form, a serviceable style, and no spark of genius whatsoever. If this sounds harsh, I don't mean it to be; as a matter of fact, it gives me hope that one day I too can write a good ghost story. For every story in this book--although none of them has the least touch of greatness--is worth at least one reading.
The English countryside brings out the best in Northcote, and most of the best of his stories use it to advantage: "Brickett Bottom," "The Downs," "The Last Mrs. Fowkes," and--my favorite--"In the Woods".
January 12, 2017
"Brickett Bottom" is one of my favorite ghost stories having read it before in some anthology and been haunted by it ever since.
May 1, 2012
Wordsworth reprints several classic story collections by great horror writers of the past. One such collection, IN GHOSTLY COMPANY by Amyas Northcote, was suggested to me by Amazon due to some previous purchases. It mentioned him as similar to M.R. James, who is a favorite of mine. I received it for Christmas this year and read it straight through. The Introduction by David Stuart Davies that begins the book gives some background on Northcote. Not an easy task, I’m sure, due to the obscurity of this writer. Born in 1864, his father was Sir Stafford Northcote, lord of a manor and powerful politician. I found it interesting Amyas attended Eton College the same time as M.R. James, although it is unknown if the two ever met. This collection of ghost stories was his only published work. It came out in 1921. Unfortunately, Amyas died just eighteen months after its publication, making it difficult to promote and relegating him to obscurity. He might have been forgotten altogether if Montague Summers hadn’t included one of the stories, “Brickett Bottom”, in his influential SUPERNATURAL OMNIBUS (1931). It makes me wonder how many great writers have become lost to time because of similar circumstances. While I wouldn’t put Amyas Northcote on the same level as M.R. James, I did enjoy these stories. “Brickett Bottom”, “In the Woods”, “The Steps” and “The Governess’s Story” were personal favorites of mine.
1- “Brickett Bottom” (1921) – A vicar’s daughter spies a house on her way home she hadn’t noticed before. Her nearsighted sister is unable to see it. They plan to visit the following day, but the nearsighted sister injures her foot and can’t go. When the other goes alone, she fails to return.
2- “Mr. Kershaw and Mr. Wilcox” (1921) – A business arrangement between two neighbors sours, leading to dark consequences in this tale of subtle supernatural underpinnings with a twist ending.
3- “In the Woods” (1921) – A lonely 17 year old girl finds herself enthralled by the woods near her home. She spends her spare time there and begins to view the trees as her only friends. She yearns to learn their mysteries and begins to sense the area observing her. As she slips further from normal life to become more in tune with the woods, she starts to feel that although the woods have great beauty, it also hides powerful evil.
4- “The Late Earl of D.” (1921) – A solicitor witnesses a phantom reenactment of a violent crime.
5- “Mr. Mortimer’s Diary” (1921) – The diary of a man found dead under bizarre circumstances tells of his being haunted by a diabolical ghost.
6- “The House in the Woods” (1921) –Two men are forced to spend the night in a secluded house in the woods.
7- “The Steps” (1921) – A young woman is haunted by the approaching footsteps of a man whose love she spurned.
8- “The Young Lady in Black” (1921) – An artist is approached by a young woman in black who implores him to paint her portrait but is unable to sit for him longer than a half hour. He encounters her a few times afterwards, each under strange circumstances.
9- “The Downs” (1921) – A man traveling through downlands at night finds himself accompanied by a mysterious stranger.
10- “The Late Mrs. Fowke” (1921) – A man secretly follows his wife on one of her journeys out of town to find her partaking in occult activities.
11- “The Picture” (1921) – A girl becomes enthralled by the portrait of a dead Count in a manor house.
12- “The Governess’s Story” (1921) – A governess keeps hearing someone running and opening a window from a room above her every night. These unearthly footfalls are tied to a grim family secret.
13- “Mr. Oliver Carmichael” (1921) – A man enters a shop to buy a handkerchief and meets an unattractive, female clerk. When their eyes meet, he is filled with an inexplicable dread. From that point on, he is haunted by her and begins to feel evil growing in his soul as it is tormented each night as he sleeps.
1- “Brickett Bottom” (1921) – A vicar’s daughter spies a house on her way home she hadn’t noticed before. Her nearsighted sister is unable to see it. They plan to visit the following day, but the nearsighted sister injures her foot and can’t go. When the other goes alone, she fails to return.
2- “Mr. Kershaw and Mr. Wilcox” (1921) – A business arrangement between two neighbors sours, leading to dark consequences in this tale of subtle supernatural underpinnings with a twist ending.
3- “In the Woods” (1921) – A lonely 17 year old girl finds herself enthralled by the woods near her home. She spends her spare time there and begins to view the trees as her only friends. She yearns to learn their mysteries and begins to sense the area observing her. As she slips further from normal life to become more in tune with the woods, she starts to feel that although the woods have great beauty, it also hides powerful evil.
4- “The Late Earl of D.” (1921) – A solicitor witnesses a phantom reenactment of a violent crime.
5- “Mr. Mortimer’s Diary” (1921) – The diary of a man found dead under bizarre circumstances tells of his being haunted by a diabolical ghost.
6- “The House in the Woods” (1921) –Two men are forced to spend the night in a secluded house in the woods.
7- “The Steps” (1921) – A young woman is haunted by the approaching footsteps of a man whose love she spurned.
8- “The Young Lady in Black” (1921) – An artist is approached by a young woman in black who implores him to paint her portrait but is unable to sit for him longer than a half hour. He encounters her a few times afterwards, each under strange circumstances.
9- “The Downs” (1921) – A man traveling through downlands at night finds himself accompanied by a mysterious stranger.
10- “The Late Mrs. Fowke” (1921) – A man secretly follows his wife on one of her journeys out of town to find her partaking in occult activities.
11- “The Picture” (1921) – A girl becomes enthralled by the portrait of a dead Count in a manor house.
12- “The Governess’s Story” (1921) – A governess keeps hearing someone running and opening a window from a room above her every night. These unearthly footfalls are tied to a grim family secret.
13- “Mr. Oliver Carmichael” (1921) – A man enters a shop to buy a handkerchief and meets an unattractive, female clerk. When their eyes meet, he is filled with an inexplicable dread. From that point on, he is haunted by her and begins to feel evil growing in his soul as it is tormented each night as he sleeps.
April 23, 2011
Usually when I, as a lover of short stories, buy a new book (mind it, not borrow it), I follow certain principles, which are: -
1. The author should be known to me, either through his works that I have read, or whose works have been reviewed at prominent places by persons who are qualified to do so.
2. The stories should have some redeeming component that would compel me to go back to them again & again.
Unfortunately, similar to many other decisions that I make in my life, decisions regarding purchase of books often go astray as well, and I end up spending hard-earned money on stuff that I would either not be able to read even once from cover-to-cover, or (which is more often the case) which, once read, cannot be enjoyed again at well, now that the box of tricks has got opened and the author had not put anything in the stories that might compel me to go back to them. However, on some rarest-of-rare occasions, I get to read some stories written by authors whose works I have never encountered anywhere, and yet I instantly fall in love with them. Love, unlike fascination or thrill, is a much more precious commodity, which we encounter in our lives very-very rarely. And loving some short stories mean that they have certain qualities that make them worthy of love: a gentle homely tone, unpretentious way of telling whatever they have to tell, and yet be extremely effective in conveying their thoughts, gentle touch of humour, a tragic sense of loss & poignancy when needed, and a beauty that has to be felt, rather than be seen. When this love occurs while reading ghost stories written by an amateur who has died long ago and who has not produced any other stories apart from those included in this slim volume, my heart gets broken. It is this heartbreak that I encountered while reading Amyas Northcote’s “In Ghostly Company”. The stories in this slim volume are: -
1. ‘Brickett Bottom’;
2. ‘Mr. Kershaw and Mr. Wilcox’;
3. ‘In the Woods’;
4. ‘The Late Earl of D.’;
5. ‘Mr. Mortimer’s Diary’;
6. ‘The House in the Wood’;
7. ‘The Young Lady in Black’;
8. ‘The Downs’;
9. ‘The Late Mrs Fowke’;
10. ‘The Picture’;
11. ‘The Governess’s Story’;
12. ‘Mr Oliver Carmichael’
Apart from the 1st story, ther is every possibility that you have never read anything written by this author, ever. It is also quite true that these gentle ghost stories, evocative of the styles of Le Fanu, M.R. James, Henry James, and at times, the Benson brothers, would not be hailed as the “greatest” and the most “heart-stopping/pounding” (depending upon your take) works of the genre. But I would love going back to them, trying to find out the traces of numerous other stories heard or read since my childhood, whose threads can be found as tantalizing glimpses in these stories, and who can be revived putting my imagination into the ‘active’ mode, as these stories are wonderful matrix of ghost stories in general, dealing with hauntings of all types, and yet imbuing all of them with a gentle hue that seems light-years away from the blood & gore of the present.
This volume had once been published by the venerable Ash Tree Press, but now that it has gone out-of-print for a long time, I would whole-heartedly recommend lovers of ghost stories to lap up the Wordsworth edition which is very-very reasonably priced, and (surprise?!) comes with a biographical sketch from the Editor-in-Chief that is informative and effective. Highly recommended!
1. The author should be known to me, either through his works that I have read, or whose works have been reviewed at prominent places by persons who are qualified to do so.
2. The stories should have some redeeming component that would compel me to go back to them again & again.
Unfortunately, similar to many other decisions that I make in my life, decisions regarding purchase of books often go astray as well, and I end up spending hard-earned money on stuff that I would either not be able to read even once from cover-to-cover, or (which is more often the case) which, once read, cannot be enjoyed again at well, now that the box of tricks has got opened and the author had not put anything in the stories that might compel me to go back to them. However, on some rarest-of-rare occasions, I get to read some stories written by authors whose works I have never encountered anywhere, and yet I instantly fall in love with them. Love, unlike fascination or thrill, is a much more precious commodity, which we encounter in our lives very-very rarely. And loving some short stories mean that they have certain qualities that make them worthy of love: a gentle homely tone, unpretentious way of telling whatever they have to tell, and yet be extremely effective in conveying their thoughts, gentle touch of humour, a tragic sense of loss & poignancy when needed, and a beauty that has to be felt, rather than be seen. When this love occurs while reading ghost stories written by an amateur who has died long ago and who has not produced any other stories apart from those included in this slim volume, my heart gets broken. It is this heartbreak that I encountered while reading Amyas Northcote’s “In Ghostly Company”. The stories in this slim volume are: -
1. ‘Brickett Bottom’;
2. ‘Mr. Kershaw and Mr. Wilcox’;
3. ‘In the Woods’;
4. ‘The Late Earl of D.’;
5. ‘Mr. Mortimer’s Diary’;
6. ‘The House in the Wood’;
7. ‘The Young Lady in Black’;
8. ‘The Downs’;
9. ‘The Late Mrs Fowke’;
10. ‘The Picture’;
11. ‘The Governess’s Story’;
12. ‘Mr Oliver Carmichael’
Apart from the 1st story, ther is every possibility that you have never read anything written by this author, ever. It is also quite true that these gentle ghost stories, evocative of the styles of Le Fanu, M.R. James, Henry James, and at times, the Benson brothers, would not be hailed as the “greatest” and the most “heart-stopping/pounding” (depending upon your take) works of the genre. But I would love going back to them, trying to find out the traces of numerous other stories heard or read since my childhood, whose threads can be found as tantalizing glimpses in these stories, and who can be revived putting my imagination into the ‘active’ mode, as these stories are wonderful matrix of ghost stories in general, dealing with hauntings of all types, and yet imbuing all of them with a gentle hue that seems light-years away from the blood & gore of the present.
This volume had once been published by the venerable Ash Tree Press, but now that it has gone out-of-print for a long time, I would whole-heartedly recommend lovers of ghost stories to lap up the Wordsworth edition which is very-very reasonably priced, and (surprise?!) comes with a biographical sketch from the Editor-in-Chief that is informative and effective. Highly recommended!
February 1, 2024
The reader of strange stories in this day and age doesn't know how good they have it. There are enough classics in print that we can go a lifetime and never need to read a living writer. (James, Machen, and Blackwood each wrote at least a dozen masterpieces. So did Poe and Bierce.)
Of course not all dead writers in the genre are classic. Amyas Northcote is a good example. Most of the stories in his lone collection, In Ghostly Company, are pretty basic nurses' or travelers' tales; Matt Cowan does an outstanding job exploring them here.
But there are two outstanding exceptions which shine out as exceptional in Northcote's collection, "Brickett Bottom" and "The Late Mrs. Fowke".
Update after second reread 1 February 2024: Each story is worth reading, but none come close to "Brickett Bottom."
"Brickett Bottom" is the story of a young lady's disappearance. All anyone knows is what she told them: that she found a house in Brickett Botton where a charming older couple live.
Full:
http://jayrothermel.blogspot.com/2019...
Of course not all dead writers in the genre are classic. Amyas Northcote is a good example. Most of the stories in his lone collection, In Ghostly Company, are pretty basic nurses' or travelers' tales; Matt Cowan does an outstanding job exploring them here.
But there are two outstanding exceptions which shine out as exceptional in Northcote's collection, "Brickett Bottom" and "The Late Mrs. Fowke".
Update after second reread 1 February 2024: Each story is worth reading, but none come close to "Brickett Bottom."
"Brickett Bottom" is the story of a young lady's disappearance. All anyone knows is what she told them: that she found a house in Brickett Botton where a charming older couple live.
Full:
http://jayrothermel.blogspot.com/2019...
October 30, 2022
One thing I appreciate about this collection of ghost stories is the fact that it is very elegantly written. You will not find in-your-face horror here, as it relies mostly on suggestion and atmosphere. The English countryside, where most of the stories take place, adds greatly to this.
December 14, 2020
Stories more weird than really scary, but well written
March 25, 2022
Siempre me han fascinado los autores que, con escasa producción, consiguen pasar a la historia de la literatura y este es uno de los casos y, además, se suma a la fenomenología del libro desapercibido en el momento de su publicación que, con el paso de los años, resucita para erigirse en clásico aunque sea, claro está, en el reducido estanque de un género de tibia estima como el terror y, más específicamente, el cuento de fantasmas "victoriano".
Debo admitir que ha envejecido bastante bien y, como siempre ocurre con cualquier obra con más de medio siglo, se debe abordar sin caer en el peligroso "presentismo" imperante que tiende a juzgar cualquier expresión artística según las costumbres estéticas y filosóficas contemporáneas: algo semejante a llamar idiota a Marco Polo por no llevar un GPS. Estamos ante un estilo que puede, en un principio, chocar hasta la sonrisa por su "naif" estructura narrativa, presentando a los personajes con expresiones tales como "la protagonista de nuestra historia" y su tendencia estructural a escorarse hacia la primera persona, rasgo usual del cuento de fantasmas, e incluso cambiar de voz narrativa ya sumergidos en el relato pero con la honestidad encomiable de avisar al lector de dicho cambio para conservar la coherencia en la arquitectura, generalmente con el recurso del juego de espejos narrativo en matrioshka de: "esta historia que me narró alguien de confianza y ahora os voy a contar como si me hubiera sucedido a mí". Una vez te acostumbras, no sólo se lo aceptas sino que, posteriormente, te acomodas y lo disfrutas porque el conjunto resulta, en verdad, excelente.
Quizá al lector actual no le produzca verdadero terror (qué tristemente mal considerados están ya los monstruos clásicos, como el fantasma, comparados con los horrores actuales de extrema violencia y penurias sociales) pero esta recopilación continúa provocando una genuina y espeluznante incomodidad con relatos que bien podrían suceder en esta época de redes sociales e infoxicación visual porque el Más Allá sigue estando ahí con su poder de frontera universal y definitiva de "lo desconocido" como también le ocurre a "lo siniestro": ese concepto tan resultón que nos asalta en la pura cotidianidad de lo costumbrista y por sentado, aunque no necesariamente agradable, rompiendo la ilusión de que tenemos el control (aunque lo cedamos a jefes, políticos, banqueros...) de nuestras, aparentemente, rutinarias existencias repetitivas. Ahí se encuentra la senda para disfrutar al máximo de este clásico por derecho propio que, como la mayoría de obras de altura, resulta exigente con un lector, le implica, le requiere una mente abierta e incisiva, dejando migas de pan con sencillez efectiva pero sin ofrecérselo todo mascado y, como cualquier buena literatura, te transforma en dicho proceso.
En el caso particular de "En compañía de fantasmas" el viaje es gozoso y se disfruta por sus pequeñas dosis de humor inteligente, su estilo sencillo (que no simple) y su poderoso impacto emocional que no abandona eso pequeños miedos que nuestro niño interior continúa albergando por muy enterrado que se encuentre en nuestra sobria adultez moderna.
Una verdadera golosina, absolutamente desconocida en nuestras tierras salvo, quizá, por algún relato disperso en alguna antología como "Bricked Bottom", que ahora Diábolo nos ofrece en una edición magnífica de lujoso acabado con un gran prólogo y, además, con alguna ilustración y una excelente traducción.
Debo admitir que ha envejecido bastante bien y, como siempre ocurre con cualquier obra con más de medio siglo, se debe abordar sin caer en el peligroso "presentismo" imperante que tiende a juzgar cualquier expresión artística según las costumbres estéticas y filosóficas contemporáneas: algo semejante a llamar idiota a Marco Polo por no llevar un GPS. Estamos ante un estilo que puede, en un principio, chocar hasta la sonrisa por su "naif" estructura narrativa, presentando a los personajes con expresiones tales como "la protagonista de nuestra historia" y su tendencia estructural a escorarse hacia la primera persona, rasgo usual del cuento de fantasmas, e incluso cambiar de voz narrativa ya sumergidos en el relato pero con la honestidad encomiable de avisar al lector de dicho cambio para conservar la coherencia en la arquitectura, generalmente con el recurso del juego de espejos narrativo en matrioshka de: "esta historia que me narró alguien de confianza y ahora os voy a contar como si me hubiera sucedido a mí". Una vez te acostumbras, no sólo se lo aceptas sino que, posteriormente, te acomodas y lo disfrutas porque el conjunto resulta, en verdad, excelente.
Quizá al lector actual no le produzca verdadero terror (qué tristemente mal considerados están ya los monstruos clásicos, como el fantasma, comparados con los horrores actuales de extrema violencia y penurias sociales) pero esta recopilación continúa provocando una genuina y espeluznante incomodidad con relatos que bien podrían suceder en esta época de redes sociales e infoxicación visual porque el Más Allá sigue estando ahí con su poder de frontera universal y definitiva de "lo desconocido" como también le ocurre a "lo siniestro": ese concepto tan resultón que nos asalta en la pura cotidianidad de lo costumbrista y por sentado, aunque no necesariamente agradable, rompiendo la ilusión de que tenemos el control (aunque lo cedamos a jefes, políticos, banqueros...) de nuestras, aparentemente, rutinarias existencias repetitivas. Ahí se encuentra la senda para disfrutar al máximo de este clásico por derecho propio que, como la mayoría de obras de altura, resulta exigente con un lector, le implica, le requiere una mente abierta e incisiva, dejando migas de pan con sencillez efectiva pero sin ofrecérselo todo mascado y, como cualquier buena literatura, te transforma en dicho proceso.
En el caso particular de "En compañía de fantasmas" el viaje es gozoso y se disfruta por sus pequeñas dosis de humor inteligente, su estilo sencillo (que no simple) y su poderoso impacto emocional que no abandona eso pequeños miedos que nuestro niño interior continúa albergando por muy enterrado que se encuentre en nuestra sobria adultez moderna.
Una verdadera golosina, absolutamente desconocida en nuestras tierras salvo, quizá, por algún relato disperso en alguna antología como "Bricked Bottom", que ahora Diábolo nos ofrece en una edición magnífica de lujoso acabado con un gran prólogo y, además, con alguna ilustración y una excelente traducción.
September 4, 2018
In his introduction, David Stuart Davies calls Northcote an amateur in the sense that he didn't write as an occupation. He need not have bothered with the qualification. Northcote writes like a twelve year old. Lacking any suspense, any imagination, and any style, the only virtue these stories possess is brevity.
The collection begins with 'Brickett Bottom', supposedly his best story. This should be ample warning for what is to come. There is not a glimmer of the exceptional about this story. And things continue on the same low level. If a story ever seems to rise above the predictable, a moment's reflection will remind the reader he is simply borrowing from other better writers. 'The Steps' recalls Oliver Onions' 'Rooum', 'In The Woods' draws on Machen, another channels Henry James, another M.R. James. For someone writing in 1921, Northcote has singularly failed to learn from any of his predecessors. Again and again he uses a clunky relatively lengthy preamble before rushing off what should be the bulk of the tale. I mean why does 'Mr Mortimer's Diary' only take up the last 4 pages of that story? Why, in 'The House in the Wood' does he have one basically anonymous character recount in the first person another basically anonymous character's story? This author doesn't understand the basics of storytelling. Only 'Mr Oliver Carmichael', the final tale, has any real originality, and even here, he bludgeons his audience with a moralistic ending that throws away whatever menace his leaden writing hasn't already destroyed.
This dreary attempt at horror writing just highlights how good some of his contemporaries were, but it brings no glory to Amyas Northcote. There is a reason he has been forgotten. Now if only I could forget this book. Oh, I think I have. Now where was I?
The collection begins with 'Brickett Bottom', supposedly his best story. This should be ample warning for what is to come. There is not a glimmer of the exceptional about this story. And things continue on the same low level. If a story ever seems to rise above the predictable, a moment's reflection will remind the reader he is simply borrowing from other better writers. 'The Steps' recalls Oliver Onions' 'Rooum', 'In The Woods' draws on Machen, another channels Henry James, another M.R. James. For someone writing in 1921, Northcote has singularly failed to learn from any of his predecessors. Again and again he uses a clunky relatively lengthy preamble before rushing off what should be the bulk of the tale. I mean why does 'Mr Mortimer's Diary' only take up the last 4 pages of that story? Why, in 'The House in the Wood' does he have one basically anonymous character recount in the first person another basically anonymous character's story? This author doesn't understand the basics of storytelling. Only 'Mr Oliver Carmichael', the final tale, has any real originality, and even here, he bludgeons his audience with a moralistic ending that throws away whatever menace his leaden writing hasn't already destroyed.
This dreary attempt at horror writing just highlights how good some of his contemporaries were, but it brings no glory to Amyas Northcote. There is a reason he has been forgotten. Now if only I could forget this book. Oh, I think I have. Now where was I?
February 20, 2020
This is a volume of competent and well-written tales. They are not classics of the ghost story genre and lack the dramatic power of the best examples from M. R. James and the like. "Brickett Bottom" has been anthologised and is celebrated for its sorrowful tone and idyllic setting. The best of the bunch is "In the Woods" which is original and atmospheric.
It is a pity that Northcote only published this one, modest collection. Nonetheless, I recommend it to ghost story enthusiasts and lovers of lyrical English prose.
It is a pity that Northcote only published this one, modest collection. Nonetheless, I recommend it to ghost story enthusiasts and lovers of lyrical English prose.
December 5, 2016
A very good collection of ghost stories, dealing with themes such as witchcraft ("The Late Mrs Fowke" and "Mr Oliver Carmichael") dreams ("Mr Kershaw and Mr Wilcox" and "Mr Mortimer's Diary") and other supernatural themes.
February 27, 2022
A good selection of stories
Imaginative and well written stories that were most enjoyable indeed. Thought provoking and a good easy read. Would highly recommend it.
Imaginative and well written stories that were most enjoyable indeed. Thought provoking and a good easy read. Would highly recommend it.
September 2, 2022
Pleased to have this collection amongst the ghost story books.
December 15, 2025
Gran antología de estilo Ghost Story. Muy recomendable.
August 27, 2015
Amyas Northcote is a ghost story writer whose name has faded into obscurity. Wordsworth Editions brings back to life his only, rather slim collection titled "In Ghostly Company".
A Goodreads reviewer Bill Kerwin sums this volume perfectly: "This is probably the best book of ghost stories that could written by someone who has a love for the form, a serviceable style, and no spark of genius whatsoever."
Northcote has been compared with M. R. James. The truth is, I don't like M. R. James particularly. I actually couldn't quite finish James' ghost story collection because, while being full of smart ideas, his writing bored me considerably, in most instances.
Why?
M. R. James employs a too much passive style for my taste, and Northcote apes him - and then some. "In Ghostly Company" is filled with omniscient objective 3rd person narration, usually coming from a relative or acquaintance of the person to whom the story had happened to, so we're not even reading the telling of the story - but rather a re-telling.
In such cases all the action had already happened a long time ago, and we as the readers are not once, but several times removed from it. Instead of following the protagonist as he goes through the ghostly encounter, aka being in the thick of it with him, we're hearing about the event some X years later from someone who had only heard the story, and is now conveying it to us.
Effectively, all true excitement is gone from such narratives.
To illustrate, the direst culprit in this collection would undoubtedly be "The House in the Wood". The story features a narrator A who is about to be told a story from B, who heard it from C; however, for effect, B chooses to narrate C's story to A in first person, as if it had happened to B instead of C.
I mean, what? Wouldn't it have been easier just to have followed C as the event was happening to him the first time?
Despite it all, there are few good tales here, particularly at towards the end, and when all is said and done, "In Ghostly Company" was an OK read, though nothing more than that.
A Goodreads reviewer Bill Kerwin sums this volume perfectly: "This is probably the best book of ghost stories that could written by someone who has a love for the form, a serviceable style, and no spark of genius whatsoever."
Northcote has been compared with M. R. James. The truth is, I don't like M. R. James particularly. I actually couldn't quite finish James' ghost story collection because, while being full of smart ideas, his writing bored me considerably, in most instances.
Why?
M. R. James employs a too much passive style for my taste, and Northcote apes him - and then some. "In Ghostly Company" is filled with omniscient objective 3rd person narration, usually coming from a relative or acquaintance of the person to whom the story had happened to, so we're not even reading the telling of the story - but rather a re-telling.
In such cases all the action had already happened a long time ago, and we as the readers are not once, but several times removed from it. Instead of following the protagonist as he goes through the ghostly encounter, aka being in the thick of it with him, we're hearing about the event some X years later from someone who had only heard the story, and is now conveying it to us.
Effectively, all true excitement is gone from such narratives.
To illustrate, the direst culprit in this collection would undoubtedly be "The House in the Wood". The story features a narrator A who is about to be told a story from B, who heard it from C; however, for effect, B chooses to narrate C's story to A in first person, as if it had happened to B instead of C.
I mean, what? Wouldn't it have been easier just to have followed C as the event was happening to him the first time?
Despite it all, there are few good tales here, particularly at towards the end, and when all is said and done, "In Ghostly Company" was an OK read, though nothing more than that.
February 13, 2011
This slim volume of supernatural stories explores and muses on the themes of death, the after-life, the nature of evil, as well as more conventional ghost stories of those haunted because of their role in the death of another.
People don't return in Northcote's stories to a happy ending. They often die or disappear at the hands of evil or supernatural beings. A sample of one of his chilling lines: "No, Mr Carmichael, I am not the devil. Perhaps you would be better off if I were".
It is suggested in the introduction that the stories may have influenced Dennis Wheatley; the story 'The Late Mrs Fowke' would seem to be good evidence for this with its grey robed figures and midnight chantings.
One for the connoisseur of the supernatural story, the literary equivalent of a sliver of dark, strong chocolate with an espresso.
People don't return in Northcote's stories to a happy ending. They often die or disappear at the hands of evil or supernatural beings. A sample of one of his chilling lines: "No, Mr Carmichael, I am not the devil. Perhaps you would be better off if I were".
It is suggested in the introduction that the stories may have influenced Dennis Wheatley; the story 'The Late Mrs Fowke' would seem to be good evidence for this with its grey robed figures and midnight chantings.
One for the connoisseur of the supernatural story, the literary equivalent of a sliver of dark, strong chocolate with an espresso.
July 28, 2011
This is a good collection of old-fashioned spookiness. Very well written, they remind me of the kind of tale that could do well at camp sleepovers. Published in 1921, these compare well with the stories of M. R. James. Entirely suitable for younger readers.
October 29, 2011
Written in 1921 this collection of ghost stories is not as scary as it once must have seemed. However they were enjoyable and quick to read.
August 30, 2012
Welcome reprint of a scarce (self-published) collection. With one or two exceptions, the yarns are rather slight, though, and not especially well-written.
March 10, 2019
This collection of supernatural stories are different from the stock Victorian style. An enjoyable read.
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