Best Ghost Stories of M R James

by M.R. James

Reprint of the first Tower Book Edition. The best stories from the four books by James. Includes "The Mezzotint" and "Cannon Alberie's Scrap Book" and other book stories. 319 pages. cloth, dust jacket.. 8vo..

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Ghosts

319 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1944

About the author

Montague Rhodes James, who used the publication name M.R. James, was a noted English mediaeval scholar & provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–18) & of Eton College (1918–36). He's best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature. One of James' most important achievements was to redefine the ghost story for the new century by dispensing with many of the formal Gothic trappings of his predecessors, replacing them with more realistic contemporary settings.

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

M.R.^James

Reviews

[Cynda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to balance 1. The intensity and the bits of truth combined in these terrifying stories -and-
2. The danger these stories pose to me and others as a channeler.
I should never have read the story I read. I should have known better. I did and choose to read anyway. I won'the make the mistake again.

[Djip Minderman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good collection of cozy ghost stories, typically revolving around haunted objects. Having had "antiquarian interests" himself, M.R. James was capable of writing interesting flavour-text in great detail while having the restraint not to go overboard.
4 stars, go read it in bed or a comfy chair.

[Lavanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstandingly well written and very, very frightening.

[Catherine]

Excellent narration.

[Martyn Vaughan · Rating 3 out of 5]

M R James was an academic at the turn of the C19/C20 and was regarded as one of the best scholars of history of his time.
He also had a hobby of writing short ghost stories, which gave him greater fame than his academic work to the wider public. His stories are fairly mild by today's standards, involving virtually no body-horror or explicit violence of any kind. However, he was something of a pioneer in this subset of fantastic fiction and was well regarded by people such as H P Lovecraft. His plots usually revolve around the lower aristocracy and the upper middle-classes, and are normally set in the south of England or the Germanic parts of Continental Europe. At least two of his stories were filmed by the BBC in the 1960s: "The Tractate Middoth" and "Oh, Whistle My Lad, and I'll Come to You."; the latter being available on YouTube. His most successful short story was "Casting The Runes", which, as well as being an excellent story in its own right, was the inspiration for the classic occult film: "Night Of The Demon."

[Charles Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had an old, worn "Tower Mystery" Press imprint of this classic ghost-story collection, something I picked up at a secondhand sale at some library (just like where a haunted object might come from in a James story!), and enjoyed it immensely. But what made it quite special was an ink-pen inscription on the inside cover, from a New York state teenager named Thalia Hamilton Balch, left sometime in the 1950s as I recall. Will never forget the wording: "Someday years hence (?) when someone dip this book up, what a disappointment it will be." And she leaves her age and address and the time (pretty late at night). Harsh; I guess Ms. Balch and myself have very different tastes. Most people on Goodreads don't like my spooky books very much either.

[Florence Minowa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this as an audiobook (narration by Derek Jacobi was phenomenal) -- though the story telling was beautiful and engaging, the horror elements were slightly chilling at best. Given the high reviews I was hoping for something more toe-curling. Would be suitable for a cozy October reading.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A selection of gently spine tingling stories which betray their setting and time: mostly middle class at the end of the 19th Century and into the 20th. Well written with precise language. Not the best literature but good bed time reading.

[Sameer]

the use of an antique object in the stories(a whistle) to carrying a ghostly figure is very good.
the writer comes directly to the point in the story is very good.

[Sam Sum · Rating 5 out of 5]

M . R . James and Stephen king , truly the best ghost and horror writers , ever to be born .

[Kate Guest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suitably chilling if samey after a while

[J.P. Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genius in the Art of Gothic.