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The Travelling Bag And Other Ghostly Stories
From the foggy streets of Victorian London to the eerie perfection of 1950s suburbia, the everyday is invaded by the evil otherworldly in this unforgettable collection of new ghost stories from the author of The Woman in Black.
In the title story, on a murky evening in a warmly lit club off St James, a bishop listens closely as a paranormal detective recounts his most memorable case, one whose horrifying denouement took place in that very building.
In 'The Front Room', a devoutly Christian mother tries to protect her children from the evil influence of their grandmother, both when she is alive and when she is dead.
A lonely boy finds a friend in 'Boy Number 21', but years later he is forced to question the nature of that friendship, and to ask whether ghosts can perish in fires.
This is Susan Hill at her best, telling characteristically flesh-creeping and startling tales of thwarted ambition, terrifying revenge and supernatural stirrings that will leave readers wide-awake long into the night.
In the title story, on a murky evening in a warmly lit club off St James, a bishop listens closely as a paranormal detective recounts his most memorable case, one whose horrifying denouement took place in that very building.
In 'The Front Room', a devoutly Christian mother tries to protect her children from the evil influence of their grandmother, both when she is alive and when she is dead.
A lonely boy finds a friend in 'Boy Number 21', but years later he is forced to question the nature of that friendship, and to ask whether ghosts can perish in fires.
This is Susan Hill at her best, telling characteristically flesh-creeping and startling tales of thwarted ambition, terrifying revenge and supernatural stirrings that will leave readers wide-awake long into the night.
183 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2016
69 people are currently reading
1162 people want to read
About the author
Susan Hill
180 books2,268 followersSusan Hill was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1942. Her hometown was later referred to in her novel A Change for the Better (1969) and some short stories especially "Cockles and Mussels".
She attended Scarborough Convent School, where she became interested in theatre and literature. Her family left Scarborough in 1958 and moved to Coventry where her father worked in car and aircraft factories. Hill states that she attended a girls’ grammar school, Barr's Hill. Her fellow pupils included Jennifer Page, the first Chief Executive of the Millennium Dome. At Barrs Hill she took A levels in English, French, History and Latin, proceeding to an English degree at King's College London. By this time she had already written her first novel, The Enclosure which was published by Hutchinson in her first year at university. The novel was criticised by The Daily Mail for its sexual content, with the suggestion that writing in this style was unsuitable for a "schoolgirl".
Her next novel Gentleman and Ladies was published in 1968. This was followed in quick succession by A Change for the Better, I'm the King of the Castle, The Albatross and other stories, Strange Meeting, The Bird of Night, A Bit of Singing and Dancing and In the Springtime of Year, all written and published between 1968 and 1974.
In 1975 she married Shakespeare scholar Stanley Wells and they moved to Stratford upon Avon. Their first daughter, Jessica, was born in 1977 and their second daughter, Clemency, was born in 1985. Hill has recently founded her own publishing company, Long Barn Books, which has published one work of fiction per year.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author by this name.
She attended Scarborough Convent School, where she became interested in theatre and literature. Her family left Scarborough in 1958 and moved to Coventry where her father worked in car and aircraft factories. Hill states that she attended a girls’ grammar school, Barr's Hill. Her fellow pupils included Jennifer Page, the first Chief Executive of the Millennium Dome. At Barrs Hill she took A levels in English, French, History and Latin, proceeding to an English degree at King's College London. By this time she had already written her first novel, The Enclosure which was published by Hutchinson in her first year at university. The novel was criticised by The Daily Mail for its sexual content, with the suggestion that writing in this style was unsuitable for a "schoolgirl".
Her next novel Gentleman and Ladies was published in 1968. This was followed in quick succession by A Change for the Better, I'm the King of the Castle, The Albatross and other stories, Strange Meeting, The Bird of Night, A Bit of Singing and Dancing and In the Springtime of Year, all written and published between 1968 and 1974.
In 1975 she married Shakespeare scholar Stanley Wells and they moved to Stratford upon Avon. Their first daughter, Jessica, was born in 1977 and their second daughter, Clemency, was born in 1985. Hill has recently founded her own publishing company, Long Barn Books, which has published one work of fiction per year.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author by this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
October 8, 2024
3.5 stars
short review for busy readers: a rather recent four-story collection from the well-known ghost story writer, Susan Hill (The Woman in Black). The last two stories are fantastic- both of which could easily appear in an anthology- and make this collection well worth the read for them alone. The first two, however, wobble worse than a rickety staircase in a haunted house, making the collection very lopsided. Poor/Excellent.
in detail:
Here's a run down of each story in order of appearance:
The Travelling Bag: 2.5
A multi-POV, braided historical tale. In one plot strand, a psychic researcher is hired by a grieving widow to find out the real cause of her husband's death. She doesn't believe the police report. In the other strand, a brilliant, but sickly, scientist has his research stolen and published by his assistant under the assistant's own name. He swears revenge. The two strands meet at the murder.
The POV hopping and disjointed timeline make this a bumpy, scattered read.
The 21st Boy:1.5
The tale of two young, lonely boys at an English boarding school who become inseparable friends. Too fuzzy to be satisfying as a ghostly tale as the idea that is too preposterous to credit.
Alice Baker: 5
A new taciturn addition to the secretarial pool of a larger company has some very odd habits and even odder bits of knowledge. She also smells vaguely of dirt and rot. Who is she and what does she have to do with the company finally deciding to make that move to a brand new building they've been promising for years?
A wonderfully elegant reimagining of classic ghost story tropes, smoothly told from the POV of one of the other secretaries in the pool.
The Front Room: 4.5
"No good deed shall go unpunished." When a young, bland family takes in a mean, spiteful elderly relative by marriage no one has ever liked -- but who unfortunately can no longer cope on her own -- all they get in return is supernatural harassment from the old bag.
A good twist on the haunted house trope, in that the 'malign spirit' is not a stranger from the past, but a known relative. The ending is completely unexpected!
Together, that's 3.37, so rounded up to 3.5 stars.
short review for busy readers: a rather recent four-story collection from the well-known ghost story writer, Susan Hill (The Woman in Black). The last two stories are fantastic- both of which could easily appear in an anthology- and make this collection well worth the read for them alone. The first two, however, wobble worse than a rickety staircase in a haunted house, making the collection very lopsided. Poor/Excellent.
in detail:
Here's a run down of each story in order of appearance:
The Travelling Bag: 2.5
A multi-POV, braided historical tale. In one plot strand, a psychic researcher is hired by a grieving widow to find out the real cause of her husband's death. She doesn't believe the police report. In the other strand, a brilliant, but sickly, scientist has his research stolen and published by his assistant under the assistant's own name. He swears revenge. The two strands meet at the murder.
The POV hopping and disjointed timeline make this a bumpy, scattered read.
The 21st Boy:1.5
The tale of two young, lonely boys at an English boarding school who become inseparable friends. Too fuzzy to be satisfying as a ghostly tale as the idea that is too preposterous to credit.
Alice Baker: 5
A new taciturn addition to the secretarial pool of a larger company has some very odd habits and even odder bits of knowledge. She also smells vaguely of dirt and rot. Who is she and what does she have to do with the company finally deciding to make that move to a brand new building they've been promising for years?
A wonderfully elegant reimagining of classic ghost story tropes, smoothly told from the POV of one of the other secretaries in the pool.
The Front Room: 4.5
"No good deed shall go unpunished." When a young, bland family takes in a mean, spiteful elderly relative by marriage no one has ever liked -- but who unfortunately can no longer cope on her own -- all they get in return is supernatural harassment from the old bag.
A good twist on the haunted house trope, in that the 'malign spirit' is not a stranger from the past, but a known relative. The ending is completely unexpected!
Together, that's 3.37, so rounded up to 3.5 stars.
January 4, 2017
If you are wanting something ground-breaking, cutting edge or consciously contemporary, then Susan Hill ghost stories are probably not for you. If on the other hand you enjoy well written, well crafted, solid, reliable, ‘does-what-it-says-on-the-tin’ hauntingly memorable ghost stories in the Victorian/Edwardian tradition – occasionally with a contemporary (or near contemporary) setting, which I do…then this another collection (a quartet) of stories well worth taking the time to read.
Whilst not quite up there with Susan Hill’s strongest in this genre, ‘The Woman in Black’ and ‘Small Hand’, this is a satisfying and absorbing little collection – four very different stories, linked only by the similar atmosphere that they individually and collectively create.
Whilst not quite up there with Susan Hill’s strongest in this genre, ‘The Woman in Black’ and ‘Small Hand’, this is a satisfying and absorbing little collection – four very different stories, linked only by the similar atmosphere that they individually and collectively create.
January 30, 2025
A weight seemed to be pressing down on me, growing heavier and heavier, suffocating me. The office had gone. I was standing in darkness. I could sense Alice Baker's presence but I could not see her. I smelled her though, a smell of mould and rottenness and decay, as if I had stumbled into an ancient cellar.
I'm a little surprised by the low ratings for this collection, but maybe not entirely. The four stories that make up this volume are rather slow moving and often nebulous, which is to my particular liking in a ghost story, but I know doesn't work for everyone. I would rate each individual story a solid four stars. My favorite was "Alice Baker," because empty and dark office buildings are creepy AF when you're alone in them at night. The final story, "The Front Room," which has been adapted into a movie (haven't seen it), was an increasingly uncomfortable tale because of its realism in the portrayal of an unpleasant relation who comes to stay. And stay and stay and stay. I found the ending a bit too abrupt to be fully satisfied, however.
I'm a little surprised by the low ratings for this collection, but maybe not entirely. The four stories that make up this volume are rather slow moving and often nebulous, which is to my particular liking in a ghost story, but I know doesn't work for everyone. I would rate each individual story a solid four stars. My favorite was "Alice Baker," because empty and dark office buildings are creepy AF when you're alone in them at night. The final story, "The Front Room," which has been adapted into a movie (haven't seen it), was an increasingly uncomfortable tale because of its realism in the portrayal of an unpleasant relation who comes to stay. And stay and stay and stay. I found the ending a bit too abrupt to be fully satisfied, however.
December 31, 2016
I have a sort of annual ritual at this time of year, when I read Susan Hill’s latest ghostly offering and this year is no exception. This time Hill has produced four short stories; The Travelling Bag, Boy Number Twenty-one, Alice Baker and The Front Room. Hill is a ghost story writer in the traditional mode; she concentrates on the psychological aspects of those involved rather than blood, gore and non-stop action. They concern everyday life and everyday occurrences.
In my opinion the quality of these stories is variable. The second two being better than the first two.
The title story concerns a psychic private investigator spinning a yarn at his London club and is set in the Victorian era. An eminent physician develops a debilitating illness and his assistant steals his work. The tale concerns betrayal, revenge, a travelling bag, a few moths (well, a lot of moths) and the upshot of the revenge with a nice twist. It is a bit of a pastiche of other stories in the genre, but betrayal and revenge are universal.
Boy Number Twenty-One is the least convincing story. It is about a solitary boy at a boarding school who finds a friend when a new boy arrives. The boy’s sudden disappearance and reappearance are not really explained and the plot becomes rather clunky.
With Alice Baker we move into more modern territory and the setting is an office and we are in the 1950s or 1960s. A new office worker sets in motion an unusual chain of events. Part of the building tension relates to an olfactory illusion/phenomenon. There is a small twist towards the end which doesn’t really fit with the rest of the story, but the tension does build well and there is an interesting exploration of someone at the margins of society.
The Front Room is set in modern times and is pure wicked stepmother fairy tale with wicked stepmother well in the ascendant. The “let’s be good to everyone liberals” don’t come out of this well; an act of kindness is repaid in a way which is very unpleasant and goodness does not overcome evil. A rather pessimistic reflection on our own times.
This collection was certainly better than last year’s offering and a couple of the stories are pretty good.
In my opinion the quality of these stories is variable. The second two being better than the first two.
The title story concerns a psychic private investigator spinning a yarn at his London club and is set in the Victorian era. An eminent physician develops a debilitating illness and his assistant steals his work. The tale concerns betrayal, revenge, a travelling bag, a few moths (well, a lot of moths) and the upshot of the revenge with a nice twist. It is a bit of a pastiche of other stories in the genre, but betrayal and revenge are universal.
Boy Number Twenty-One is the least convincing story. It is about a solitary boy at a boarding school who finds a friend when a new boy arrives. The boy’s sudden disappearance and reappearance are not really explained and the plot becomes rather clunky.
With Alice Baker we move into more modern territory and the setting is an office and we are in the 1950s or 1960s. A new office worker sets in motion an unusual chain of events. Part of the building tension relates to an olfactory illusion/phenomenon. There is a small twist towards the end which doesn’t really fit with the rest of the story, but the tension does build well and there is an interesting exploration of someone at the margins of society.
The Front Room is set in modern times and is pure wicked stepmother fairy tale with wicked stepmother well in the ascendant. The “let’s be good to everyone liberals” don’t come out of this well; an act of kindness is repaid in a way which is very unpleasant and goodness does not overcome evil. A rather pessimistic reflection on our own times.
This collection was certainly better than last year’s offering and a couple of the stories are pretty good.
October 9, 2016
I was excited about this collection because, while I've enjoyed all of Hill's previous ghost stories, I've always felt they're consistently spread a little thin. Hill's plots feel more suited to the brevity of a short story, but they are usually padded out to novella length, something that has often served to highlight the weaknesses in otherwise wonderfully creepy tales – and, ironically, also tends to leave them feeling incomplete. The Travelling Bag and Other Ghostly Stories is a small book containing four tales, with settings ranging from Hill's usual Victorian gloom to a modern-day office.
The Travelling Bag
We're on familiar ground here: in a London gentlemen's club, fog shrouding the streets outside, one man tells a story to another. The storyteller is a 'psychic private investigator', and his story is the response to his friend's question: 'Tell me, what would you say has been your most – shall we say "intriguing" case, Gilbert?' It's about a medical scientist who seeks revenge on the protégé who stole his ideas. There is a nice build-up to the denouement, and an effective sense of lingering dread.
There was, however, something about the continuity of this story I really didn't get. I am fully prepared to accept that I misunderstood it, and would appreciate someone explaining it to me if that's the case!
Boy Twenty-One
Begins very strongly, as a (former?) teacher reads a news article about a stately home, Cloten Hall, being destroyed by fire. This leads her to reminisce about one of her students, Toby. She remembers him as an 'unhappy boy' with a troubled home life; he struggles to make friends, until the arrival of the mysterious new boy, Andreas. The two become inseparable, forming a friendship so intense it worries their teachers. Then Andreas disappears.
Given that it's a ghostly story, you can probably guess where it goes from there. That the story is bookended by the points of view of the teacher, Mrs Mills, and the now-adult Toby gives it a smidgen more intrigue than it might otherwise possess. Nevertheless, it is a slight tale, and rather predictable, which isn't to say that it's bad, but it was my least favourite of the four.
Alice Baker
A group of office workers have been putting up with their 'cramped, dingy' conditions for a long time, promised change that never comes and modernity that never materialises. When a new girl named Alice Baker arrives, the narrator thinks she seems nice, if antisocial; one of her colleagues seems to think differently, although she refuses to explain why. But then the narrator has her own odd encounter with Alice. And when the team are at last moved to the brand new offices of lore, the strange events surrounding their enigmatic co-worker don't cease.
This story is the jewel of the collection. It's brilliant. Everything from the shabby buildings to the camaraderie of a small office to the feeling of experiencing something inexplicable, then justifying and rationalising it to yourself to the point that you barely believe it happened, is just wonderfully done. The narrator isn't named and yet she is the most believable character in the book – as eerie as the tale is, it also feels authentic, exactly as an ordinary person would tell a story about something weird happening to them.
The Front Room
Inspired by a sermon (or rather an 'address') given by their pastor, Norman and Belinda vow to help those less fortunate than themselves. Since charity begins at home, they agree to take in Solange, Norman's belligerent stepmother, with whom he has always had a fraught relationship. She's installed in the front room, which is refurbished to form a self-contained flat; however, she wastes no time insinuating herself into the household, interfering, terrorising the couple's three children, and Belinda moves from anger to disgust and finally fear at her behaviour. How will it all end? More to the point, will the end really mean the end?
Of all the stories in The Travelling Bag, this feels the least typical. Had I not known, I wouldn't have guessed it was written by Hill, and it reminded me most of several entries from the Nightjar Press series of one-story chapbooks. Like 'Alice Baker', there is an ordinariness about it: the modest suburban house, the family dinners. And, as with 'Alice Baker', the realism of these details makes its eventual shift towards the uncanny even more disquieting.
Above all, the tales collected here showcase a mastery of atmospheric detail. The appeal of traditional ghost stories is a contradiction – comfort and unease at the same time – and among contemporary writers in the genre, I find Hill's work to be virtually unsurpassed in embodying this. I look forward to more next year, and for many Halloweens to come.
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The Travelling Bag
We're on familiar ground here: in a London gentlemen's club, fog shrouding the streets outside, one man tells a story to another. The storyteller is a 'psychic private investigator', and his story is the response to his friend's question: 'Tell me, what would you say has been your most – shall we say "intriguing" case, Gilbert?' It's about a medical scientist who seeks revenge on the protégé who stole his ideas. There is a nice build-up to the denouement, and an effective sense of lingering dread.
There was, however, something about the continuity of this story I really didn't get. I am fully prepared to accept that I misunderstood it, and would appreciate someone explaining it to me if that's the case!
Boy Twenty-One
Begins very strongly, as a (former?) teacher reads a news article about a stately home, Cloten Hall, being destroyed by fire. This leads her to reminisce about one of her students, Toby. She remembers him as an 'unhappy boy' with a troubled home life; he struggles to make friends, until the arrival of the mysterious new boy, Andreas. The two become inseparable, forming a friendship so intense it worries their teachers. Then Andreas disappears.
Given that it's a ghostly story, you can probably guess where it goes from there. That the story is bookended by the points of view of the teacher, Mrs Mills, and the now-adult Toby gives it a smidgen more intrigue than it might otherwise possess. Nevertheless, it is a slight tale, and rather predictable, which isn't to say that it's bad, but it was my least favourite of the four.
Alice Baker
A group of office workers have been putting up with their 'cramped, dingy' conditions for a long time, promised change that never comes and modernity that never materialises. When a new girl named Alice Baker arrives, the narrator thinks she seems nice, if antisocial; one of her colleagues seems to think differently, although she refuses to explain why. But then the narrator has her own odd encounter with Alice. And when the team are at last moved to the brand new offices of lore, the strange events surrounding their enigmatic co-worker don't cease.
This story is the jewel of the collection. It's brilliant. Everything from the shabby buildings to the camaraderie of a small office to the feeling of experiencing something inexplicable, then justifying and rationalising it to yourself to the point that you barely believe it happened, is just wonderfully done. The narrator isn't named and yet she is the most believable character in the book – as eerie as the tale is, it also feels authentic, exactly as an ordinary person would tell a story about something weird happening to them.
The Front Room
Inspired by a sermon (or rather an 'address') given by their pastor, Norman and Belinda vow to help those less fortunate than themselves. Since charity begins at home, they agree to take in Solange, Norman's belligerent stepmother, with whom he has always had a fraught relationship. She's installed in the front room, which is refurbished to form a self-contained flat; however, she wastes no time insinuating herself into the household, interfering, terrorising the couple's three children, and Belinda moves from anger to disgust and finally fear at her behaviour. How will it all end? More to the point, will the end really mean the end?
Of all the stories in The Travelling Bag, this feels the least typical. Had I not known, I wouldn't have guessed it was written by Hill, and it reminded me most of several entries from the Nightjar Press series of one-story chapbooks. Like 'Alice Baker', there is an ordinariness about it: the modest suburban house, the family dinners. And, as with 'Alice Baker', the realism of these details makes its eventual shift towards the uncanny even more disquieting.
Above all, the tales collected here showcase a mastery of atmospheric detail. The appeal of traditional ghost stories is a contradiction – comfort and unease at the same time – and among contemporary writers in the genre, I find Hill's work to be virtually unsurpassed in embodying this. I look forward to more next year, and for many Halloweens to come.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
January 20, 2021
I really really enjoyed this! Annie baker gave me some horrible nights - that I was not expecting!
October 3, 2021
Get ready to read some good little creepers on a cold winter’s night.
January 23, 2018
Short story collections provide a great mix of quick reads, hence why I love them so much! I was really looking forward to this one as I love a good scary story but unfortunately, this one didn’t live up to expectations.
I have reviewed each story individually below.
~
THE TRAVELLING BAG
The first short in the collection didn’t grab me from the get-go. I didn’t feel it was very spooky and I wasn’t really keen on the way it was laid out. I think the chopping and changing of scenes took away from any atmosphere it was attempting to build. However, the ending part of the story changed my opinion! I thought it was really well written and it made me feel completely claustrophobic and panicky.
~
BOY 21
I didn’t enjoy this short story too much. I was hoping for something a bit spooky but this was far more melancholic in tone. The synopsis lead me to believe this one was going to be far more sinister than it turned out to be, so it was a disappointing read for me. I felt bored by this one, it couldn’t hold my attention.
~
ALICE BAKER
Compared to the first two stories in the collection, this one was far creepier! It did well to build a sense of dread and foreboding – reading this late at night I did find myself feeling a little uneasy. However, it wasn’t a clever story, the plot and ending were extremely predictable which was disappointing after feeling more positive about this story over the others.
~
THE FRONT ROOM
This is definitely my favourite short story from the collection. I actually found this one spooky! Old women characters always give me the heebie-jeebies (even though my own nan is the sweetest human being on earth). I finally felt like this story lived up to my ghost story expectations! The story was simple and predictable but it was filled with the weird and wonderful, so it was enjoyable.
~
PRINTER’S DEVIL COURT
This was certainly a strange but chilling read, although I felt there was a lot of build up but not enough of a big shocking thing to create a fantastic and terrifying ending. I liked the plot for this one and think it could have been a really well done creepy scary story, but it went a bit soft and lost it’s spooky impact.
~
I think what I’ve gathered from this collection of short stories, and from knowing the plot of The Woman in Black, is that Susan Hill writes compelling, emotional ghost stories. There’s no doubt that she’s a compelling writer, and is able to create some pretty chilling tension, but most of her stories don’t build into anything big and spooky.
I was looking for a scary story collection, which is not something I got from this, so in that sense it disappointed me.
I have reviewed each story individually below.
~
THE TRAVELLING BAG
The first short in the collection didn’t grab me from the get-go. I didn’t feel it was very spooky and I wasn’t really keen on the way it was laid out. I think the chopping and changing of scenes took away from any atmosphere it was attempting to build. However, the ending part of the story changed my opinion! I thought it was really well written and it made me feel completely claustrophobic and panicky.
~
BOY 21
I didn’t enjoy this short story too much. I was hoping for something a bit spooky but this was far more melancholic in tone. The synopsis lead me to believe this one was going to be far more sinister than it turned out to be, so it was a disappointing read for me. I felt bored by this one, it couldn’t hold my attention.
~
ALICE BAKER
Compared to the first two stories in the collection, this one was far creepier! It did well to build a sense of dread and foreboding – reading this late at night I did find myself feeling a little uneasy. However, it wasn’t a clever story, the plot and ending were extremely predictable which was disappointing after feeling more positive about this story over the others.
~
THE FRONT ROOM
This is definitely my favourite short story from the collection. I actually found this one spooky! Old women characters always give me the heebie-jeebies (even though my own nan is the sweetest human being on earth). I finally felt like this story lived up to my ghost story expectations! The story was simple and predictable but it was filled with the weird and wonderful, so it was enjoyable.
~
PRINTER’S DEVIL COURT
This was certainly a strange but chilling read, although I felt there was a lot of build up but not enough of a big shocking thing to create a fantastic and terrifying ending. I liked the plot for this one and think it could have been a really well done creepy scary story, but it went a bit soft and lost it’s spooky impact.
~
I think what I’ve gathered from this collection of short stories, and from knowing the plot of The Woman in Black, is that Susan Hill writes compelling, emotional ghost stories. There’s no doubt that she’s a compelling writer, and is able to create some pretty chilling tension, but most of her stories don’t build into anything big and spooky.
I was looking for a scary story collection, which is not something I got from this, so in that sense it disappointed me.
November 23, 2024
Enjoyable four short stories.
June 13, 2017
Susan Hill is a very accomplished author and I will state here and now I have not read her other journeys through other genres.
For me Susan Hill is the author of the modern day ghost story classic - Woman in Black and for me is the quintessential author of classic ghost story.
So here we have another short collection (I think there are less than 200 pages) consisting of a number of longer stories all with a macabre twist. To try and explain what you have here is very difficult to do (made all but impossible with my self imposed rule of no spoilers) but what I can say is what you will not find.
Susan Hill relies of subtle building of tension - so no violence no sex or gore just a well practiced art of building the tension and suspicion to there point you know something is wrong but you cannot quite put your finger on it. In the tradition of the classic Christmas ghost story or of the works of M R James your imagination is your own worst enemy and the true source of your apprehension.
If you love your ghost stories I would strongly suggest you look at the works of Susan Hill although to say that is all she writes is to do her a huge disservice just for now I have yet to explore that side of her work.
For me Susan Hill is the author of the modern day ghost story classic - Woman in Black and for me is the quintessential author of classic ghost story.
So here we have another short collection (I think there are less than 200 pages) consisting of a number of longer stories all with a macabre twist. To try and explain what you have here is very difficult to do (made all but impossible with my self imposed rule of no spoilers) but what I can say is what you will not find.
Susan Hill relies of subtle building of tension - so no violence no sex or gore just a well practiced art of building the tension and suspicion to there point you know something is wrong but you cannot quite put your finger on it. In the tradition of the classic Christmas ghost story or of the works of M R James your imagination is your own worst enemy and the true source of your apprehension.
If you love your ghost stories I would strongly suggest you look at the works of Susan Hill although to say that is all she writes is to do her a huge disservice just for now I have yet to explore that side of her work.
October 2, 2017
I do enjoy Susan Hill's ghost stories but was left sadly rather unimpressed with this collection.
The first story is entertaining but there seem to be some inaccuracies (how can the narrator recount an event he wasn't party to and to which nobody spoke of?) The ending was predictable but well written nonetheless.
Boy Twenty-one is exactly the kind of ghostly tale I usually enjoy, but it felt a little lacking. I was left with a lot more questions than answers and it felt a little unfinished. I think this would have really benefitted by being lengthened into a novella, it deserves more.
The last two stories, again, felt rushed at the end. Both stories were wonderfully set and the anticipation was building beautifully... only to finish with a whimper and a short whimper at that.
I love Susan Hill's writing and I like these stories, but they all deserved more space and more time. Sometimes a short, sharp, shock of an ending is a perfectly delicious climax, but these stories just felt like they'd run out of steam.
The first story is entertaining but there seem to be some inaccuracies (how can the narrator recount an event he wasn't party to and to which nobody spoke of?) The ending was predictable but well written nonetheless.
Boy Twenty-one is exactly the kind of ghostly tale I usually enjoy, but it felt a little lacking. I was left with a lot more questions than answers and it felt a little unfinished. I think this would have really benefitted by being lengthened into a novella, it deserves more.
The last two stories, again, felt rushed at the end. Both stories were wonderfully set and the anticipation was building beautifully... only to finish with a whimper and a short whimper at that.
I love Susan Hill's writing and I like these stories, but they all deserved more space and more time. Sometimes a short, sharp, shock of an ending is a perfectly delicious climax, but these stories just felt like they'd run out of steam.
August 4, 2017
These are elegantly written, as Hill's stories always are but lack the chill of her best ghostly work. We do get to see the range of her imagination from the Victorian setting of 'The Travelling Bag' to the unusual 1950s suburbia of 'The Front Room', the weakest of the tales.
'Boy Number 21' is gorgeously melancholic as two lonely boys form an undying friendship, and 'Alice Baker' is a mildly humorous take on the office story, though with a frisson underlying it.
Nicely told and crafted, but don't expect to be looking over your shoulder with these.
Thanks to Profile Books for an ARC via NetGalley.
'Boy Number 21' is gorgeously melancholic as two lonely boys form an undying friendship, and 'Alice Baker' is a mildly humorous take on the office story, though with a frisson underlying it.
Nicely told and crafted, but don't expect to be looking over your shoulder with these.
Thanks to Profile Books for an ARC via NetGalley.
November 30, 2016
Reading a Susan Hill ghost story is always enjoyable. They are quietly atmospheric & although there are never huge scares she gently raises the tension to make them entertainingly creepy. The four short stories in this collection show her talent is not diminishing. Of course being English ghost stories they show, as always, that anyone experiencing frightening events can be calmed down with a nice cup of hot, sugary tea.
October 28, 2016
How the title story got past an editor I have no idea...
October 7, 2021
The Travelling Bag - 3.5 Stars
Boy Twenty-One -3 Stars
Alice Baker - 2.5 Stars
The Front Room - 4 Stars
Boy Twenty-One -3 Stars
Alice Baker - 2.5 Stars
The Front Room - 4 Stars
November 2, 2016
I wonder how this came to print, with the editor seemingly on holiday. The first story, the title of the book, 'The Traveling Bag' is a short story but riddled with typos. I counted nine in the first twenty pages. Some look to be just your average Kindle typos, but there are others which cannot be attributed to some poor transfer. Names of characters are erroneously mixed up, as at the start of chapter three, where Silas Webb is confused with Walter Craig... "He had always judged Webb to be a grey man", etc.
The main gripe is that the stories are silly, not scary, not even the slightest bit chilling. It's all over-prodded and the punchline glares from the second page. The writing is heavy handed, with lots of confusion over timelines, and all the opportunities to work on that promising hook are left to waste. I'm glad I only spent £1.99 for the Kindle version and didn't buy the hardback for three times the price.
The main gripe is that the stories are silly, not scary, not even the slightest bit chilling. It's all over-prodded and the punchline glares from the second page. The writing is heavy handed, with lots of confusion over timelines, and all the opportunities to work on that promising hook are left to waste. I'm glad I only spent £1.99 for the Kindle version and didn't buy the hardback for three times the price.
September 11, 2021
It's a lovely (not a compliment when it comes to a ghost(ly) story, isn't?) little collection of four elegantly written and carefully crafted short stories with a touch of a good old-school melancholy. Looks like Hill was aiming very high, at M.R. James's ghost stories or E.F. Benson's, but just couldn't quite grab what lies at the heart of those and makes them so eerie and compelling.
February 5, 2017
Book 04 of my Goodreads Challenge and everything you could expect from Susan Hill
This book attracted me because of the embossed dust cover so beautiful (being a touchy feely kind of book lover). Fans of 'The Woman in Black will surely love this a I did.
A collection of four short stories
The Travelling Bag should really come with a warning especially for those of a nervous disposition and a phobia of fluttery creatures. It is a tale within a tale set in old Victorian times. A story of revenge. When a hardworking scientist falls ill the student he is mentoring steals his research papers and then disappears to return later an eminent scientist himself.
Boy Twenty-One a wonderful ghost story about two lonely boys who become friends I loved this one.
Alice Baker a story of mystery and intrigue, will the office girls get to the bottom of the fact that Alice Baker is a hard worker, no one knows a thing about her and there is often an unpleasant smell surrounding her.
Finally The Front Room the creepiest and scariest story in the collection. The reason I picked up another lighter book to read to get the images out of my head.
Very highly recommended for fans of Susan Hill
This book attracted me because of the embossed dust cover so beautiful (being a touchy feely kind of book lover). Fans of 'The Woman in Black will surely love this a I did.
A collection of four short stories
The Travelling Bag should really come with a warning especially for those of a nervous disposition and a phobia of fluttery creatures. It is a tale within a tale set in old Victorian times. A story of revenge. When a hardworking scientist falls ill the student he is mentoring steals his research papers and then disappears to return later an eminent scientist himself.
Boy Twenty-One a wonderful ghost story about two lonely boys who become friends I loved this one.
Alice Baker a story of mystery and intrigue, will the office girls get to the bottom of the fact that Alice Baker is a hard worker, no one knows a thing about her and there is often an unpleasant smell surrounding her.
Finally The Front Room the creepiest and scariest story in the collection. The reason I picked up another lighter book to read to get the images out of my head.
Very highly recommended for fans of Susan Hill
September 12, 2017
The Travelling bag by Susan Hill is a collection of short ghost stories in the classic English ghost story form. These stories remind me of M.R. James and other famous ghost writers I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys the old style of ghost stories. My favourite story in this collection was the same as the title of the collection it has that classic feel that I really enjoy. I have only one criticism is that this book isn't original, so for that reason I'll rate this a four star’s out of five. I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback. I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read and review this collection.
December 15, 2017
Unsettling. Disquieting. In these stories the supernatural brushes against us, rather than stomping about rattling its chains. Some of Hill's ghosts are wistful, others savagely malevolent, but their purposes, like their forms, are always indeterminate. As another reader noted, the short story is, perhaps, a better format for Hill's ghost stories than is the short novel (I'm thinking of The Woman in Black and The Small Hand), where she tends to meander around a bit too much. As in those longer stories, though, the tales here offer room for interpretation. The ghostly beings never reveal their secrets, and their intentions are never conclusively established, which readers may find delicious or unsatisfying, depending on taste.
July 17, 2017
I find Hill's fiction a little hit and miss, and this collection was really rather underwhelming. There is nothing chilling about the first story, and whilst I liked the structure - which is reminiscent of the play version of 'The Woman in Black' - I gave up a quarter of the way through.
February 18, 2017
A classic collection of creepy little stories- don't make my mistake and read them before you go to sleep! Alice Baker is a particularly good one I think but the others are good too.
February 21, 2017
This was a mixed bag for me. Out of the four short stories contained within this book, only two gave me the creeps. The other two didn't do much for me at all, sadly.
August 9, 2017
really enjoy Susan Hill's short story collections. Alice Baker and The Front Room are the best stories here.
Read
June 28, 2018Did not finish.
August 7, 2022
I am finding that Susan Hill cannot go wrong for me; her pacing and tight focus create incredibly creepy, unsettling tales that stay with me for a long time after reading.
It is much the same here, as was with The Woman in Black and The Man in the Picture. The short stories here range from modern day to Victorian, but all are chilling and leave the reader with a sense of unease.
The Front Room stood out to me as the strongest in this collection. It had the same sense that these characters were dealing with pure, calculating evil (very similar in tone to TWiB). My least favourite was the titular story: The Travelling Bag. It wasn't terrible - just didn't leave as strong a lasting impression as the others.
In hindsight, perhaps would be best read on a cold winter's evening!
It is much the same here, as was with The Woman in Black and The Man in the Picture. The short stories here range from modern day to Victorian, but all are chilling and leave the reader with a sense of unease.
The Front Room stood out to me as the strongest in this collection. It had the same sense that these characters were dealing with pure, calculating evil (very similar in tone to TWiB). My least favourite was the titular story: The Travelling Bag. It wasn't terrible - just didn't leave as strong a lasting impression as the others.
In hindsight, perhaps would be best read on a cold winter's evening!
October 24, 2016
I received this title from Allen & Unwin for review.
3.5 stars
Ten Second Synopsis:
A collection of four short ghostly stories, with an emphasis on psychological horror.
If this was the first Susan Hill book I had encountered and I read this collection in the traditional fashion (that is, from front to back), I might be forgiven for discarding this book halfway through as sub-par in quality. As this is not my first Susan Hill book, I persevered and am very glad I did so because oddly enough, the final two stories of the four far outshine the first two in psychological creepiness and general paranormal entertainment. But let us address each of the stories in turn, in the traditional fashion; that is to say, from front to back.
The collection opens with The Travelling Bag, a story of professional betrayal and revenge told from a third person's perspective and set in Victorian times. This one certainly felt like it was going to be a spine-tingling paranormal winner, with a mystery immediately set up and the listener (as well as the reader) left in suspense for a spell. The actual reveal felt a bit light for me though and I didn't contract any of the sense of fear that the main character was supposedly feeling. Overall, this story had a strong build-up, but petered off at the end.
Next up is Boy Twenty-One, which I thought I might enjoy the most, but ended up completely forgetting about as soon as I'd read it. The story is set in a boarding school and centres around the friendship of two lonely boys. This one felt as if it was either unplanned or unfinished - as if the author had a number of options with how to link the threads of the story together, but couldn't decide which would be best and so ended up finishing the story abruptly with no real answers and no particular sense of mystery. I literally did find this story so forgettable that I couldn't remember anything about it before writing this review even though I'd only just finished the book a day or two ago and I had to go back and flick through it again.
Happily, the third story, Alice Baker, finally employs some good old-fashioned creep-factor with a ghostly, mind-twisty traditional sort of tale about the workers in a women's typing pool (or similar). This story has more of what you would expect from the term "ghost story" with obvious clues left about for clever readers, a slow build and the inevitable abrupt shock and reveal. The ending probably won't be much of a surprise to anyone who has ever read (or heard) a ghost story before, but there is something deliciously delightful about being drawn along with a character on a path toward certain fright.
The final story, The Front Room, was far and away the best of the lot in my opinion, employing psychological twists, and playing on familial and religious themes in all the right places to evoke the shiver-down-the-spine effect. In this story, an ordinary family are inspired, after hearing their pastor's weekly sermon about charity, to invite the husband's elderly step-mother to live with them. The tale takes the stereotypical "evil stepmother" trope to a whole new level, ending with a surprise and a lingering feeling of ickiness that will have you reconsidering inviting anyone to your place ever again.
On the whole, the final two stories of the collection really saved this one for me and with the first being passable, I'd have to say that this is another enjoyably scary offering from Susan Hill. Others may have different opinions about Boy Twenty-One (and I'd love to hear your take on it if you've read it!), but if that story had been left out or replaced, this is definitely a book I would rave about. As it stands, if you are looking for a suitably quick and frightening story to get you in the mood for Halloween, you should find what you are looking for in The Travelling Bag and Other Ghostly Stories.
3.5 stars
Ten Second Synopsis:
A collection of four short ghostly stories, with an emphasis on psychological horror.
If this was the first Susan Hill book I had encountered and I read this collection in the traditional fashion (that is, from front to back), I might be forgiven for discarding this book halfway through as sub-par in quality. As this is not my first Susan Hill book, I persevered and am very glad I did so because oddly enough, the final two stories of the four far outshine the first two in psychological creepiness and general paranormal entertainment. But let us address each of the stories in turn, in the traditional fashion; that is to say, from front to back.
The collection opens with The Travelling Bag, a story of professional betrayal and revenge told from a third person's perspective and set in Victorian times. This one certainly felt like it was going to be a spine-tingling paranormal winner, with a mystery immediately set up and the listener (as well as the reader) left in suspense for a spell. The actual reveal felt a bit light for me though and I didn't contract any of the sense of fear that the main character was supposedly feeling. Overall, this story had a strong build-up, but petered off at the end.
Next up is Boy Twenty-One, which I thought I might enjoy the most, but ended up completely forgetting about as soon as I'd read it. The story is set in a boarding school and centres around the friendship of two lonely boys. This one felt as if it was either unplanned or unfinished - as if the author had a number of options with how to link the threads of the story together, but couldn't decide which would be best and so ended up finishing the story abruptly with no real answers and no particular sense of mystery. I literally did find this story so forgettable that I couldn't remember anything about it before writing this review even though I'd only just finished the book a day or two ago and I had to go back and flick through it again.
Happily, the third story, Alice Baker, finally employs some good old-fashioned creep-factor with a ghostly, mind-twisty traditional sort of tale about the workers in a women's typing pool (or similar). This story has more of what you would expect from the term "ghost story" with obvious clues left about for clever readers, a slow build and the inevitable abrupt shock and reveal. The ending probably won't be much of a surprise to anyone who has ever read (or heard) a ghost story before, but there is something deliciously delightful about being drawn along with a character on a path toward certain fright.
The final story, The Front Room, was far and away the best of the lot in my opinion, employing psychological twists, and playing on familial and religious themes in all the right places to evoke the shiver-down-the-spine effect. In this story, an ordinary family are inspired, after hearing their pastor's weekly sermon about charity, to invite the husband's elderly step-mother to live with them. The tale takes the stereotypical "evil stepmother" trope to a whole new level, ending with a surprise and a lingering feeling of ickiness that will have you reconsidering inviting anyone to your place ever again.
On the whole, the final two stories of the collection really saved this one for me and with the first being passable, I'd have to say that this is another enjoyably scary offering from Susan Hill. Others may have different opinions about Boy Twenty-One (and I'd love to hear your take on it if you've read it!), but if that story had been left out or replaced, this is definitely a book I would rave about. As it stands, if you are looking for a suitably quick and frightening story to get you in the mood for Halloween, you should find what you are looking for in The Travelling Bag and Other Ghostly Stories.
November 26, 2020
Susan Hill is such a talented writer. I love her style. All five short stories I've read by her (the first one being The Woman In Black, which is not contained here), were evocative and atmospheric, and brought to mind classic ghost stories. Simply delightful.
But the stories themselves are another matter. I was hoping to be creeped out at least a little bit and that didn't happen. However, I found each to be interesting in its own right and I'm glad I read them all.
The Travelling Bag
Enjoyable for the most part but I felt as if something was missing...particularly with the ending. Maybe an actual feeling of horror? It was mostly just rather sad. 3/5 stars.
Boy Twenty One
This one left me confused and unsure what to think. Perhaps I didn't pay enough attention when I was reading it...I don't care enough to try a reread, though. I wonder what was going through Hill's mind when she wrote it. 2/5 stars.
Alice Baker
The best of the bunch imo. I loved the creeping unease I felt throughout, as well as the sort of despairing, suffocating ambiance it had. 4/5 stars.
The Front Room
This had all the darkness and desperation that a horror story should have. And it was also...depressing and hit a tad too close to home for me. What with a certain nasty relative (but fortunately, mine are not quite as bad as this one😅). 3/5 stars.
If you've never read Susan Hill before, I would not recommend starting with this collection but rather The Woman In Black.
But the stories themselves are another matter. I was hoping to be creeped out at least a little bit and that didn't happen. However, I found each to be interesting in its own right and I'm glad I read them all.
The Travelling Bag
Enjoyable for the most part but I felt as if something was missing...particularly with the ending. Maybe an actual feeling of horror? It was mostly just rather sad. 3/5 stars.
Boy Twenty One
This one left me confused and unsure what to think. Perhaps I didn't pay enough attention when I was reading it...I don't care enough to try a reread, though. I wonder what was going through Hill's mind when she wrote it. 2/5 stars.
Alice Baker
The best of the bunch imo. I loved the creeping unease I felt throughout, as well as the sort of despairing, suffocating ambiance it had. 4/5 stars.
The Front Room
This had all the darkness and desperation that a horror story should have. And it was also...depressing and hit a tad too close to home for me. What with a certain nasty relative (but fortunately, mine are not quite as bad as this one😅). 3/5 stars.
If you've never read Susan Hill before, I would not recommend starting with this collection but rather The Woman In Black.
January 10, 2017
While technically speaking this isn't actually a classic each story is written in the style of traditional Victorian Gothic stories, with nothing explained explicitly and your imagination allowed to run wild from the hints and suggestions provided. There are four stories in this collection, each one just as chilling as the next and yet just as heartfelt and heartbreaking. The title story is told as a fireside tale by a psychic detective as he recounts an old case of two academic, one of whom steals the research of the other to achieve great success while the other becomes bitter and cynical until one day he sees an opportunity for revenge, a revenge that goes horribly wrong. The second story is a chilling yet sad story about a lonely orphan boy, now grown, reflecting on an friendship that helped him through his early years but turns out to be more unusual than he realised at the time. The third story, Alice Baker, is set in an office where Alice starts as the new girl with all her strange quirks and odd behaviours. As the team moves to a new office, things begin to get stranger until one night things take a leap for the worse. And yet there is something sad and devastating behind it all. The final story, the Front Room, is the most disturbing as it shows that you are not safe in your own home with your family and that a good deed is not always returned.
August 25, 2017
The Travelling Bag and other Ghostly Stories contains 4 short tales all eloquently written in Susan Hill’s gothic style. They are all spooky stories that slowly creep up on you rather than gory horror. As the atmosphere within each one slowly builds up like a crescendo of eeriness to their creepy finale. Most are in the traditional Gothic style but a couple have a more contemporary setting. These are all beautifully crafted to leave a chill down your spine. You do have to let your imagination run wild from the subtle suggestions contained but this just adds to the traditional style.
If you’ve loved previous books by Susan Hill definitely give these tales a spin. They are not her best stories however fit beautifully into her collection of work. I enjoyed all the tales. Each one was different enough to keep my attention. There is nothing groundbreaking in them but all are fine examples of gothic spookiness. They are a quick and easy read I think the total page count for all is less than 200 pages. Perfect to read tucked up in bed on a dark stormy night.
Recommended for fans of: traditional ghost stories, spooky tales
I received a free advanced reader copy via Netgallery in return for an honest review.
If you’ve loved previous books by Susan Hill definitely give these tales a spin. They are not her best stories however fit beautifully into her collection of work. I enjoyed all the tales. Each one was different enough to keep my attention. There is nothing groundbreaking in them but all are fine examples of gothic spookiness. They are a quick and easy read I think the total page count for all is less than 200 pages. Perfect to read tucked up in bed on a dark stormy night.
Recommended for fans of: traditional ghost stories, spooky tales
I received a free advanced reader copy via Netgallery in return for an honest review.
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