Lord Halifax's Ghost Book: A Collection of True Stories

by Charles Lindley Wood

New hardback. u918

Genres: Horror, Ghosts, Nonfiction, Speculative Fiction, Ghost Stories, Paranormal

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1936

About the author

Viscount Halifax

Reviews

[Dan Smith]

This book is meant to be a collection of real ghost stories: they are all accounts that Lord Halifax has collected from friends and acquaintances.

However, 'The Passenger With The Bag' (he does not give a source for this account) is almost identical to the story 'The Four-Fifteen Express' (1867) by Amelia B. Edwards, who was quite a famous Victorian author.

The name of one of the characters is even the same, Mr Dwerrihouse in Amelia's and Mr Dwerringhouse in Halifax's book. As Halifax's book was published in 1936 there can be little doubt as to who copied who, although, I suppose one could argue that Amelia heard the same story and decided to make it into a short story.

I would love to know if anyone else has noticed a similar thing with any of the other stories presented in this book?

[Rob Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great spooky fun; a collection of 'true' ghost stories collected by Lord Halifax, a Victorian English Viscount with an interest in the supernatural. Most document hauntings in the great houses of Britain, but there are interesting and eerie detours into prophetic dreams and ghostly warnings from beyond, and even an account of a vampiric cat! The only dud in the collection is Lord Halifax's one attempt at a fictional ghost story, towards the end of the volume.

[Otto Hahaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Englantilaisella aatelissedällä oli tapailla keräillä tosia kummitusjuttuja ja viihdyttää niillä vieraitaan. Toki juttujen todellisuus vaihtelee, välillä mennään selvästi fiktion puolelle ja usein tarinat ovat toisen ja kolmannen käden kautta kerrottuja. Mutta osa on varmaan aitoja, eli jotain outoa tapahtui, mutta ei voi tietää mitä. On lohduttavaa, että mitä aidompia jutut ovat, niin sitä vähemmän pelottavampia ne ovat. Hauskaa on luokkatietoinen ajankuva, aina pitää kertoa kuka oli kellekin sukua yms. Joillekin tarinoille voi löytää jatkoa internetistä ja Wikipediasta: Glamis-linnan salaisuuteen vain viitataan kirjassa, kun keskitytään kummitteluun, mutta salaisuudesta löytyy vaikka mitä muuta kirjallisuutta.

Tämä osui käteen kirjamessuilla, ja kyllä tämä viihdytti minua tarpeeksi. Välillä kyllä pikakelasin tekstiä reippaasti (enneunet, mieluummin ei…).

[Maria Fernanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of supernatural accounts. There are some really cool and spooky stories in this book. Although, after a while, some start to sound too repetitive.

I wish it had a preface, the beging was too abrupt. But overall i had fun with the it.

[Sid Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a gothic ghost story fan, this is a classic. This collection is “true”, Lord Halifax collected the tales from friends & others were sent to him. The collection illuminates a by gone age. Pull up a chair to the fire & enjoy.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great collection of 'true' 19th-century ghost stories

[J. Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not quite finished with it, but am loving it. Lord Halifax (Charles Wood, father to Lord Edwin, the later Lord Halifax, Viceroy of India and prominent politician during WWII) collected true ghost stories in a book and would from time to time share the stories with his guests. When possible, he attempted to get multiple witness accounts to hauntings; even so, some stories seem fanciful, embellished and unlikely. Delighted to have this book in my collection, I can imagine a dinner party where Lord Halifax would entertain his guests with these stories. What strikes me as fascinating is that these are stories of the upper class, shared with the upper class naming places and specific people. Lords and Baronesses, Diocese Chancellors...

[Joel Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Halifax's classic and influential (and very British) collection of ghost stories.