The Wimbourne Book of Victorian Ghost Stories: Volume 2

by Alastair Gunn (Editor), Charles Dickens, Richard Harris Barham

Thirty Christmas ghost stories from the supernatural masters of the Victorian age. Wimbourne Books presents the second in a series of rare or out-of-print ghost stories from Victorian authors. With an introduction by author Alastair Gunn, Volume 2 in the series spans the years 1836 to 1901, contains ghost stories set at or around Christmas, and includes stories from a wide range of authors including Charles Dickens, Amelia B. Edwards and J. S. Le Fanu. Readers new to this genre will discover its pleasures; the Victorian quaintness, the sometimes shocking difference in social norms, the almost comical politeness and structured etiquette, the archaic and precise language, but mostly the Victorians’ skill at stoking our fears and trepidations, our insecurities and doubts. Even if you are already an aficionado of the ghostly tale there is much within these pages to interest you. Wait until the dark of the snowy night (preferably on Christmas Eve), lock the doors, shutter the windows, light the fire, sit with your back to the wall and bury yourself in the Victorian macabre. Try not to let the creaking floorboards, the distant howl of a dog, the chill breeze that caresses the candle, the shadows in the far recesses of your room, disturb your concentration.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Victorian, Fiction, Gothic, Ghost Stories, Christmas

409 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 18, 2016

About the author

ALASTAIR GUNN is an author, musician and professional astrophysicist based in the UK and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. As well as an active scientist, Alastair is an experienced and popular public lecturer on astronomy and is known for his accessible (though challenging), light-hearted, and visually stunning lectures. He has made guest appearances on many TV and radio shows around the world and has hosted a regular astronomy program on radio. Alastair writes a regular column for BBC Science Focus magazine and has written for The Daily Telegraph, The Independent and The Guardian and is a contributor to many astronomy magazines including Astronomy Now, BBC Sky at Night and StarDate. His fiction includes ghostly short stories, a collection of supernatural stories called Ballymoon and his debut novel, The Bergamese Sect.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rounded up from 4.5 stars.

A hit-or-miss anthology that hits more often than it misses. The first few stories weren’t my cup of tea, as they were more satiric, a style of Victorian Christmas ghost story that shows up every now and then. Once I passed those, however, the collection really took off.

There’s a lot to like here - and a lot to read, considering that there are 30 stories and novellas included (only one of which I’ve encountered before). One of the more interesting was The Abbot’s Ghost by Louisa May Alcott, which actually details a Christmas gathering with the party guests telling each other ghost stories.

Good fun, and excellent reading for dark wintry nights.

PS If you’re into little things like the right of a woman to vote, own property, or play bridge, you might want to skip the last story.

[Sem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't often buy ebooks of works in the public domain but $1 seemed a paltry sum to pay for the advantage of having someone else collect what it would take me ages to find and copy into one file. And had I done it myself I might not have thought to include some of these, in which case I'd have missed out. There are a few much-anthologised stories and a few weak offerings, but as a collection they hold each other up very nicely. In addition, there's a decent introduction (not something one expects to find in a bargain basement ebook). Grant Allen's 'Wolverden Tower' is a humdinger.

[Naticia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Christmas collection of ghost stories, most of which were new to me (or at least to my memory). Favorites included "Ghosts at Grantley" and "The Great Staircase at Landover". None of these were particularly scary or even that creepy, but instead leaned much more toward the very self-aware ghost.

[Onorio Catenacci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as strong as the first volume. The Christmas theme running through the stories certainly led to some interesting choices of stories. Overall the quality of the stories varied greatly. Some were genuinely chilling while others were just tedious. Still I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good ghost story; you may just want to skip one or two of the stories in the volume.

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so disappointed in this volume, I could have cried. Zero spookiness, just melodrama about people marrying their improbably-attractive cousins. The only good stories in it were the three or four I've already read. Shit.

[David Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful collection of Victorian aged stories. I thoroughly enjoyed many of the stories compiled in it.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

If you love Victorian ghost stories you'll love this book. It contains a varied collection of stories and I enjoyed each one. At the price it can't be beaten.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession that I haven't read every single story...but I have read several and I loved each of them! Victorian Ghost Stories are the very best kind.