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The Spirit of the Place and Other Strange Tales: The Complete Short Stories of Elizabeth Walter
The Spirit of the Place And Other Strange Tales: The Complete Short Stories of Elizabeth Walter. All of Elizabeth Walter's 31 short stories collected in one volume for the first time. Supernatural, eerie and uncanny tales from her collections Snowfall & Other Chilling Events (1965), The Sin Eater & Other Scientific Impossibilities (1967), Davy Jones's Tale & Other Supernatural Stories (1971), Come And Get Me & Other Uncanny Invitations (1973) and Dead Woman & Other Haunting Experiences (1975). Elizabeth Walter was a novelist, short story writer, translator and for thirty years from 1961 editor of The Collins Crime Club. She was a very private person, but the book's editor, Dave Brzeski has researched snippets of bibliographic information from her days with Wlliam Collins. In addition he discusses her writing and reviews the adaptations of her stories on television, in his informative introduction.
Positively brilliant. They should rank as classics among occult stories. The character building and atmosphere are superb"
Dennis Wheatley on 'The Sin Eater'
Positively brilliant. They should rank as classics among occult stories. The character building and atmosphere are superb"
Dennis Wheatley on 'The Sin Eater'
553 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2017
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July 20, 20171) I don't know how to rate this book so I'm leaving that part blank. It doesn't mean I didn't like it, because I did, but a number's just not popping into my head at the moment.
2) Do yourself a gigantic favor and get this book in e-reader format. It's huge which makes it a bit cumbersome readingwise. Anyone who knows me knows I prefer print copies, but this time, had I but known, I would have got a Kindle copy.
and now, to the book.
I'd never heard of Elizabeth Walter before I bought this book this past spring, but I'm very pleased that the editor, Dave Brzeski, decided to bring her work back into the reading public's eye where it is now easily accessible. He has compiled all thirty-one short stories in this volume, just as they appeared over her five different book collections.
She has fashioned her stories so that we realize pretty quickly that the forces lying outside the realm of nature are not of the beneficent sort, but have a rather cruel, malevolent streak to them. To her credit, and with only minor exceptions, Walters manages to sustain this idea throughout most of the stories throughout this book; when all is said and done, however, it's the human reaction to these forces that matters in this volume. As she is quoted in the introduction,
"The thing I like most about the supernatural is that it enables you to play God, to dispense justice -- only you dispense it from beyond the grave." (3)
I can guarantee that this happens here, in spades.
Like any other anthology, it's not perfect -- the writing can be uneven, the later stories are not as good as the earlier ones, but as a whole, The Spirit of the Place and Other Strange Tales is well worth reading. The big plus for me was the stories with Welsh settings -- it's amazing how old superstitions still abide in some places, and she does a wonderful job incorporating some of them into her work. I did have three particular favorites from this collection, "The Island of Regrets," which really needs to go in a hall-of-fame sort of collection of best/most disturbing supernatural/weird tales ever told; "Davy Jones's Tale," the ending of which has a delicious ambiguity about it; finally there's "The Dead Woman," which is a lovely example of how Walter has built on longstanding superstitions that exist among the modern inhabitants of a small Welsh village.
It is a collection I would certainly recommend to anyone who has an interest in the supernatural or in older weird tales in general, although obviously these are pretty tame in comparison to modern horror tales so maybe a less jaded audience without a need for gore or the severely grotesque would more likely appreciate what she has to offer here.
there is a great deal more at my reading journal, so if you're so inclined as to whet your appetite for this book by getting a wee taste of what's inside, feel free to click. Otherwise, for people who want to go into it blindly, I'll just say that collectively, these stories make for a great time and fun reading experience that should not be missed.
September 26, 2019
I did not read this whole collection, just a cherry-picked list of 10 stories, as I'm currently trying to tackled the early part of the "W"s in my "To read" horror/weird/supernatural short fiction list. And this was a good place to get all the Elizabeth Walter pieces in one place.
Walter is an interesting case. She worked as a professional editor for a big British publisher, overseeing their crime fiction line in the 50s-60s. And she had these ghost/supernatural stories published as collections - by which I mean she wasn't writing them and submitting them for publication in periodicals (some did appear, after their release, in anthologies) - so they tend to run long in a lot of cases (not actual novellas, but "long short stories" except for the final set). Also, while obviously motivated by her love for the "classic British ghost story", she tends to bring her "crime fiction" viewpoint into the narratives so that, unlike the majority of these type of things, the police are often involved at some point, and procedural elements/questions crop up a bit more than you are used to (to the detriment of one character in one particular story). The collection features a nicely compact little introduction gathering together all known information about Elizabeth Walter's life, her career as an editor and as an author, and adaptations of her work (NIGHT GALLERY & GHOST STORY) - this latter bit was especially appreciated).
And while not all the stories work ("all" that I read, of course), I liked reading them - Walter (again, probably from her editing work) knows how to pace a story (even when, as a whole, it's too long), propel the plot and easily sketch characters and settings. In fact, the stories set in Wales are particularly strong. But let's get to them all now, starting with the weaker ones:
"In The Mist" - An older couple, driving to Scotland, pick up a soldier on a desolate, fogbound Yorkshire road, a young man who seemingly is in the RAF and attempting to return to base. Sadly, while well written, this is very much a "sentimental" ghost story, and even less effective for being drawn out (it isn't the twist you think it is, but then...it is, anyway). A traditional "phantom hitchhiker" type thing, with some interesting capturing of attitudes towards class, and general courtesy.
"The Travelling Companion" - A young woman (an invalid after a car crash) is finally returning home accompanied by a mysterious male nurse. And surprises await her at her parent's home.
Sadly, this story was in a similar vein to "In The Mist" - a fairly familiar trope - even if the fine, clear writing allows for some interesting touches of the time (a bit of class consciousness, a small moment of reactionary homophobia as she worries her male nurse might be a "queer"), but still, the payoff is obvious and inevitable. Good last line, though.
Similar, but from later in her career, is "The Spirit Of The Place" - two older female friends are reunited in Tuscany where one works restoring old murals. They travel out into the countryside to a remote church to view a recent discovery (previously hidden under some plaster) not yet made accessible to the public, which depicts Lazarus' resurrection, but cannot gain entry to the building. The visiting friend, killing time, talks a bit with a downcast young man who is upset that he is being sent away from the village. Later discussion, and an examination of some photographs, round out the story. This is a fairly traditional story. Interesting only in its brevity and the period detail of a Tuscany in which all the poverty-stricken farmers are now selling their lands.
Slightly stronger, if still a little uneven, are the following: "Snowfall" - a young man risks a drive to Swansea during a snowstorm and find himself stuck in the mountains. Abandoning his car, he makes for a small nearby village but is rescued by an older man who brings him to his house. The man claims to be an anthropologist who has studied various tribal black magic practices, and who becomes increasingly more unhinged as the evening progresses, claiming the young man must help him excavate a safe in an outdoor building, a safe which contains a treasure from the Caribbean. This is an interesting story, if not completely successful. Walter has a sharp eye for atmospherics and drama, capturing the suspense of the dangerous snowstorm and the isolated locale really well. As the story settles in, we kind of feel like we know where it is going (and we are right) but Walter's pacing is languid. More interestingly, the story extends far beyond its usual climax, involving a trip to the police and an expedition through the snow back to the "scene of the crime" (this addition allows her to sketch the inhabitants of a Welsh village). Like I said, not completely a success, as an overall story (streamlining would have helped) but an enjoyable read never the less.
"The Sin Eater" (not the NIGHT GALLERY story, which is Christianna Brand's "Sins Of The Father): A young man, visiting churches in a remote area of Wales, unwittingly takes part in an old rural ritual wherein he consumes (takes on) the sins of a dead man. Said dead man was sentenced for murdering his wife years ago. Later, though, the young man is compelled to return to the village, where he runs into the *actual* murderer. Justice is served, but not for everyone... This is one half an atmospheric rural weird tale and one half a mystery/crime story. The "weird" element is very slight and the story is enjoyable more for Walter's eye in describing the settings, her character work, and some sharp dialogue writing. Also interesting, again, is the recurrence of her background as an editor of crime fiction in that, once the story has wrapped up in its standard way for these kind of things, she feels compelled to acknowledge the reality of police procedure in the last line, which puts our main character (innocent of any actual wrongdoing) in a bad spot. Not a bad read.
"Come And Get Me" starts promisingly, with an Army unit setting up a post at a decrepit, abandoned mansion in the hills while involved in war games, only to spy a spectral figure in the window and hear a pleading, distressing voice. Investigation eventually unravels a story of a young solder who committed suicide in the nearby lake, but that story (thanks to some coincidence), unravels even further. Not a bad set-up, but the ending is clunky and expositional.
"The Hare": in the Harz forests of Germany (near the famed Brocken mountain and the militarized border) a West German intelligence officer meets up with an East German contact, hoping to facilitate the passage of an officer over the border. But the female East German officer may not be all she seems. This was an interesting change of pace, setting and character. The espionage aspects are not overplayed, and it is more about the character of the West German officer and how he falls into a supernatural trap. A little bit of sex as well. Not bad.
While there was no outstanding story by Walter, there were a number of solidly good ones. These include:
"Davey Jones' Story": a Welsh fishing village is the site of a notorious shipwreck nearly a hundred years ago where (due to the storm and geographic realities) a lifeboat was unable to save a large ship foundering on the rocks and all people aboard were subsequently drowned, washing into town on the tide. In modern times, our main character is a young man who lusts after his cousin's wife and, when a mysterious wreck is spotted during a dangerous storm, sets out with him and a crew to perform a rescue. But the lifeboat capsizes and he is washed onboard a mysterious foundered ghost ship, to have a discussion with the ghostly captain about what price the town must pay for their century-old failure - a price that works into the young man's plans. A solid story. The character of Davey Jones is well drawn, as is life in the fishing village (small fishing towns like this were beginning to die out at the time as mass fisheries began to take away their profits), and the love triangle aspect is conveyed extremely well. The bits with the ghost ship are strong - as a culmination of the various plot/character threads - and the story has a sad/Gothic type ending.
"The Concrete Captain" - A journalist, spending time in a small fishing village, hears the explanation regarding a large block of concrete called "The Captain," that locals treat with deference, that is located offshore on some rocks. Seems that it contains the remains of a Captain whose ship was driven onto the rocks and who, when he tried to swim ashore, failed and was drowned. Later, his body was found wedged too tightly into the rocks to remove for burial and so they poured concrete over him. Later, the journalist (who thinks showing deference to the monument/tomb is absurd) finds himself adrift in the fog and has a horrifyingly physical encounter with the dead sea Captain. Adapted (reportedly poorly, but I'll have to re-watch it myself) on the old tv show GHOST STORY from the 1970s, this is a straightforward little piece, a bit more trim and compact than usual. The nautical details are engaging.
The two strongest stories, while still just solidly "good", are:
"The New House" - a young couple, expecting a child, are settling into their newly built home on Pleasant Hill, when they experience an intruder in their house who can only be heard (footsteps, feminine laugh) but not seen. The husband does some research, refusing to believe that a new house can be haunted, and uncovers the fact that "Pleasant Hill" was once "Gibbet Hill" where many highwaymen were hanged, and the last hanging there was of a young woman over a misdemeanor crime of stealing bread (she was starving, thus illustrating the old truth that justice is different for the rich and the poor). A storm on Halloween night isolates the house, and the couple experience strange events and a direct, lethal threat to their child. A good story. As always, a bit more length than needed (a discussion with a Librarian leads to a longer discussion with a Historian, which could have been condensed as plot beats) but the husband's travail of making it back home through a storm-wracked night, and the suspense of his medical endeavors (I'm trying not to spoil the suspense), culminate in a nicely creepy final moment.
"The Isle of Regrets" - An engaged couple (she a bit controlling, he a bit milquetoast, and regretting the engagement) stop in a remote Breton town while on holiday, and hear legends about the small island in the bay - legends that say that the first wish one has on landing there will be fulfilled, but in an unexpected and negative way, and that the island also houses a madman (always houses a madman, who is periodically replaced). And, of course (despite the wishes of the husband and the superstitious town folk), they rent a boat and go to the island, where unconscious wishes are made and a madman is met. This is essentially a curse story, with the second half featuring a desperate trip to attempt to undue it. While perhaps a bit too long in the set-up (and some moments of the desperate trip), and despite the fact that you know where it's going, this has atmospheric moments (the exploration of the island, the finding of the dilapidated house) and a clear, straight-ahead story line. The "floating, leering faces" during the final dash are a nicely weird touch. Again, a solid story.
Walter is an interesting case. She worked as a professional editor for a big British publisher, overseeing their crime fiction line in the 50s-60s. And she had these ghost/supernatural stories published as collections - by which I mean she wasn't writing them and submitting them for publication in periodicals (some did appear, after their release, in anthologies) - so they tend to run long in a lot of cases (not actual novellas, but "long short stories" except for the final set). Also, while obviously motivated by her love for the "classic British ghost story", she tends to bring her "crime fiction" viewpoint into the narratives so that, unlike the majority of these type of things, the police are often involved at some point, and procedural elements/questions crop up a bit more than you are used to (to the detriment of one character in one particular story). The collection features a nicely compact little introduction gathering together all known information about Elizabeth Walter's life, her career as an editor and as an author, and adaptations of her work (NIGHT GALLERY & GHOST STORY) - this latter bit was especially appreciated).
And while not all the stories work ("all" that I read, of course), I liked reading them - Walter (again, probably from her editing work) knows how to pace a story (even when, as a whole, it's too long), propel the plot and easily sketch characters and settings. In fact, the stories set in Wales are particularly strong. But let's get to them all now, starting with the weaker ones:
"In The Mist" - An older couple, driving to Scotland, pick up a soldier on a desolate, fogbound Yorkshire road, a young man who seemingly is in the RAF and attempting to return to base. Sadly, while well written, this is very much a "sentimental" ghost story, and even less effective for being drawn out (it isn't the twist you think it is, but then...it is, anyway). A traditional "phantom hitchhiker" type thing, with some interesting capturing of attitudes towards class, and general courtesy.
"The Travelling Companion" - A young woman (an invalid after a car crash) is finally returning home accompanied by a mysterious male nurse. And surprises await her at her parent's home.
Sadly, this story was in a similar vein to "In The Mist" - a fairly familiar trope - even if the fine, clear writing allows for some interesting touches of the time (a bit of class consciousness, a small moment of reactionary homophobia as she worries her male nurse might be a "queer"), but still, the payoff is obvious and inevitable. Good last line, though.
Similar, but from later in her career, is "The Spirit Of The Place" - two older female friends are reunited in Tuscany where one works restoring old murals. They travel out into the countryside to a remote church to view a recent discovery (previously hidden under some plaster) not yet made accessible to the public, which depicts Lazarus' resurrection, but cannot gain entry to the building. The visiting friend, killing time, talks a bit with a downcast young man who is upset that he is being sent away from the village. Later discussion, and an examination of some photographs, round out the story. This is a fairly traditional story. Interesting only in its brevity and the period detail of a Tuscany in which all the poverty-stricken farmers are now selling their lands.
Slightly stronger, if still a little uneven, are the following: "Snowfall" - a young man risks a drive to Swansea during a snowstorm and find himself stuck in the mountains. Abandoning his car, he makes for a small nearby village but is rescued by an older man who brings him to his house. The man claims to be an anthropologist who has studied various tribal black magic practices, and who becomes increasingly more unhinged as the evening progresses, claiming the young man must help him excavate a safe in an outdoor building, a safe which contains a treasure from the Caribbean. This is an interesting story, if not completely successful. Walter has a sharp eye for atmospherics and drama, capturing the suspense of the dangerous snowstorm and the isolated locale really well. As the story settles in, we kind of feel like we know where it is going (and we are right) but Walter's pacing is languid. More interestingly, the story extends far beyond its usual climax, involving a trip to the police and an expedition through the snow back to the "scene of the crime" (this addition allows her to sketch the inhabitants of a Welsh village). Like I said, not completely a success, as an overall story (streamlining would have helped) but an enjoyable read never the less.
"The Sin Eater" (not the NIGHT GALLERY story, which is Christianna Brand's "Sins Of The Father): A young man, visiting churches in a remote area of Wales, unwittingly takes part in an old rural ritual wherein he consumes (takes on) the sins of a dead man. Said dead man was sentenced for murdering his wife years ago. Later, though, the young man is compelled to return to the village, where he runs into the *actual* murderer. Justice is served, but not for everyone... This is one half an atmospheric rural weird tale and one half a mystery/crime story. The "weird" element is very slight and the story is enjoyable more for Walter's eye in describing the settings, her character work, and some sharp dialogue writing. Also interesting, again, is the recurrence of her background as an editor of crime fiction in that, once the story has wrapped up in its standard way for these kind of things, she feels compelled to acknowledge the reality of police procedure in the last line, which puts our main character (innocent of any actual wrongdoing) in a bad spot. Not a bad read.
"Come And Get Me" starts promisingly, with an Army unit setting up a post at a decrepit, abandoned mansion in the hills while involved in war games, only to spy a spectral figure in the window and hear a pleading, distressing voice. Investigation eventually unravels a story of a young solder who committed suicide in the nearby lake, but that story (thanks to some coincidence), unravels even further. Not a bad set-up, but the ending is clunky and expositional.
"The Hare": in the Harz forests of Germany (near the famed Brocken mountain and the militarized border) a West German intelligence officer meets up with an East German contact, hoping to facilitate the passage of an officer over the border. But the female East German officer may not be all she seems. This was an interesting change of pace, setting and character. The espionage aspects are not overplayed, and it is more about the character of the West German officer and how he falls into a supernatural trap. A little bit of sex as well. Not bad.
While there was no outstanding story by Walter, there were a number of solidly good ones. These include:
"Davey Jones' Story": a Welsh fishing village is the site of a notorious shipwreck nearly a hundred years ago where (due to the storm and geographic realities) a lifeboat was unable to save a large ship foundering on the rocks and all people aboard were subsequently drowned, washing into town on the tide. In modern times, our main character is a young man who lusts after his cousin's wife and, when a mysterious wreck is spotted during a dangerous storm, sets out with him and a crew to perform a rescue. But the lifeboat capsizes and he is washed onboard a mysterious foundered ghost ship, to have a discussion with the ghostly captain about what price the town must pay for their century-old failure - a price that works into the young man's plans. A solid story. The character of Davey Jones is well drawn, as is life in the fishing village (small fishing towns like this were beginning to die out at the time as mass fisheries began to take away their profits), and the love triangle aspect is conveyed extremely well. The bits with the ghost ship are strong - as a culmination of the various plot/character threads - and the story has a sad/Gothic type ending.
"The Concrete Captain" - A journalist, spending time in a small fishing village, hears the explanation regarding a large block of concrete called "The Captain," that locals treat with deference, that is located offshore on some rocks. Seems that it contains the remains of a Captain whose ship was driven onto the rocks and who, when he tried to swim ashore, failed and was drowned. Later, his body was found wedged too tightly into the rocks to remove for burial and so they poured concrete over him. Later, the journalist (who thinks showing deference to the monument/tomb is absurd) finds himself adrift in the fog and has a horrifyingly physical encounter with the dead sea Captain. Adapted (reportedly poorly, but I'll have to re-watch it myself) on the old tv show GHOST STORY from the 1970s, this is a straightforward little piece, a bit more trim and compact than usual. The nautical details are engaging.
The two strongest stories, while still just solidly "good", are:
"The New House" - a young couple, expecting a child, are settling into their newly built home on Pleasant Hill, when they experience an intruder in their house who can only be heard (footsteps, feminine laugh) but not seen. The husband does some research, refusing to believe that a new house can be haunted, and uncovers the fact that "Pleasant Hill" was once "Gibbet Hill" where many highwaymen were hanged, and the last hanging there was of a young woman over a misdemeanor crime of stealing bread (she was starving, thus illustrating the old truth that justice is different for the rich and the poor). A storm on Halloween night isolates the house, and the couple experience strange events and a direct, lethal threat to their child. A good story. As always, a bit more length than needed (a discussion with a Librarian leads to a longer discussion with a Historian, which could have been condensed as plot beats) but the husband's travail of making it back home through a storm-wracked night, and the suspense of his medical endeavors (I'm trying not to spoil the suspense), culminate in a nicely creepy final moment.
"The Isle of Regrets" - An engaged couple (she a bit controlling, he a bit milquetoast, and regretting the engagement) stop in a remote Breton town while on holiday, and hear legends about the small island in the bay - legends that say that the first wish one has on landing there will be fulfilled, but in an unexpected and negative way, and that the island also houses a madman (always houses a madman, who is periodically replaced). And, of course (despite the wishes of the husband and the superstitious town folk), they rent a boat and go to the island, where unconscious wishes are made and a madman is met. This is essentially a curse story, with the second half featuring a desperate trip to attempt to undue it. While perhaps a bit too long in the set-up (and some moments of the desperate trip), and despite the fact that you know where it's going, this has atmospheric moments (the exploration of the island, the finding of the dilapidated house) and a clear, straight-ahead story line. The "floating, leering faces" during the final dash are a nicely weird touch. Again, a solid story.
September 22, 2022
Elizabeth Walter is perhaps the only British writer of the 1960s and 1970s to genuinely rival Robert Aickman (the first half of 'The Sin Eater' really gives him a run for his money in the weirdness stakes). His notion of the 'strange story', the tale which defies rational explanation or formal closure in ways 'akin to poetry' is one she seems to have echoed in her own practice, producing unclassifiably odd fictions such as 'The Hollies and the Ivy', as well as ghostly tales with a folkloric backdrop such as 'The Island of Regrets'. I read the latter in a Pan horror anthology many years ago, and though there's a rather melodramatic moment in the finale, I've never forgotten the atmosphere of the piece. Its weak, unpleasant lovers only intensity the impact of the central legend.
Walter wrote beautifully, though some may find her nuanced sentences a little old fashioned. She was also very adroit at characterisation and psychology, and wasn't afraid of bleakness (e.g. the ending of 'The Tibetan Box'). Occasionally, she spoils a story through rationalising or explaining events (or an awful trick ending, as in 'Prendergast'), and some are so genteel that they offer only the mildest of frissons. On the whole however, Walter could convey memorable creepiness, believable characters, and evocative places and social rituals. 'Dead Woman' is a cracking slice of folk horror, while 'Come and Get Me' manages to be strikingly unusual and rather sad. Even if it does rely to some extent on a talking parrot, it has a very well worked plot and a distinctive version of the haunted house.
This edition has a useful (though still slightly sketchy) introduction, and collects all her ghost stories. As is so often the case with small presses, there are too many words to the page, and the cramped layout prevents a relaxing reading experience. However, it is much cheaper than buying the individual collections would be, and should be commended for restoring a significant presence to the field of ghostly, supernatural, and Weird fiction. There's genuine darkness here, as well as acute social observation and considerable originality. I originally thought 4 stars, but the best stories give it the top mark. Treat yourself and buy a copy.
Walter wrote beautifully, though some may find her nuanced sentences a little old fashioned. She was also very adroit at characterisation and psychology, and wasn't afraid of bleakness (e.g. the ending of 'The Tibetan Box'). Occasionally, she spoils a story through rationalising or explaining events (or an awful trick ending, as in 'Prendergast'), and some are so genteel that they offer only the mildest of frissons. On the whole however, Walter could convey memorable creepiness, believable characters, and evocative places and social rituals. 'Dead Woman' is a cracking slice of folk horror, while 'Come and Get Me' manages to be strikingly unusual and rather sad. Even if it does rely to some extent on a talking parrot, it has a very well worked plot and a distinctive version of the haunted house.
This edition has a useful (though still slightly sketchy) introduction, and collects all her ghost stories. As is so often the case with small presses, there are too many words to the page, and the cramped layout prevents a relaxing reading experience. However, it is much cheaper than buying the individual collections would be, and should be commended for restoring a significant presence to the field of ghostly, supernatural, and Weird fiction. There's genuine darkness here, as well as acute social observation and considerable originality. I originally thought 4 stars, but the best stories give it the top mark. Treat yourself and buy a copy.
Currently reading
November 24, 2022Die ersten drei Stories:
SNOWFALL:
THE NEW HOUSE:
THE TIBETAN BOX:
Inhaltlich sind es klassische Gespenster-/Spukgeschichten, die eher wenig Überraschungspotenzial haben. Walters Stärke ist die Erzeugung der Stimmung, die jeweils die Grundlage für die Geschichte ist, dazu die britische Grundierung.
Über Walter scheint nicht viel bekannt zu sein, mich würde interessieren, wann sie welche Stories geschrieben hat. Immerhin versorgt der Herausgeber Dave Brzeski die Leser mit den Veröffentlichungsdaten der ursprünglichen Story-Sammlungen, beginnend 1965. Drei weitere folgten innerhalb der nächsten 10 Jahre. Bin gespannt, wie sich das Erzählen entwickelt.
THE ISLAND OF REGRETS: Bislang die stärkste Story. Der erste Teil fast aickmanesk, erinnert an GLOCKENGELÄUT; ein Verlobungspärchen, das nicht füreinander gemacht ist, kommt an einen Küstenort, wo unheimliche, übernatürliche Dinge geschehen. Psychologie plus Landschaft plus das Unheimliche. Das liest sich sehr intensiv und stimmungsvoll. Leider ist der kurze, letzte Teil dann wieder eher wie aus einem Pulp-Roman.
SNOWFALL:
THE NEW HOUSE:
THE TIBETAN BOX:
Inhaltlich sind es klassische Gespenster-/Spukgeschichten, die eher wenig Überraschungspotenzial haben. Walters Stärke ist die Erzeugung der Stimmung, die jeweils die Grundlage für die Geschichte ist, dazu die britische Grundierung.
Über Walter scheint nicht viel bekannt zu sein, mich würde interessieren, wann sie welche Stories geschrieben hat. Immerhin versorgt der Herausgeber Dave Brzeski die Leser mit den Veröffentlichungsdaten der ursprünglichen Story-Sammlungen, beginnend 1965. Drei weitere folgten innerhalb der nächsten 10 Jahre. Bin gespannt, wie sich das Erzählen entwickelt.
THE ISLAND OF REGRETS: Bislang die stärkste Story. Der erste Teil fast aickmanesk, erinnert an GLOCKENGELÄUT; ein Verlobungspärchen, das nicht füreinander gemacht ist, kommt an einen Küstenort, wo unheimliche, übernatürliche Dinge geschehen. Psychologie plus Landschaft plus das Unheimliche. Das liest sich sehr intensiv und stimmungsvoll. Leider ist der kurze, letzte Teil dann wieder eher wie aus einem Pulp-Roman.
July 14, 2017
Originally published at Risingshadow.
The Spirit of the Place and Other Strange Tales: The Complete Short Stories of Elizabeth Walter is a landmark collection of strange tales, because it's a complete collection of Elizabeth Walter's supernatural and uncanny stories from her collections Snowfall & Other Chilling Events (1965), The Sin Eater & Other Scientific Impossibilities (1967), Davy Jones's Tale & Other Supernatural Stories (1971), Come And Get Me & Other Uncanny Invitations (1973) and Dead Woman & Other Haunting Experiences (1975). This is the first time that the author's stories have been gathered into a single volume.
Shadow Publishing has done a huge favour for all fans of horror fiction by publishing this collection, because it features many stories that will interest horror readers and those who love strange stories. Collections like this one don't come along very often, because not many publishers feel the desire to publish classic short stories in single volumes. There are a few massive and comprehensive collections by such authors as H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe, but finding similar kind of collections from other authors is unfortunately difficult, so this collection is more than a welcome sight.
Because I hadn't read many stories by the author prior to reading this collection, I was thrilled to read it and found myself devouring it as fast as I could. I was pleased with its contents, because the stories were compelling and satisfyingly strange. To be honest, I loved this collection very much, because it was the kind of fiction that greatly appeals to me and stimulates my imagination.
This short story collection contains the following stories:
Snowfall & Other Chilling Events:
- Snowfall
- The New House
- The Tibetan Box
- The Island of Regrets
- The Drum
The Sin-Eater & Other Scientific Impossibilities:
- The Sin-Eater
- Dearest Clarissa
- A Scientific Impossibility
- A Question of Time
- The Spider
- Exorcism
Davy Jones's Tale & Other Supernatural Stories:
- Davy Jones's Tale
- The Hare
- In The Mist
- The Lift
- The Street of the Jews
- Hushaby, Baby
Come And Get Me & Other Uncanny Invitations:
- Come And Get Me
- The Concrete Captain
- The Thing
- The Travelling Companion
- The Spirit of the Place
- Prendergast
- Grandfather Clock
Dead Woman & Other Haunting Experiences:
- Dead Woman
- The Hollies and the Ivy
- A Monstrous Tale
- The Little House
- Dual Control
- Telling the Bees
- Christmas Night
I have nothing bad to say about any of these stories, because they've been written by an author who has her own voice and who knows how to thrill readers. As a big fan of strange tales, I was wholly captivated by them and their strange atmosphere. The subtle complexity of these stories intrigued me a lot.
What I like perhaps most about these stories is that you'll be rewarded with good endings when you read them. They're classic strange tales that deliver chills to those who are willing to immerse themselves into them.
I'd like to write something about all of these stories, because I loved them, but I'm going to restrain myself from doing so in fear of revealing too much information about them. I'll only mention a few things about selected stories that demonstrate the versatility of this collection.
The New House:
- A story about Eileen and John who wake up at night and hear the footsteps of an intruder in their house. When they investigate the house, they don't find anything, but hear a low, gurgling laugh made by a woman. A while later Eileen begins to feel that the house is getting to her and it isn't theirs anymore. Soon John finds out unsettling information about the place where their new house is located...
- The author has created an excellent story that is filled with slow burning menace and terror.
- This story is a fine example of a well written and atmospheric ghost story with an excellent ending.
The Sin-Eater:
- This is a story about Clive who is interested in churches and hears of the remote Penrhayader church. He becomes interested in the church and wants to see it. During his journey, he comes across a farmhouse and is greeted by an old man. The old man invites him into the house and asks him to see his son, Eddie. When Clive sees Eddie, he notices that Eddie is dead. The man and his wife insist that he drink a glass of wine and eat a little cake in the presence of the corpse. Soon he learns that he has participated in the old custom of sin-eating for the dead...
- I enjoyed reading about the old couple and how they felt about their son. The author's decriptions of them were excellent.
- I found this story excellent, because it was something different.
In The Mist:
- In this story, Mary knows that the mist is responsible for what happened to her and Ralph during their late holiday in the autumn... One day, when Mary and Ralph take a holiday and drive around in their car they find themselves in the middle of a sudden mist. When they come out of the second fog patch they see a young man on the road. They decide to offer him a lift. Mary and Ralph begin to talk with the man and find out that he's an RAF man. A bit later they find out that something was not quite right about their encounter with the young man...
- This story is a wonderful example of a good old-fashioned and well written weird tale.
The Thing:
- A story about Roswitha who takes a holiday alone in the Austrian alps. On her last morning she decides to try the chair-lift. She finds out that she suffers from vertigo, and she is also attacked by claustrophobia and has no means of escape. A bit later she gathers her wits and sees something coming down the downward cable. An invisible creature seems to be descending the cable...
- I liked the author's way of writing Roswitha's fears and feelings, because she creates a perfect vision of a person who is terrified of what's happening to her.
- This is an excellent and satisfyingly strange tale with a good ending.
Telling the Bees:
- In this story, a young girl called Diana Lockett has become friends with her family's gardener and beekeeper, Old Parry. Diana follows the old man around all through the summer. Old Parry tells Diana that he tells the bees the truth about the doings of the family so that they won't swarm elsewhere. He tells them about who has been born and also about the deaths in the family...
- I enjoyed this story a lot, because it was wonderfully different and atmospheric.
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of all of the stories, because they're outstanding strange stories. The author's old-fashioned writing style impressed me, because she easily creates an unsettling and intriguing atmosphere. Her writing style is wonderfully addictive and effective, and she's good at keeping up a sense of mystery in her stories.
The characterisation works well, because the author easily creates believable characters. Her descriptions about the characters are fluent and effective. I enjoyed reading about the characters and their lives, because they were almost like real people.
I have a feeling that this collection will be of interest to many different kind of readers. You don't necessarily have to be a fan of horror fiction to like it, because many of the stories will interest those who enjoy strange stories. I'm sure that the author's fluent writing style and her sense of style will impress many readers.
The introduction by the editor Dave Brzeski is excellent and informative, because he tells many things about the Elizabeth Walter. Dave Brzeski has spent a lot of time digging up information about the author, because she was a very private person. I enjoyed reading the introduction, because it helped me establish a deeper appreciation for the author's stories.
The cover artwork by Edward Miller looks beautiful and atmospheric. It reflects the strangeness of the stories in an excellent way and induces a sense of eeriness in the reader.
If you call yourself a fan of literary strange fiction, weird fiction and horror fiction, The Spirit of the Place and Other Strange Tales: The Complete Short Stories of Elizabeth Walter should be at the top of your reading list. It's one of the most important collections of the year, because it gathers all of the author's short stories into a single volume. Please, don't let this wonderful collection pass you by, but read it as soon as possible.
Highly recommended!
The Spirit of the Place and Other Strange Tales: The Complete Short Stories of Elizabeth Walter is a landmark collection of strange tales, because it's a complete collection of Elizabeth Walter's supernatural and uncanny stories from her collections Snowfall & Other Chilling Events (1965), The Sin Eater & Other Scientific Impossibilities (1967), Davy Jones's Tale & Other Supernatural Stories (1971), Come And Get Me & Other Uncanny Invitations (1973) and Dead Woman & Other Haunting Experiences (1975). This is the first time that the author's stories have been gathered into a single volume.
Shadow Publishing has done a huge favour for all fans of horror fiction by publishing this collection, because it features many stories that will interest horror readers and those who love strange stories. Collections like this one don't come along very often, because not many publishers feel the desire to publish classic short stories in single volumes. There are a few massive and comprehensive collections by such authors as H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe, but finding similar kind of collections from other authors is unfortunately difficult, so this collection is more than a welcome sight.
Because I hadn't read many stories by the author prior to reading this collection, I was thrilled to read it and found myself devouring it as fast as I could. I was pleased with its contents, because the stories were compelling and satisfyingly strange. To be honest, I loved this collection very much, because it was the kind of fiction that greatly appeals to me and stimulates my imagination.
This short story collection contains the following stories:
Snowfall & Other Chilling Events:
- Snowfall
- The New House
- The Tibetan Box
- The Island of Regrets
- The Drum
The Sin-Eater & Other Scientific Impossibilities:
- The Sin-Eater
- Dearest Clarissa
- A Scientific Impossibility
- A Question of Time
- The Spider
- Exorcism
Davy Jones's Tale & Other Supernatural Stories:
- Davy Jones's Tale
- The Hare
- In The Mist
- The Lift
- The Street of the Jews
- Hushaby, Baby
Come And Get Me & Other Uncanny Invitations:
- Come And Get Me
- The Concrete Captain
- The Thing
- The Travelling Companion
- The Spirit of the Place
- Prendergast
- Grandfather Clock
Dead Woman & Other Haunting Experiences:
- Dead Woman
- The Hollies and the Ivy
- A Monstrous Tale
- The Little House
- Dual Control
- Telling the Bees
- Christmas Night
I have nothing bad to say about any of these stories, because they've been written by an author who has her own voice and who knows how to thrill readers. As a big fan of strange tales, I was wholly captivated by them and their strange atmosphere. The subtle complexity of these stories intrigued me a lot.
What I like perhaps most about these stories is that you'll be rewarded with good endings when you read them. They're classic strange tales that deliver chills to those who are willing to immerse themselves into them.
I'd like to write something about all of these stories, because I loved them, but I'm going to restrain myself from doing so in fear of revealing too much information about them. I'll only mention a few things about selected stories that demonstrate the versatility of this collection.
The New House:
- A story about Eileen and John who wake up at night and hear the footsteps of an intruder in their house. When they investigate the house, they don't find anything, but hear a low, gurgling laugh made by a woman. A while later Eileen begins to feel that the house is getting to her and it isn't theirs anymore. Soon John finds out unsettling information about the place where their new house is located...
- The author has created an excellent story that is filled with slow burning menace and terror.
- This story is a fine example of a well written and atmospheric ghost story with an excellent ending.
The Sin-Eater:
- This is a story about Clive who is interested in churches and hears of the remote Penrhayader church. He becomes interested in the church and wants to see it. During his journey, he comes across a farmhouse and is greeted by an old man. The old man invites him into the house and asks him to see his son, Eddie. When Clive sees Eddie, he notices that Eddie is dead. The man and his wife insist that he drink a glass of wine and eat a little cake in the presence of the corpse. Soon he learns that he has participated in the old custom of sin-eating for the dead...
- I enjoyed reading about the old couple and how they felt about their son. The author's decriptions of them were excellent.
- I found this story excellent, because it was something different.
In The Mist:
- In this story, Mary knows that the mist is responsible for what happened to her and Ralph during their late holiday in the autumn... One day, when Mary and Ralph take a holiday and drive around in their car they find themselves in the middle of a sudden mist. When they come out of the second fog patch they see a young man on the road. They decide to offer him a lift. Mary and Ralph begin to talk with the man and find out that he's an RAF man. A bit later they find out that something was not quite right about their encounter with the young man...
- This story is a wonderful example of a good old-fashioned and well written weird tale.
The Thing:
- A story about Roswitha who takes a holiday alone in the Austrian alps. On her last morning she decides to try the chair-lift. She finds out that she suffers from vertigo, and she is also attacked by claustrophobia and has no means of escape. A bit later she gathers her wits and sees something coming down the downward cable. An invisible creature seems to be descending the cable...
- I liked the author's way of writing Roswitha's fears and feelings, because she creates a perfect vision of a person who is terrified of what's happening to her.
- This is an excellent and satisfyingly strange tale with a good ending.
Telling the Bees:
- In this story, a young girl called Diana Lockett has become friends with her family's gardener and beekeeper, Old Parry. Diana follows the old man around all through the summer. Old Parry tells Diana that he tells the bees the truth about the doings of the family so that they won't swarm elsewhere. He tells them about who has been born and also about the deaths in the family...
- I enjoyed this story a lot, because it was wonderfully different and atmospheric.
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of all of the stories, because they're outstanding strange stories. The author's old-fashioned writing style impressed me, because she easily creates an unsettling and intriguing atmosphere. Her writing style is wonderfully addictive and effective, and she's good at keeping up a sense of mystery in her stories.
The characterisation works well, because the author easily creates believable characters. Her descriptions about the characters are fluent and effective. I enjoyed reading about the characters and their lives, because they were almost like real people.
I have a feeling that this collection will be of interest to many different kind of readers. You don't necessarily have to be a fan of horror fiction to like it, because many of the stories will interest those who enjoy strange stories. I'm sure that the author's fluent writing style and her sense of style will impress many readers.
The introduction by the editor Dave Brzeski is excellent and informative, because he tells many things about the Elizabeth Walter. Dave Brzeski has spent a lot of time digging up information about the author, because she was a very private person. I enjoyed reading the introduction, because it helped me establish a deeper appreciation for the author's stories.
The cover artwork by Edward Miller looks beautiful and atmospheric. It reflects the strangeness of the stories in an excellent way and induces a sense of eeriness in the reader.
If you call yourself a fan of literary strange fiction, weird fiction and horror fiction, The Spirit of the Place and Other Strange Tales: The Complete Short Stories of Elizabeth Walter should be at the top of your reading list. It's one of the most important collections of the year, because it gathers all of the author's short stories into a single volume. Please, don't let this wonderful collection pass you by, but read it as soon as possible.
Highly recommended!
February 13, 2025
I started this excellent short story collection back in November but took the stories slowly with some space between them. There's not a bad or disappointing tale in its 666(!) pages, a very rare thing in complete single-author collections.
My favorite weird fiction has some subtlety in its bones while still managing to make the reader uneasy. Ms. Walter, who primarily made her living in the publishing business as an editor and reader, brings wonderful skill to her craft here, starting with simple premises and gradually weaving nets of pure, inevitable doom and dread. The telling may be subtle but the events at the stories' hearts are anything but. There's none of that "did this or didn't this happen?" business.
The settings are almost entirely in the British isles and some of the stories echo earlier writers but Walter's style is modern and her ability to take the reader from mundane settings into fantastic spaces is stunning. All-in-all, I'd rank this book with the very best single author ghost/weird collections I've ever read.
My favorite weird fiction has some subtlety in its bones while still managing to make the reader uneasy. Ms. Walter, who primarily made her living in the publishing business as an editor and reader, brings wonderful skill to her craft here, starting with simple premises and gradually weaving nets of pure, inevitable doom and dread. The telling may be subtle but the events at the stories' hearts are anything but. There's none of that "did this or didn't this happen?" business.
The settings are almost entirely in the British isles and some of the stories echo earlier writers but Walter's style is modern and her ability to take the reader from mundane settings into fantastic spaces is stunning. All-in-all, I'd rank this book with the very best single author ghost/weird collections I've ever read.
March 30, 2023
While the writing is actually not half bad - I can't get over the ghost part of this. Oh - how I hate ghost stories. I really don't get why they exist. Somewhere between being taken seriously, and complete fantasy. I find it easier to read about dragons and magicians (which no author really assumes are real) than deal with the ambiguity that some authors (including this one) put into their stories regarding the existence of ghosts.
November 9, 2019
Interesting stories and a rather unique writing style. I enjoyed the book. My only complaint was there was an abundance of typographical errors, which served as a distraction.
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