W.S.

by L.P. Hartley

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Fiction

16 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Leslie Poles Hartley (1895-1972) was born in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, and educated at Harrow and Balliol College, Oxford. For more than thirty years from 1923 he was an indefatigable fiction reviewer for periodicals including the Spectator and Saturday Review. His first book, Night Fears (1924) was a collection of short stories; but it was not until the publication of Eustace and Hilda (1947), which won the James Tait Black prize, that Hartley gained widespread recognition as an author. His other novels include The Go-Between (1953), which was adapted into an internationally-successful film starring Julie Christie and Alan Bates, and The Hireling (1957), the film version of which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in Roald Dahl's book of Ghost Stories. These are supposed to be scary stories. In the introduction, Roald spent a few years reading every ghost story he could find and he read over 700 stories. He was trying to make a TV show and it did not get picked up so he made a book with some of his better stories.

This story was written in the 70s. I think horror has developed a whole lot since this was written. It's about 12 pages, so it's short. It reminds me most of Stephen King's 'the Dark Half'. Stephen did it better.

An author is getting strange post cards from an unknown person. I can't say that it made my spine tingle, but it was interesting. I'm going to keep going and see what happens.

[Zoë Birss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a spooky little short story, especially for writers of fiction. L.P. Hartley may very well be exorcising the guilt of his own missteps and compromises as a writer of fiction. What of those characters for which a writer does not do their diligence? What consequences follow when the potential for a full formed character is tossed aside for the ease of using a stock one or a cliche, or simply pasting human flesh over a simple idea? I too have been haunted by my own inadequacies as a writer. Beware always the creation of a character too virtuous to be real, or too malevolent.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent little tale of an even more Modern Prometheus as the son returns to the father to resolve existential and oedipal issues.

[Sariah Horowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Writers worst nightmare. Brilliant story.

[Liquidopal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who is drawing nearer to our narrator? They are sending him postcards on their travels closer and closer to him. And what will happen when they finally get there?

[✨ Amy Malski ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Harvey Vandal · Rating 2 out of 5]

3/10

Funnily enough I’d heard a somewhat updated version of this tale in a podcast of true stories the other day, namely the scarier part of the story, when he’s receiving the postcards that he realizes are being sent from locations ever close to him. The rest of it though is still pretty weak for my taste, although I’m completely aware it’s most likely due to the age of the short story, I’m sure it was much more novel at the time.

[Fahad Ahammed · Rating 3 out of 5]

লেখকের সাথে তার নিজের সৃষ্টি সবচেয়ে খারাপ চরিত্রের দেখা হওয়ার গল্প।

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novelist, Walter Streeter begins receiving mysterious postcards from an anonymous admirer who goes by the initials W.S. But something about the tone of these missives starts to unsettle him. Just who is W.S. and what is their connection to the author?

[Hanan-X · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it to be a bit sexist. It wasn't scary and was predictable. However I love the idea of an author who created a monster with no good character be faced to confront him.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as part of the Classic Tales of Horror - 500+ Stories. It was very enjoyable 2023