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Ghosts of Christmas Past
A present contains a monstrous secret.
An uninvited guest haunts a Christmas party.
A shadow slips across the floor by firelight.
A festive entertainment ends in darkness and screams.
Who knows what haunts the night at the dark point of the year? This collection of seasonal chillers looks beneath Christmas cheer to a world of ghosts and horrors, mixing terrifying modern fiction with classic stories by masters of the macabre. From Neil Gaiman and M. R. James to Muriel Spark and E. Nesbit, there are stories here to make the hardiest soul quail - so find a comfy chair, lock the door, ignore the cold breath on your neck and get ready to welcome in the real spirits of Christmas.
An uninvited guest haunts a Christmas party.
A shadow slips across the floor by firelight.
A festive entertainment ends in darkness and screams.
Who knows what haunts the night at the dark point of the year? This collection of seasonal chillers looks beneath Christmas cheer to a world of ghosts and horrors, mixing terrifying modern fiction with classic stories by masters of the macabre. From Neil Gaiman and M. R. James to Muriel Spark and E. Nesbit, there are stories here to make the hardiest soul quail - so find a comfy chair, lock the door, ignore the cold breath on your neck and get ready to welcome in the real spirits of Christmas.
294 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2017
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786 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
December 20, 2020
I love how ghost stories have become a stapled Christmas tradition, there's something weirdly comforting of a chilling tale during the winter.
Whilst this collection boasts some of the best know short story writers of this genre, I felt the tales selected weren't their strongest.
Overall this was a bit of a mix bag but enjoyable enough to read in the days leading upto Christmas.
Whilst this collection boasts some of the best know short story writers of this genre, I felt the tales selected weren't their strongest.
Overall this was a bit of a mix bag but enjoyable enough to read in the days leading upto Christmas.
December 29, 2017
Christmas ghost stories are a bit odd, I guess, because there's absolutely nothing more perfect to read at Christmas, but it can seem pointless, or feel somehow like cheating, to read them at any other time of year. Like many anthologies, this one's a little hit and miss, but thankfully more of the stories fall into the former category than the latter, and the good ones are (as the cliché goes) not just for Christmas. In particular, I would recommend 'The Visiting Star' by Robert Aickman, 'The Lady and the Fox' by Kelly Link, and 'The Step' by E.F. Benson, all of which are wonderful winter tales but could be read with just as much enjoyment whenever you feel like reading them.
'The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance' by M.R. James (1913)
An epistolary story recounting the mysterious disappearance of the letter-writer's Uncle Henry. It's effective, with the best scene being a dream sequence, though the whole thing is slightly hampered by James's insistence on writing cringeworthy accents for the less privileged characters (lest we forget they are mere commoners). The use of a Punch and Judy show is an inspired choice – those things are much creepier than clowns, if you ask me.
'Dinner for One' by Jenn Ashworth (2014)
Skimmed only (read before). See my review of the Curious Tales anthology Poor Souls' Light.
'The Shadow' by E. Nesbit (1910)
Skipped (read before). See my review of Nesbit's Horror Stories.
'This Beautiful House' by Louis de Bernières (2004)
'I love it at Christmas', begins this account of a boy's memories of his childhood home. But why is he watching the house from the garden in winter? This brief tale is a simple idea, executed well.
'The Leaf-Sweeper' by Muriel Spark (1952)
Our narrator passes by a park every day and always spots Johnnie Geddes, the leaf-sweeper, whom she remembers from school – when they were children, Johnnie founded the 'Society for the Abolition of Christmas'. There's something quite memorably creepy about this, and the concept of the ghost of a still-living person has so much potential, but it doesn't feel like a fully realised idea and could, I think, have benefited from being expanded.
'Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk' by Frank Cowper (1889)
If the first thing the word 'hulk' brings to mind is a member of the Avengers (as it was for me), banish that image and replace it with a large abandoned boat. The protagonist of this tale must spend Christmas Eve aboard said hulk when he becomes marooned on an island after a solo fishing expedition goes awry. There's rather a lot of sailing terminology, and it drags a bit, but there are some effective images in here and the atmosphere is strong.
'The Step' by E.F. Benson (1925)
This was a real surprise – better than anything in the Benson compilation Ghost Stories, which I read last year. A greedy, pompous British businessman is living in Egypt; one night, walking home from his club, he hears someone walking behind him. At first this seems innocuous enough, but when it happens night after night with no sign of a source, the footsteps start to perturb him. The ending is superb – just the sort of enjoyable jump-scare one wants from a ghost story – and the mood of the piece is spot-on.
'The Vanishing House' by Bernard Capes (1899)
Related in the form of a tale spoken aloud by a man in a pub, this is mostly told in dialect; I found it rather hard to follow. As a result, my overall memory of it is of the difficulty I had figuring out what was going on, and I can't say I've retained any impression of the plot.
'Someone in the Lift' by L.P. Hartley (1955)
This one's firmly in the horror corner. The Maldons are staying in a hotel for Christmas; much to the amusement/frustration of his parents, Peter keeps insisting he can see a shadowy figure in the lift. However, the 'ghost' disappears whenever Peter is with his father. The reason for this becomes clear at the end (and it's a somewhat gory end).
'The Visiting Star' by Robert Aickman (1966)
A proper treat – an Aickman story I haven't read before, and one that isn't included in any of the collections of his stories currently in print from Faber & Faber. The main character, Colvin, has been awarded a grant to write a book about lead and plumbago mining, and has therefore come to stay in an unnamed 'bleak town', where he lodges at the Emancipation Hotel and becomes friends with Malnik, the manager of a local theatre. Malnik is staging a production of the little-known Cornelia, to his mind 'one of the great plays of the nineteenth century', and is thrilled to announce that he has managed to cast the play's original star, Arabella Rokeby. Just before Miss Rokeby's arrival, an odd character – the hilariously named Mr Superbus – turns up at the hotel, and his odd behaviour disturbs everyone. I won't spoil it from there, but it's vintage Aickman, which is to say inexplicably unsettling and very memorable.
'Nicholas Was' by Neil Gaiman (1990)
A flash fiction short that presents a dark take on the story of Father Christmas. A bit of a shrug from me, I'm afraid, but that's because of the form, not the author.
'The Ghost of the Blue Chamber' by Jerome K. Jerome (1891)
A rather amusing tale in which the narrator is challenged by his uncle to spend a night in the haunted 'Blue Chamber'; not only does he encounter the famous ghost, but he finds the man very forthcoming about his crimes.
'The Lady and the Fox' by Kelly Link (2014)
Easily one of the best in the book, this is a rich and strange romance that crosses the boundaries of time and possibility. I loved how the characters were fleshed out – it really does feel that each of them has a full, detailed backstory, as though this could be just a fragment of a larger narrative. Miranda's mother is in prison, and she spends each Christmas with her friend Daniel's family, the gilded, glamorous, gregarious Honeywells. Miranda is a child when she first encounters Fenny – whose golden looks immediately mark him out as a Honeywell – standing in the garden dressed in an elaborately embroidered justacorps which includes an image of a fox caught in a trap. Years pass, and Miranda encounters Fenny again – but only at Christmas, and only when it's snowing; and while Miranda grows older, he never seems to age. Meanwhile, Miranda must decide how to handle the changes in her relationship with Daniel. I just wanted to know more about absolutely everything here (like Elspeth's band, and her affairs!) and I really came to care about the central relationship. A lovely story, and a perfect way to end the book.
I received an advance review copy of Ghosts of Christmas Past from the publisher, John Murray.
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'The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance' by M.R. James (1913)
An epistolary story recounting the mysterious disappearance of the letter-writer's Uncle Henry. It's effective, with the best scene being a dream sequence, though the whole thing is slightly hampered by James's insistence on writing cringeworthy accents for the less privileged characters (lest we forget they are mere commoners). The use of a Punch and Judy show is an inspired choice – those things are much creepier than clowns, if you ask me.
'Dinner for One' by Jenn Ashworth (2014)
Skimmed only (read before). See my review of the Curious Tales anthology Poor Souls' Light.
'The Shadow' by E. Nesbit (1910)
Skipped (read before). See my review of Nesbit's Horror Stories.
'This Beautiful House' by Louis de Bernières (2004)
'I love it at Christmas', begins this account of a boy's memories of his childhood home. But why is he watching the house from the garden in winter? This brief tale is a simple idea, executed well.
'The Leaf-Sweeper' by Muriel Spark (1952)
Our narrator passes by a park every day and always spots Johnnie Geddes, the leaf-sweeper, whom she remembers from school – when they were children, Johnnie founded the 'Society for the Abolition of Christmas'. There's something quite memorably creepy about this, and the concept of the ghost of a still-living person has so much potential, but it doesn't feel like a fully realised idea and could, I think, have benefited from being expanded.
'Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk' by Frank Cowper (1889)
If the first thing the word 'hulk' brings to mind is a member of the Avengers (as it was for me), banish that image and replace it with a large abandoned boat. The protagonist of this tale must spend Christmas Eve aboard said hulk when he becomes marooned on an island after a solo fishing expedition goes awry. There's rather a lot of sailing terminology, and it drags a bit, but there are some effective images in here and the atmosphere is strong.
'The Step' by E.F. Benson (1925)
This was a real surprise – better than anything in the Benson compilation Ghost Stories, which I read last year. A greedy, pompous British businessman is living in Egypt; one night, walking home from his club, he hears someone walking behind him. At first this seems innocuous enough, but when it happens night after night with no sign of a source, the footsteps start to perturb him. The ending is superb – just the sort of enjoyable jump-scare one wants from a ghost story – and the mood of the piece is spot-on.
'The Vanishing House' by Bernard Capes (1899)
Related in the form of a tale spoken aloud by a man in a pub, this is mostly told in dialect; I found it rather hard to follow. As a result, my overall memory of it is of the difficulty I had figuring out what was going on, and I can't say I've retained any impression of the plot.
'Someone in the Lift' by L.P. Hartley (1955)
This one's firmly in the horror corner. The Maldons are staying in a hotel for Christmas; much to the amusement/frustration of his parents, Peter keeps insisting he can see a shadowy figure in the lift. However, the 'ghost' disappears whenever Peter is with his father. The reason for this becomes clear at the end (and it's a somewhat gory end).
'The Visiting Star' by Robert Aickman (1966)
A proper treat – an Aickman story I haven't read before, and one that isn't included in any of the collections of his stories currently in print from Faber & Faber. The main character, Colvin, has been awarded a grant to write a book about lead and plumbago mining, and has therefore come to stay in an unnamed 'bleak town', where he lodges at the Emancipation Hotel and becomes friends with Malnik, the manager of a local theatre. Malnik is staging a production of the little-known Cornelia, to his mind 'one of the great plays of the nineteenth century', and is thrilled to announce that he has managed to cast the play's original star, Arabella Rokeby. Just before Miss Rokeby's arrival, an odd character – the hilariously named Mr Superbus – turns up at the hotel, and his odd behaviour disturbs everyone. I won't spoil it from there, but it's vintage Aickman, which is to say inexplicably unsettling and very memorable.
'Nicholas Was' by Neil Gaiman (1990)
A flash fiction short that presents a dark take on the story of Father Christmas. A bit of a shrug from me, I'm afraid, but that's because of the form, not the author.
'The Ghost of the Blue Chamber' by Jerome K. Jerome (1891)
A rather amusing tale in which the narrator is challenged by his uncle to spend a night in the haunted 'Blue Chamber'; not only does he encounter the famous ghost, but he finds the man very forthcoming about his crimes.
'The Lady and the Fox' by Kelly Link (2014)
Easily one of the best in the book, this is a rich and strange romance that crosses the boundaries of time and possibility. I loved how the characters were fleshed out – it really does feel that each of them has a full, detailed backstory, as though this could be just a fragment of a larger narrative. Miranda's mother is in prison, and she spends each Christmas with her friend Daniel's family, the gilded, glamorous, gregarious Honeywells. Miranda is a child when she first encounters Fenny – whose golden looks immediately mark him out as a Honeywell – standing in the garden dressed in an elaborately embroidered justacorps which includes an image of a fox caught in a trap. Years pass, and Miranda encounters Fenny again – but only at Christmas, and only when it's snowing; and while Miranda grows older, he never seems to age. Meanwhile, Miranda must decide how to handle the changes in her relationship with Daniel. I just wanted to know more about absolutely everything here (like Elspeth's band, and her affairs!) and I really came to care about the central relationship. A lovely story, and a perfect way to end the book.
I received an advance review copy of Ghosts of Christmas Past from the publisher, John Murray.
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December 18, 2021
Ghost stories and Christmas have gone together for a long time. Because the nights are long and the days short, Midwinter has been thought of as the time when the veil between the world of the living and the dead is at its most thin and fluid. When it’s warm inside by the fire and dark and cold outside it’s the time to tell stories of the supernatural. Isn’t that when we should read ghost stories too?
I was hopeful that this collection of mostly late nineteenth century through contemporary stories would be just the thing. I thought a couple were good and a couple uninteresting and everything else in between. I’ll probably just go back to that old chestnut The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
I was hopeful that this collection of mostly late nineteenth century through contemporary stories would be just the thing. I thought a couple were good and a couple uninteresting and everything else in between. I’ll probably just go back to that old chestnut The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
December 25, 2017
Just like most anthologies I've read, this one gets a three, because... averages.
Some of the stories in here were so mind-numbingly boring I can barely remember what they were about; some of them, however, were spellbinding, and so atmospheric it was almost a physical shock to see them end. There are a couple authors here that I'm definitely gonna be keeping an eye on.
Some of the stories in here were so mind-numbingly boring I can barely remember what they were about; some of them, however, were spellbinding, and so atmospheric it was almost a physical shock to see them end. There are a couple authors here that I'm definitely gonna be keeping an eye on.
January 2, 2021
I'm satisfied with this. As always with short story collections, the quality of the stories is kind of uneven, but they're leaning towards "Good" more than "Disappointing". Or, well, should I say that "the ones I liked, I liked a lot, so they were worth it", maybe.
My favourite stories were "The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance" (M. R. James), "The Shadow" (E. Nesbit), "Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk" (Frank Cowper), "The Visiting Star" (Robert Aickman), and "The Lady and the Fox" (Kelly Link)
The ones I thought were weakest are "The Leaf Sweeper" (Muriel Spark- man, Muriel and I, we don't get along), "The Vanishing House" (Bernard Capes), and "The Ghost of the Blue Chamber" (Jerome K. Jerome)
My favourite stories were "The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance" (M. R. James), "The Shadow" (E. Nesbit), "Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk" (Frank Cowper), "The Visiting Star" (Robert Aickman), and "The Lady and the Fox" (Kelly Link)
The ones I thought were weakest are "The Leaf Sweeper" (Muriel Spark- man, Muriel and I, we don't get along), "The Vanishing House" (Bernard Capes), and "The Ghost of the Blue Chamber" (Jerome K. Jerome)
December 1, 2021
I have been dying to read this for over a year, but my anticipation and expectation did not match the reality. I love ghost stories, especially set at Christmas time or even during winter in general when the wind is howling and the snow is drifting higher.
I mostly bought this book because of M.R. James and Neil Gaiman but as it turned out the Gaiman "story" didn't fill an entire page even though they left a ton of blank space to stretch it to the other side. The M. R. James story was written as a series of letters to someone's brother concerning their missing uncle. I may have dozed off during that one.
Dinner For One by Jenn Ashworth was the only tale I somewhat enjoyed. It was predictable as all get out but compared to the rest of this book it was the one high note. There was really nothing scary or spine tingly even in the one story that I enjoyed although it was well written. This is definitely not what I was hoping for. You might enjoy it more than I did provided you aren't looking for a scare or anything on par with Dickens.
I mostly bought this book because of M.R. James and Neil Gaiman but as it turned out the Gaiman "story" didn't fill an entire page even though they left a ton of blank space to stretch it to the other side. The M. R. James story was written as a series of letters to someone's brother concerning their missing uncle. I may have dozed off during that one.
Dinner For One by Jenn Ashworth was the only tale I somewhat enjoyed. It was predictable as all get out but compared to the rest of this book it was the one high note. There was really nothing scary or spine tingly even in the one story that I enjoyed although it was well written. This is definitely not what I was hoping for. You might enjoy it more than I did provided you aren't looking for a scare or anything on par with Dickens.
January 5, 2019
"Ghosts of Christmas Past" edited by Tim Martin is a 'collection of seasonal chillers looking beneath Christmas cheer to a world of ghosts and horrors, mixing terrifying modern fiction with classic stories by masters of the macabre'.
Having forgotten to read this over Christmas, I was to keen to pick up as soon as possible and keep the spirit of Christmas going. Sadly I don't think I actually 'got' some of the stories, the first one being very difficult to follow due to the classic style of prose, though the premise of a Punch and Judy show involved in the tale did make it rather perturbing. As with all anthologies, there will always be some you like and some you don't, there were a couple I did enjoy and I believe the book does contain something for readers of all ages. Being a collection of very short stories it's great for just picking up and reading in between longer novels especially during the Christmas holidays and I would recommend if you like traditional and modern ghost stories alike.
3 stars
Having forgotten to read this over Christmas, I was to keen to pick up as soon as possible and keep the spirit of Christmas going. Sadly I don't think I actually 'got' some of the stories, the first one being very difficult to follow due to the classic style of prose, though the premise of a Punch and Judy show involved in the tale did make it rather perturbing. As with all anthologies, there will always be some you like and some you don't, there were a couple I did enjoy and I believe the book does contain something for readers of all ages. Being a collection of very short stories it's great for just picking up and reading in between longer novels especially during the Christmas holidays and I would recommend if you like traditional and modern ghost stories alike.
3 stars
September 4, 2018
This is a high-quality selection of thirteen spooky Christmas stories. I'd read three of them already but they were worth reading again and I liked every one, though not equally. Muriel Spark, Robert Aickman, Neil Gaiman, and M.R. James always shine brightest for me.
December 23, 2020
Huh. I brought this mostly because Neil Gaiman is a contributor to the collection. Disappointed his contribution was less that two pages, with words well spaced out. It was less that one page
I did enjoy some of the quirky stories though but others were just dull and one I skipped entirely because I kept reading the same bit over and over again.
I find it hard to rate these kinds of anthologies, but the negative out weighed the positive for me
I did enjoy some of the quirky stories though but others were just dull and one I skipped entirely because I kept reading the same bit over and over again.
I find it hard to rate these kinds of anthologies, but the negative out weighed the positive for me
October 31, 2018
I picked this book up on impulse from my local cheap bookshop. I’m not normally one to pick up short story anthologies, they’re such a mixed bag for me and quite a lot of short stories I’m left unsatisfied at the end. This one was about ghostly story set at Christmas, fulfilling my love of ghost stories and Christmas stories all in one swoop.
While I was reading this book, I was noting down what each story was about and what I thought about it which made it far easier to read and review.
The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance by M. R. James – this is a story about a man sending his brother letters about the disappearance of their uncle, who disappeared right before Christmas. This errs on the creepy side, especially the dream the protagonist has, and it would have made a great novella or longer short story.
Dinner For One by Jean Ashworth – this story started off as a couple having disagreements over something in the past and as the story progresses, things start to not add up as you realise something else is going on. This is a great example of an unreliable narrator and their voice is more than a little creepy. It’s the little details that slip in as you realise what is going on that really make this story, but the horrifying aspects were the human parts, rather than the supernatural parts. However, when it came down to it, I didn’t like it that much.
The Shadow by E. Nesbit – this is the story of Miss Eastwick and the shadow of her past stalking her. There is something horrifying about monsters in the shadows, maybe because you can never escape them. And shadows that steal people’s lives – even worse. The ending fell a little on the flat side to me but I think that was meant to be the point, that ‘real’ ghost stories never have a neatly wrapped up ending.
This Beautiful House by Louis De Bernieres – this seems to be a lovely Christmas story about a family house and then the ending comes and hits you right in the gut. I’m pretty sure about what happened to the narrator at the end but it’s never really confirmed. I think I prefer that, although I would like to know if my suspicions are correct.
The Leaf-Sweeper by Muriel Spark – I wasn’t such a fan of this story. It’s about a man called Johnnie, his hatred of Christmas and his ghost which appears while he’s alive. I like the concept of a ghost of a living man but nothing really happens in this one and I just end up feeling sorry for Johnnie but in a slightly apathetic way.
Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk by Frank Cowper – this is the story of a man who goes to visit a friend in the country and ends up spending his night on an abandoned ship on the mud flats. The writing was truly haunting in this one and the narrator’s description of his fear as he listened to unexplained noises in the darkness sent a shiver up my spine. I wasn’t blown away by the plot but the writing itself was something I really enjoyed.
The Step by E. F. Benson – this is about John Cresswell, a British man who lives in Alexandria. At first he comes across as a genial, good-natured man but we soon learn that he is like that only tk those he thinks equal to him. He ends up cursed with footsteps following him around. The ending was left a little open but I couldn’t help but like the fact he had disdained the monks so throughly and then was running tk them for help in the end.
The Vanishing House by Bernard Capes – a man recounts the story of what happened to his grandfather as he was travelling the country. I didn’t like this some much, I think the way of telling it with a retelling of story told to the narrator gave it a sense of distance which didn’t really work for this story. This is probably the most forgettable story of the lot.
Someone in the Lift by L. P. Hartley – this story is about Peter, a boy who is fascinated with the lift at the hotel. He keeps seeing someone in the lift when no one else can. This story does a great job of putting out what Peter thinks and the logic that young children have – he never sees the person in the lift when he’s with his father so that means it’s Daddy in the lift. Throughout the story, you got this real sense of foreboding which was justified by that ending.
The Visiting Star by Robert Aickman – this story is about Colvin, a nonfiction writer staying in a small, bleak town at the same time the famous actress, Arabella Rokeby, is coming back to perform in the play. This is one of the longer ghost stories and I was a little bored. The revelation wasn’t really exciting enough to make up for it and I didn’t care enough about the story itself.
Nicholas Was by Neil Gaiman – well, that was a darker take on Father Christmas. I liked it but ouch.
The Ghost of the Blue Chamber by Jerome K. Jermone – this was a relatively light-hearted story despite there being a haunted room and a ghost of a serial killer. I did like the narrator’s reaction to the ghost and how the ghost talked about how he murdered everyone.
The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link – this is a story with a more supernatural slant than the others, a more fairytale slant. There are deals and rules and people who are ghosts but aren’t. It is one of the longer stories and a little different in that it’s not a horror story as such, but more of a love story. I did like it, this is the one story where I really liked the protagonist and was rooting for her.
Overall, I liked this book. But I didn’t love it. There is no one story which justifies keeping this book to reread it, and there were far more stories I was meh about than I was actually loving.
3.5 stars!
While I was reading this book, I was noting down what each story was about and what I thought about it which made it far easier to read and review.
The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance by M. R. James – this is a story about a man sending his brother letters about the disappearance of their uncle, who disappeared right before Christmas. This errs on the creepy side, especially the dream the protagonist has, and it would have made a great novella or longer short story.
Dinner For One by Jean Ashworth – this story started off as a couple having disagreements over something in the past and as the story progresses, things start to not add up as you realise something else is going on. This is a great example of an unreliable narrator and their voice is more than a little creepy. It’s the little details that slip in as you realise what is going on that really make this story, but the horrifying aspects were the human parts, rather than the supernatural parts. However, when it came down to it, I didn’t like it that much.
The Shadow by E. Nesbit – this is the story of Miss Eastwick and the shadow of her past stalking her. There is something horrifying about monsters in the shadows, maybe because you can never escape them. And shadows that steal people’s lives – even worse. The ending fell a little on the flat side to me but I think that was meant to be the point, that ‘real’ ghost stories never have a neatly wrapped up ending.
This Beautiful House by Louis De Bernieres – this seems to be a lovely Christmas story about a family house and then the ending comes and hits you right in the gut. I’m pretty sure about what happened to the narrator at the end but it’s never really confirmed. I think I prefer that, although I would like to know if my suspicions are correct.
The Leaf-Sweeper by Muriel Spark – I wasn’t such a fan of this story. It’s about a man called Johnnie, his hatred of Christmas and his ghost which appears while he’s alive. I like the concept of a ghost of a living man but nothing really happens in this one and I just end up feeling sorry for Johnnie but in a slightly apathetic way.
Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk by Frank Cowper – this is the story of a man who goes to visit a friend in the country and ends up spending his night on an abandoned ship on the mud flats. The writing was truly haunting in this one and the narrator’s description of his fear as he listened to unexplained noises in the darkness sent a shiver up my spine. I wasn’t blown away by the plot but the writing itself was something I really enjoyed.
The Step by E. F. Benson – this is about John Cresswell, a British man who lives in Alexandria. At first he comes across as a genial, good-natured man but we soon learn that he is like that only tk those he thinks equal to him. He ends up cursed with footsteps following him around. The ending was left a little open but I couldn’t help but like the fact he had disdained the monks so throughly and then was running tk them for help in the end.
The Vanishing House by Bernard Capes – a man recounts the story of what happened to his grandfather as he was travelling the country. I didn’t like this some much, I think the way of telling it with a retelling of story told to the narrator gave it a sense of distance which didn’t really work for this story. This is probably the most forgettable story of the lot.
Someone in the Lift by L. P. Hartley – this story is about Peter, a boy who is fascinated with the lift at the hotel. He keeps seeing someone in the lift when no one else can. This story does a great job of putting out what Peter thinks and the logic that young children have – he never sees the person in the lift when he’s with his father so that means it’s Daddy in the lift. Throughout the story, you got this real sense of foreboding which was justified by that ending.
The Visiting Star by Robert Aickman – this story is about Colvin, a nonfiction writer staying in a small, bleak town at the same time the famous actress, Arabella Rokeby, is coming back to perform in the play. This is one of the longer ghost stories and I was a little bored. The revelation wasn’t really exciting enough to make up for it and I didn’t care enough about the story itself.
Nicholas Was by Neil Gaiman – well, that was a darker take on Father Christmas. I liked it but ouch.
The Ghost of the Blue Chamber by Jerome K. Jermone – this was a relatively light-hearted story despite there being a haunted room and a ghost of a serial killer. I did like the narrator’s reaction to the ghost and how the ghost talked about how he murdered everyone.
The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link – this is a story with a more supernatural slant than the others, a more fairytale slant. There are deals and rules and people who are ghosts but aren’t. It is one of the longer stories and a little different in that it’s not a horror story as such, but more of a love story. I did like it, this is the one story where I really liked the protagonist and was rooting for her.
Overall, I liked this book. But I didn’t love it. There is no one story which justifies keeping this book to reread it, and there were far more stories I was meh about than I was actually loving.
3.5 stars!
December 27, 2024
Some stories were good… others were fine. Just 🤷♀️ overall. I’m pretty certain Neil Gaiman has never used so few words before.
December 27, 2018
Saved this for Christmas. A whole range of festive ghosts, some shocking, some whimsical and at least one was very funny! Like a festive box of chocolates, something for all tastes!
December 11, 2018
A mixed bag as is often the case. There are some gems in here but also some drab. So it gets a 3/5
December 14, 2017
After the success of Christmas crime stories these last few years, it was inevitable that publishing companies would search around for the something else that would have the books flying off the shelves during the festive season.
Understandably they've hit on ghost stories to continue the trend. Reading chilling tales on dark winter nights have a long tradition - MR James being perhaps the most famous exponent.
All the stories in this collection all have a Christmas theme, however the introduction does admit that in putting the book together they didn't uncover many stories set at this time of year.
That being said the quality of the stories are generally good and there are a mix of modern & historical stories from a number of famous authors.
I would be more than happy to read further collections of ghost stories at this time of the year, irrespective of whether they feature any Christmas connection at all.
Understandably they've hit on ghost stories to continue the trend. Reading chilling tales on dark winter nights have a long tradition - MR James being perhaps the most famous exponent.
All the stories in this collection all have a Christmas theme, however the introduction does admit that in putting the book together they didn't uncover many stories set at this time of year.
That being said the quality of the stories are generally good and there are a mix of modern & historical stories from a number of famous authors.
I would be more than happy to read further collections of ghost stories at this time of the year, irrespective of whether they feature any Christmas connection at all.
November 3, 2018
Flew through this book. Some of the stories I really liked and others I didn't and couldn't wait to finish them but none of them were really long stories so didn't have to wait long. Even though it's a different style of Christmas It still really got me excited for Christmas to come. This time of year I'm always looking to read some Christmas books and decided that this one would be a different start to the usual type I read. Some of the stories even now I'm still thinking about as I loved them that much and one of them in particular the detail was outstanding for such a small read and I didn't expect some of the twists. For anyone that is looking for a story at Christmas but doesn't enjoy the usual love story this is the book for you.
January 1, 2019
Okay, I started this because neither of the two books I had on the go were really doing it for me, and I hoped that some festive spirits would both engage me and try and summon up my own holiday cheer from whatever tomb it had been shut in. Neither happened; despite a few stories I liked - including one that eventually won me over with the humour stemming from it's very unreliable narrator - the majority were either uninteresting or, worse, obvious where they were heading from the start. Even the M R James offering was surprisingly forgettable, to the point that I am still not sure if I had read it in the past (which surely I must have done seeing as I have what I thought was a full collection of his short stories?).
Bah humbug.
Bah humbug.
December 24, 2017
Ghosts of Christmas Past is a nice collection of ghostly tales set around Christmas. A nice assortment of tales ranging from a prose poem from Neil Gaiman to a classic tale of the supernatural from M.R. James, this anthology had a bit of everything. Clear standouts for me was: M.R. James – The Story of Disappearance and an Appearance, Frank Cowper - Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk, and Robert Aickman’s – A Visiting Star. Well worth reading if you like ghost stories to get you into the Christmas spirit.
December 18, 2017
This was really enjoyable. I liked some stories more than others, but appreciated that there is a mixture of both old and modern stories. A great addition to any Christmas reading list.
January 2, 2024
Ah always nice to read some seasonal ghost stories though I did read them a slightly bit late in the season but as long as it's before the 6th it's christmas season hush.
As a collection of tales from various authors there are some I liked more than others though my general opinion is that it's a good choice of ghost tales. Readers that like classical ghost stories (like myself) will probably enjoy this more - half of the length of the book are with ghost tales from 50+ years ago after all, and even the recent ones have the same type of feel of the old timey tales. Except! Neil Gaiman's.
Now, I read a few reviews before writing this one and here's the thing. Neil Gaiman's piece is 100 words. That's all you are getting, if you are for Neil Gaiman only, move on. Its a concept story not a ghost tale, shortest of them all and honestly feels a bit it was just to get Neil Gaiman's name in the collection. Cool 100 words but still only that.
Give it a try if you like ghost tales set in Christmas time but not shoving christmas at your faces.
As a collection of tales from various authors there are some I liked more than others though my general opinion is that it's a good choice of ghost tales. Readers that like classical ghost stories (like myself) will probably enjoy this more - half of the length of the book are with ghost tales from 50+ years ago after all, and even the recent ones have the same type of feel of the old timey tales. Except! Neil Gaiman's.
Now, I read a few reviews before writing this one and here's the thing. Neil Gaiman's piece is 100 words. That's all you are getting, if you are for Neil Gaiman only, move on. Its a concept story not a ghost tale, shortest of them all and honestly feels a bit it was just to get Neil Gaiman's name in the collection. Cool 100 words but still only that.
Give it a try if you like ghost tales set in Christmas time but not shoving christmas at your faces.
November 23, 2019
I enjoyed most of the stories in this anthology. I would have given it 5 stars if it hadn't included a few duds. There were also a few stories that weren't strictly ghost stories. Likes and loves: The Shadow, This Beautiful House, The Leaf-Sweeper, Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk (the creepiest and scariest), The Vanishing House, The Ghost of the Blue Chamber (the funniest - the brilliant Jerome K. Jerome), The Lady and The Fox (not a ghost story but lovely and romantic). OK to I didn't get them, what was the point?: The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance(why begin the collection with something so lame), Dinner For One, The Step (what on earth was this meant to be about), Someone In The Lift (did someone die and if so who?), The Visiting Star (a good gothic Victorian melo-drama but not a ghost story and a bit long), Nicholas Was.
December 28, 2019
Like most anthologies, this is a real mixed bag. I didn’t enjoy most of the stories to be honest and the ones I did get drawn into had an anticlimactic ending. I did love Kelly Link’s fairy tale and that’s why I gave it three stars. If you’re excited for Gaiman, heads up that his contribution is two pages.
December 20, 2021
This was a disappointing collection of Christmas ghost stories. None really stood out. A mediocre collection in my opinion. Being a fan of Neil Gaiman I was hoping for more. The only one by Gaiman was a half page long and ridiculous. I'm giving 3 stars only for the consistent Christmas atmosphere.
January 5, 2020
From the spooky to the mysteriously confusing and eerily heartwarming, this book seems to have it all in terms of chilly Christmastime tales. I quite enjoyed it but do not recommend reading some stories late at night in a dark, quiet house.
December 10, 2023
Anthology of tales, all with a supernatural element and set around the festive period. Like with all short story collections, some I enjoyed more than others. I think the stand out for me was Dinner for One by Jenn Ashworth.
December 12, 2023
I rated each individual story and it all combines to be 3.38/5.00 stars. There are two great stories, four really good stories, a couple decent ones and four that aren’t very good at all. Plus one delightfully haunting poem from Neil Gaiman.
January 1, 2019
Mixed bag of short stories. Some were clever and engaging but a few were dreary and a bit dull.
But, overall, a fun pre-Christmas, vacation read. I think ghost stories at Christmas may become a thing for me.
But, overall, a fun pre-Christmas, vacation read. I think ghost stories at Christmas may become a thing for me.
March 8, 2019
These aren't all wonderful, but it's a better than average collection, and I particularly enjoyed the last story, Kelly Link's "Tam Lin" tale.
December 20, 2024
This was a great collection of short ghost stories. I found most stories were enjoyable and only a couple weren't, which is great as collections like this are so often a mixed bag. This is perfect for Christmas.
December 26, 2018
A haunting mix of Christmas ghost stories, featuring a mix of the brilliant, the poignant, the humorous and the downright bizarre.
Highlights for me were: 'Dinner for One' by Jenn Ashworth, the story of a couple in a dysfunctional, at times abusive, relationship; 'This Beautiful House' by Louis de Bernieres, the reminiscence of family Christmases spent long ago; 'The Step' by E.F. Benson, a classic haunting of a gentleman stalked by a mysterious step; and 'The Visiting Star' by Robert Aickman, the retelling of the time a famous actress visited a small town to star in a theatre production.
An enjoyable collection to devour over the festive period - Neil Gaiman's amusing 'anecdote' on a cursed Nicholas may be perfect for reading to a crowd when the children are out of earshot.
Highlights for me were: 'Dinner for One' by Jenn Ashworth, the story of a couple in a dysfunctional, at times abusive, relationship; 'This Beautiful House' by Louis de Bernieres, the reminiscence of family Christmases spent long ago; 'The Step' by E.F. Benson, a classic haunting of a gentleman stalked by a mysterious step; and 'The Visiting Star' by Robert Aickman, the retelling of the time a famous actress visited a small town to star in a theatre production.
An enjoyable collection to devour over the festive period - Neil Gaiman's amusing 'anecdote' on a cursed Nicholas may be perfect for reading to a crowd when the children are out of earshot.
November 27, 2025
A few REALLY good stories in here. The others I kinda glazed over. Solid 3 stars.
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