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Gilded Nightmares – Timeless British Library Books
The Ghost Stories of M.R. James
The Ghost Stories of M.R. James collects the tales that best illustrate the author's quiet mastery of the ghost story form. Running through each of these stories is a slowly escalating sense of unease and dread, which ultimately shifts into the wildly uncanny. James’ characters exist in a world of ancient objects whose atrocious histories begin to repeat when they are disturbed, and the blinkered repression common to James’ narratives only amplifies the shock of the spectral appearance.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1931
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About the author
M.R. James
1,526 books915 followersMontague Rhodes James, who used the publication name M.R. James, was a noted English mediaeval scholar & provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–18) & of Eton College (1918–36). He's best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature. One of James' most important achievements was to redefine the ghost story for the new century by dispensing with many of the formal Gothic trappings of his predecessors, replacing them with more realistic contemporary settings.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
M.R.^James
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
M.R.^James
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
October 29, 2017
Set from around the 1880s to 1early 20th century, these ghost stories are more subtle in the horror and more polished in the scene set, and the detective work involved in solving the mystery.
Many of them were written to be told as Christmas Eve enterntainments read to gatherings of friends.
The horror usually comes at the end and precisely because of the scene set is what makes the stories memorable in their own way.
Set usually in a country or seaside town, or an abbey or old university or library, often in England, but sometimes in Scandinavia or France, the stories usually involve a rather dull, rather naive scholar-gentleman who picks up some item ( a book or painting etc) such as in Canon's Scrap Book, The Mezzotint and Number 13, which awakens angry and malevolent spirits.
Or else the narrator-protagonist tells of a story he has heard from a secondary source in a place where he is staying weather on work or vacation such as Lost Hearts or Martin's Close.
Sometimes the horror of the discovery of the supernatural being is enough to chill the reader, sometimes the spirits involved, as in the Ash-Tree or Lost Hearts result in the death of the victim of their revenge.
An interesting read which requires some concentration not to lose the plot, good reading for the lover of older supernatural fiction.
Always told in a scholarly and carefully descriptive way.
Many of them were written to be told as Christmas Eve enterntainments read to gatherings of friends.
The horror usually comes at the end and precisely because of the scene set is what makes the stories memorable in their own way.
Set usually in a country or seaside town, or an abbey or old university or library, often in England, but sometimes in Scandinavia or France, the stories usually involve a rather dull, rather naive scholar-gentleman who picks up some item ( a book or painting etc) such as in Canon's Scrap Book, The Mezzotint and Number 13, which awakens angry and malevolent spirits.
Or else the narrator-protagonist tells of a story he has heard from a secondary source in a place where he is staying weather on work or vacation such as Lost Hearts or Martin's Close.
Sometimes the horror of the discovery of the supernatural being is enough to chill the reader, sometimes the spirits involved, as in the Ash-Tree or Lost Hearts result in the death of the victim of their revenge.
An interesting read which requires some concentration not to lose the plot, good reading for the lover of older supernatural fiction.
Always told in a scholarly and carefully descriptive way.
April 10, 2008
if i had a creepy cool name like montague rhodes james i'd probably write ghost stories too.
December 26, 2018
It has taken me forever to finish this collection of short horror/paranormal stories, partially because of the writing. There have been instances that I did not quite understand what the writer was describing and the abundance of latin phrases and terms in 19th century english did not help . The stories were very atmospheric, mysterious and in some cases quite scary but most of them gave me the impression that they were not quite finished or resoluted. My main problem though was that the majority of them were ... forgettable. Whenever I stopped reading in the middle of a story, I had to reread the whole thing when I next picked the book up, just to remind me of what has transpired and this is something that never ever happens to me!! I am sure that if I were to be asked anything about this book in the near future I will unfortunately have no recollection of what the stories in it are about. However, I would recommennd this book to those who fancy short (not very scary) ghost stories with a prominent gothic setup (and are comfortable in their latin and english linguistic skills).
September 24, 2018
Telling a good horror story is a bit like telling a good joke. It depends on the audience sharing certain assumptions, and it doesn't carry well across time. Which is a roundabout way of admitting heresy: I was not particularly frightened by the ghost stories of the grandfather of horror, M. R. James. Not even creeped out really, certainly not up late at night nervously imagining the cause of that creaky noise. Which isn't to say that they aren't good. In fact, they are just as excellent as everyone says they are. It's simply that I find myself admiring them structurally, a ghost story has to be well constructed just like a good joke, and of course once you start admiring the craftsmanship then you can't get into the spirit of the thing at all.
I think perhaps I ruined myself for these stories by also watching quite a lot of horror films at the same time. It's easy enough to get the heart-racing with a film: just ratchet up the tension with music and then deploy a loud noise for the jump-scare. But James's stories are sinister for what they leave out, rather than what they put it. He prompts the reader to use their own imagination to scare themselves. There's one technique that James uses multiple times – I would begin to feel my hairs standing up whenever he did it – during a seemingly innocent and mundane preamble the narrator would say something offhandedly like 'but of that subject I cannot bring myself to speak, for reasons you will understand later' or something along those lines. And of course, the reader immediately wonders what the unspeakable mystery could be. This kind of suspense works best when you are really paying attention and thinking about the story. It is not helped by deadening your imagination with latex Hollywood monsters and racing through the story with a 'what happens next?' mentality.
Perhaps I am also too much influenced by American horror here. I have always been repulsed by the slimy and slick monsters of Lovecraft and his epigones: boneless and suckling. James's monsters are more likely to be bestial: snarling and covered in hair. A mammalian monster seems relatively safe to me. I suspect this is because the romance genre has utterly ruined werewolves, or perhaps it's more to do with living in a era which is far more comfortable acknowledging that humans are a kind of animal. James does do some shudder-worthy eight-legged horror of the arachnoid variety.
In another story, the devil is half glimpsed through shadows as a man madly dancing in flames, which seems more amusing than horrifying to me. I wouldn't want to imply that modern horror is better than the historical stuff. If old-fashioned demons and devils don't do much for me, neither do modern slasher-type horrors with psychopaths and gore. I'm much more on board with his ghosts. Any kind of ghost will get me and ghosts haven't changed much over time. So I'll add my mite to the universal praise for Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad. And Lost Hearts was one of the few that was truly spooky to me – having just poo-poohed the horrifying powers of hair and beasts, I will admit that fingernails get me every time. There's something quite repellent about fingernails, don't you think? Especially when they become like claws, growing long, sharp, yellowish... oh, just read the story, it's better than my description.
I think perhaps I ruined myself for these stories by also watching quite a lot of horror films at the same time. It's easy enough to get the heart-racing with a film: just ratchet up the tension with music and then deploy a loud noise for the jump-scare. But James's stories are sinister for what they leave out, rather than what they put it. He prompts the reader to use their own imagination to scare themselves. There's one technique that James uses multiple times – I would begin to feel my hairs standing up whenever he did it – during a seemingly innocent and mundane preamble the narrator would say something offhandedly like 'but of that subject I cannot bring myself to speak, for reasons you will understand later' or something along those lines. And of course, the reader immediately wonders what the unspeakable mystery could be. This kind of suspense works best when you are really paying attention and thinking about the story. It is not helped by deadening your imagination with latex Hollywood monsters and racing through the story with a 'what happens next?' mentality.
Perhaps I am also too much influenced by American horror here. I have always been repulsed by the slimy and slick monsters of Lovecraft and his epigones: boneless and suckling. James's monsters are more likely to be bestial: snarling and covered in hair. A mammalian monster seems relatively safe to me. I suspect this is because the romance genre has utterly ruined werewolves, or perhaps it's more to do with living in a era which is far more comfortable acknowledging that humans are a kind of animal. James does do some shudder-worthy eight-legged horror of the arachnoid variety.
In another story, the devil is half glimpsed through shadows as a man madly dancing in flames, which seems more amusing than horrifying to me. I wouldn't want to imply that modern horror is better than the historical stuff. If old-fashioned demons and devils don't do much for me, neither do modern slasher-type horrors with psychopaths and gore. I'm much more on board with his ghosts. Any kind of ghost will get me and ghosts haven't changed much over time. So I'll add my mite to the universal praise for Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad. And Lost Hearts was one of the few that was truly spooky to me – having just poo-poohed the horrifying powers of hair and beasts, I will admit that fingernails get me every time. There's something quite repellent about fingernails, don't you think? Especially when they become like claws, growing long, sharp, yellowish... oh, just read the story, it's better than my description.
November 20, 2019
El caso del maestro (nunca mejor dicho) Montague Rhodes James es dentro del género del horror igual al de Ramón del Campoamor en Poesía. Rara avis en su campo literario, ambos de buena cuna y desconocedores de traumas, desolaciones o vidas previas abocadas a la desdicha. Poseían un don natural que no afloraba por sus precedentes vitales (o ayudaba a ello).
M.R James era un erudito, pero muy vivido (al igual que el maestro Heinlein y Hodgson) que había practicado la Arqueología, excavando y descubriendo Murales y otros hallazgos, restaurado capillas, catalogado valiosos manuscritos Medievales, realizado estudios históricos vitales y traducido cuentos de los Andersen y textos Evangélicos, entre otros. Su afán insaciable de búsqueda natural, precisamente logró que fuera tan soberanamente bueno en su labor literaria. Todos sus relatos son evocadores y misteriosos, crean una tensión subliminal y un interés desde la primera página en el lector. Casi todos sus personajes se mueven en entornos sofisticados (muy dado en la época victoriana y Barroca en la literatura), poseen profesiones eruditas o las practican. Son un poco el Alter Ego del mismo autor, pero derivando en el horror que destapan mediante sus investigaciones por otros casuales colaterales.
M. R James (siempre es mi opinión) es el arte del horror en literatura en su punto más álgido: cotidiano, elegante, engañosamente simple en su narrativa pero tremendamente ágil y detallista, inteligente e inquietante por su eficacia solapada; equilibrado en el conjunto de dotar esencia, sentido y oscuridad que va más allá en sus escritos.
Uno de los mejores (sino el mejor) escritores de Terror de todos los tiempos junto a Hodgson en lo referente a clásicos. Poe y Lovecraft están próximos, pero resultaban más inquietantes por sus imágenes perturbadoras y personajes psicóticos o bestias demenciales y bizarras; eran algo más “efectistas”.
A continuación resumo el argumento y mi respectiva apreciación de cada uno de los 16 magníficos relatos de los que consta ésta gran Antología de la editorial Siruela:
1/ Ratas:
Un profesor se hospeda en una posada en Sufford, dónde encontrará en una de sus rutas un peculiar monolito cerca de su alojamiento.
Buen relato, envolvente, que sugiere hasta dar con el espectro y su explicación, detallando perfectamente las incertidumbres y temores del protagonista. Al final deja un notable mensaje ‘Apocalíptico’.
Me ha gustado mucho.
2/Las fuente de los lamentos:
Un grupo de exploradores profesionales pregunta a un aldeano acerca de un valle inexplorado en un descanso, ya que precisan de agua. Éste les advierte que no entren, pero el intrépido cabecilla decide no hacerle caso.
Historia tensa, crepuscular y claustrofóbica, sin dejar la acción de lado. Con toda probabilidad precursoras del género Zombie (aunque en significado argumental vaya por otros derroteros).
Me ha gustado mucho.
3/ El tesoro del Abad Thomas:
Un anticuario traduce un manuscrito histórico de la Abadía de Stenfield, en dónde se habla de un tesoro escondido por el monje que lo regentó. Así pues, decide ir en su búsqueda.
Serena pero desasosegante historia sobre profanaciones y custodias infernales, muy sugerente y tétrica, sublime en horror. Ni el mismísimo Lovecraft destilaba tanta tensión ni era tan siniestro, siendo elegante al mismo tiempo. M.R James dosifica el horror como nadie. He aquí un excelente ejemplo de su maestría.
Me ha encantado.
4/ El diario de Mr. Poynter:
Un famoso anticuario restaura una casa en Warwick, por lo cual decide indagar acerca de la tipografía e historia del lugar.
Magnifico relato acerca de la resurrección mediante particulares endiablados (por ciertos rituales o sacrilegios) y / o maldecidos. Su explicación final es grotesca a la par que terrorífica.
Me ha encantado.
5/ El fresno:
Sir Thomas atestigua en contra de una vecina, la cual acaba siendo acusada y condenada por Brujería.
Astuto relato acerca de las maldiciones y venganza generacional, que mezcla Iglesia, cuerpo y anti espíritu. Nótese la relevancia del arbusto en cuestión que da título a la historia; de mucha relevancia y enclave demoníaco en boca de supersticiosos. M.R James sabía aunar realidad y ficción como nadie.
Me ha gustado mucho.
6/ Aviso a los curiosos:
Dos amigos reservar periódicamente una sala en un lujoso hotel sito en Senborg. Una tarde aparece un extraño del cual se hacen amigo. Éste le solicitará ayuda para retornar una valiosa Corona vinculada a un huraño personaje, que estaba enterrada a orillas de la fortaleza de la población.
Otra altamente sugerente y grotesca histórica sobre objetos malditos, narrada con ésa “calma” tan engañosa del autor, que desemboca en el horror en seco y culmina con el desasosiego.
Me ha gustado mucho.
7/ El grabado:
Mr. Williams está catalogando nuevo material histórico para un museo en Cambridge, cuando recibe un inusual y cotizado grabado que se auto modifica constantemente.
Excelente relato acerca del desvelamiento de un antiguo asesinato irresoluto, mediante una revelación paranormal de tipo Telequinético. Muy avanzado a su época; con toda seguridad ha sido origen del mismo argumento en posteriores autores (yo misma lo puedo ratificar, ya que lo he comprobado tanto en Sci fi como en Terror).
Me ha encantado.
8/ Dos médicos:
Un comprador de segunda mano descubre un archivo entre los separadores de un dossier. En éste se alberga el inexplicable caso del fallecimiento de un facultativo de la salud del cual fue testigo otro doctor.
Atrapante relato de tono espectral-vengador, que discurre entre la vigilia y el plano real.
Me ha gustado mucho.
9/ El tratado Middoth:
Un hombre solicita en una biblioteca municipal una edición concreta de de un antiguo tratado.
Largo, intrincado y rebuscado, pero genial historia sobre las sucesiones con justicia poética, urdidas de modo perverso.
Me ha encantado.
10/ El número 13: (Room 13)
Un viajero que desea estudiar la historia de Viborg, se hospeda en ‘El león de oro’; uno de los pocos edificios que sobrevivieron al gran incendio de 1286. Durante su estancia comenzará a preguntarse acerca de l caprichosa distribución y particular decoración del establecimiento, además de la falta de habitación 13.
Una de las mayores genialidades ( que ya es mucho decir, pues todas lo son) de M.R James. Lo habré leído veinte veces, pero sigue siendo una lectura apasionante, sombría e inquietante. Trata acerca de dimensiones demoníacas. Toda una joya. Uno de los imprescindibles del autor.
Me ha encantado.
11/La casa de muñecas:
Mr. Dillet es un reputado anticuario y coleccionista, que consigue una casa de muñecas gótica y única a un precio irrisorio. Tal es su entusiasmo por dicha adquisición, que se la lleva consigo.
Perturbadora y turbia historia acerca de objetos malditos, que recrean y perpetúan ( en cierta medida) crímenes en el tiempo. Cierto es que es una variante de otro relato del autor, pero notablemente resoluto.
Me ha gustado mucho.
12/ El maleficio de las runas :
Mr. Karswell es un temido autor e investigador ‘científico’, que insta a los miembros de una sociedad de Alquimia a que se de voz acerca de su articulo en una próxima conferencia temática. A raíz del rechazo explicito por parte de uno de éstos, éste comenzará a experimentar extraños sucesos y sensaciones, que le recordarán a lo acaecido a un critico que reseñó negativamente la novela de Karswell.
Conocido también como: ‘El mensaje de la muerte’, ésta es otra de las genialidades de M.R James. Una historia muy siniestra y potente, que mezcla maldiciones y mal de ojo, mediante rituales negros ( a través del lenguaje rúnico). Bastante perversa y aterradora sicológicamente. Resultará tensa e inapacible hasta para el lector, por su intensidad. Otras de sus obras maestras (¡y cual no lo es!?).
Me ha encantado.
13/ El cercado de Martín:
Un agente inmobiliario de la época, se hospeda en la casa de un Párroco del oeste para inspeccionar sus tierras. Divisa un pequeño paraje que está cercado, debido al brutal asesinato que se consumó allí.
Interesante relato de corte Espectral sumamente clásico, contado de modo alternativo y solemne a través de un acta judicial. No por ello, aporta de modo anticipativo y visionario temas tan delicados como la violencia de género, y escalofriante, como el del asesinato vil y sanguinario; con maldición Divina incluida.
Me ha gustado mucho.
14/ Corazones perdidos :
Mr,Abney acoge a su primo huérfano es su mansión, la cual cosa sorprende a sus vecinos. Éste se dice que es un hombre cálido aunque austero y solitario.
Excelente historia Espectral - vengativa, perversa y escalofriante; muy gráfica y poseedora de pasajes realmente potentes acerca de la maldad y locura.
Me ha encantado.
15/ Cuento nocturno:
Bajo un previo reivindicativo acerca de la sabiduría del ‘pueblo llano’, en la creación ( y recreación) y transmisión de leyendas locales, M.R James relata como una abuela les explica a sus nietos la causa por la cual no deben pasar por un sendero de la población a recoger grosellas.
Estremecedor y aterrador relato, que plasma el horror de las almas sin descanso, con su posterior y legítima ‘reivindicación’. Todo ello debido a la intolerancia humana y la más vil de las justificaciones para acometer un crimen. Toca un tema tabú muy avanzado para su época, cómo es la homofóbia.
Me ha encantado.
16/ Limite de propiedad:
El último cuento de la antología explica la perturbadora experiencia paranormal vivida por un catalogador literario, que desempeña un trabajo particular en una mansión situada en Betton.
Sublime relato espectral, con la consecuente justicia poética (que tanto gustaba a éste gran maestro). De corte tenebroso pero sereno, intenso por su atmósfera y cadencioso desarrollo. Otra de las genialidades de M.R James; perfecto como broche final de ésta excelente antología del autor.
M.R James era un erudito, pero muy vivido (al igual que el maestro Heinlein y Hodgson) que había practicado la Arqueología, excavando y descubriendo Murales y otros hallazgos, restaurado capillas, catalogado valiosos manuscritos Medievales, realizado estudios históricos vitales y traducido cuentos de los Andersen y textos Evangélicos, entre otros. Su afán insaciable de búsqueda natural, precisamente logró que fuera tan soberanamente bueno en su labor literaria. Todos sus relatos son evocadores y misteriosos, crean una tensión subliminal y un interés desde la primera página en el lector. Casi todos sus personajes se mueven en entornos sofisticados (muy dado en la época victoriana y Barroca en la literatura), poseen profesiones eruditas o las practican. Son un poco el Alter Ego del mismo autor, pero derivando en el horror que destapan mediante sus investigaciones por otros casuales colaterales.
M. R James (siempre es mi opinión) es el arte del horror en literatura en su punto más álgido: cotidiano, elegante, engañosamente simple en su narrativa pero tremendamente ágil y detallista, inteligente e inquietante por su eficacia solapada; equilibrado en el conjunto de dotar esencia, sentido y oscuridad que va más allá en sus escritos.
Uno de los mejores (sino el mejor) escritores de Terror de todos los tiempos junto a Hodgson en lo referente a clásicos. Poe y Lovecraft están próximos, pero resultaban más inquietantes por sus imágenes perturbadoras y personajes psicóticos o bestias demenciales y bizarras; eran algo más “efectistas”.
A continuación resumo el argumento y mi respectiva apreciación de cada uno de los 16 magníficos relatos de los que consta ésta gran Antología de la editorial Siruela:
1/ Ratas:
Un profesor se hospeda en una posada en Sufford, dónde encontrará en una de sus rutas un peculiar monolito cerca de su alojamiento.
Buen relato, envolvente, que sugiere hasta dar con el espectro y su explicación, detallando perfectamente las incertidumbres y temores del protagonista. Al final deja un notable mensaje ‘Apocalíptico’.
Me ha gustado mucho.
2/Las fuente de los lamentos:
Un grupo de exploradores profesionales pregunta a un aldeano acerca de un valle inexplorado en un descanso, ya que precisan de agua. Éste les advierte que no entren, pero el intrépido cabecilla decide no hacerle caso.
Historia tensa, crepuscular y claustrofóbica, sin dejar la acción de lado. Con toda probabilidad precursoras del género Zombie (aunque en significado argumental vaya por otros derroteros).
Me ha gustado mucho.
3/ El tesoro del Abad Thomas:
Un anticuario traduce un manuscrito histórico de la Abadía de Stenfield, en dónde se habla de un tesoro escondido por el monje que lo regentó. Así pues, decide ir en su búsqueda.
Serena pero desasosegante historia sobre profanaciones y custodias infernales, muy sugerente y tétrica, sublime en horror. Ni el mismísimo Lovecraft destilaba tanta tensión ni era tan siniestro, siendo elegante al mismo tiempo. M.R James dosifica el horror como nadie. He aquí un excelente ejemplo de su maestría.
Me ha encantado.
4/ El diario de Mr. Poynter:
Un famoso anticuario restaura una casa en Warwick, por lo cual decide indagar acerca de la tipografía e historia del lugar.
Magnifico relato acerca de la resurrección mediante particulares endiablados (por ciertos rituales o sacrilegios) y / o maldecidos. Su explicación final es grotesca a la par que terrorífica.
Me ha encantado.
5/ El fresno:
Sir Thomas atestigua en contra de una vecina, la cual acaba siendo acusada y condenada por Brujería.
Astuto relato acerca de las maldiciones y venganza generacional, que mezcla Iglesia, cuerpo y anti espíritu. Nótese la relevancia del arbusto en cuestión que da título a la historia; de mucha relevancia y enclave demoníaco en boca de supersticiosos. M.R James sabía aunar realidad y ficción como nadie.
Me ha gustado mucho.
6/ Aviso a los curiosos:
Dos amigos reservar periódicamente una sala en un lujoso hotel sito en Senborg. Una tarde aparece un extraño del cual se hacen amigo. Éste le solicitará ayuda para retornar una valiosa Corona vinculada a un huraño personaje, que estaba enterrada a orillas de la fortaleza de la población.
Otra altamente sugerente y grotesca histórica sobre objetos malditos, narrada con ésa “calma” tan engañosa del autor, que desemboca en el horror en seco y culmina con el desasosiego.
Me ha gustado mucho.
7/ El grabado:
Mr. Williams está catalogando nuevo material histórico para un museo en Cambridge, cuando recibe un inusual y cotizado grabado que se auto modifica constantemente.
Excelente relato acerca del desvelamiento de un antiguo asesinato irresoluto, mediante una revelación paranormal de tipo Telequinético. Muy avanzado a su época; con toda seguridad ha sido origen del mismo argumento en posteriores autores (yo misma lo puedo ratificar, ya que lo he comprobado tanto en Sci fi como en Terror).
Me ha encantado.
8/ Dos médicos:
Un comprador de segunda mano descubre un archivo entre los separadores de un dossier. En éste se alberga el inexplicable caso del fallecimiento de un facultativo de la salud del cual fue testigo otro doctor.
Atrapante relato de tono espectral-vengador, que discurre entre la vigilia y el plano real.
Me ha gustado mucho.
9/ El tratado Middoth:
Un hombre solicita en una biblioteca municipal una edición concreta de de un antiguo tratado.
Largo, intrincado y rebuscado, pero genial historia sobre las sucesiones con justicia poética, urdidas de modo perverso.
Me ha encantado.
10/ El número 13: (Room 13)
Un viajero que desea estudiar la historia de Viborg, se hospeda en ‘El león de oro’; uno de los pocos edificios que sobrevivieron al gran incendio de 1286. Durante su estancia comenzará a preguntarse acerca de l caprichosa distribución y particular decoración del establecimiento, además de la falta de habitación 13.
Una de las mayores genialidades ( que ya es mucho decir, pues todas lo son) de M.R James. Lo habré leído veinte veces, pero sigue siendo una lectura apasionante, sombría e inquietante. Trata acerca de dimensiones demoníacas. Toda una joya. Uno de los imprescindibles del autor.
Me ha encantado.
11/La casa de muñecas:
Mr. Dillet es un reputado anticuario y coleccionista, que consigue una casa de muñecas gótica y única a un precio irrisorio. Tal es su entusiasmo por dicha adquisición, que se la lleva consigo.
Perturbadora y turbia historia acerca de objetos malditos, que recrean y perpetúan ( en cierta medida) crímenes en el tiempo. Cierto es que es una variante de otro relato del autor, pero notablemente resoluto.
Me ha gustado mucho.
12/ El maleficio de las runas :
Mr. Karswell es un temido autor e investigador ‘científico’, que insta a los miembros de una sociedad de Alquimia a que se de voz acerca de su articulo en una próxima conferencia temática. A raíz del rechazo explicito por parte de uno de éstos, éste comenzará a experimentar extraños sucesos y sensaciones, que le recordarán a lo acaecido a un critico que reseñó negativamente la novela de Karswell.
Conocido también como: ‘El mensaje de la muerte’, ésta es otra de las genialidades de M.R James. Una historia muy siniestra y potente, que mezcla maldiciones y mal de ojo, mediante rituales negros ( a través del lenguaje rúnico). Bastante perversa y aterradora sicológicamente. Resultará tensa e inapacible hasta para el lector, por su intensidad. Otras de sus obras maestras (¡y cual no lo es!?).
Me ha encantado.
13/ El cercado de Martín:
Un agente inmobiliario de la época, se hospeda en la casa de un Párroco del oeste para inspeccionar sus tierras. Divisa un pequeño paraje que está cercado, debido al brutal asesinato que se consumó allí.
Interesante relato de corte Espectral sumamente clásico, contado de modo alternativo y solemne a través de un acta judicial. No por ello, aporta de modo anticipativo y visionario temas tan delicados como la violencia de género, y escalofriante, como el del asesinato vil y sanguinario; con maldición Divina incluida.
Me ha gustado mucho.
14/ Corazones perdidos :
Mr,Abney acoge a su primo huérfano es su mansión, la cual cosa sorprende a sus vecinos. Éste se dice que es un hombre cálido aunque austero y solitario.
Excelente historia Espectral - vengativa, perversa y escalofriante; muy gráfica y poseedora de pasajes realmente potentes acerca de la maldad y locura.
Me ha encantado.
15/ Cuento nocturno:
Bajo un previo reivindicativo acerca de la sabiduría del ‘pueblo llano’, en la creación ( y recreación) y transmisión de leyendas locales, M.R James relata como una abuela les explica a sus nietos la causa por la cual no deben pasar por un sendero de la población a recoger grosellas.
Estremecedor y aterrador relato, que plasma el horror de las almas sin descanso, con su posterior y legítima ‘reivindicación’. Todo ello debido a la intolerancia humana y la más vil de las justificaciones para acometer un crimen. Toca un tema tabú muy avanzado para su época, cómo es la homofóbia.
Me ha encantado.
16/ Limite de propiedad:
El último cuento de la antología explica la perturbadora experiencia paranormal vivida por un catalogador literario, que desempeña un trabajo particular en una mansión situada en Betton.
Sublime relato espectral, con la consecuente justicia poética (que tanto gustaba a éste gran maestro). De corte tenebroso pero sereno, intenso por su atmósfera y cadencioso desarrollo. Otra de las genialidades de M.R James; perfecto como broche final de ésta excelente antología del autor.
February 16, 2024
These stories are full of a certain promise and they're loaded with atmosphere, but in the end the adherence to realism, in making each story feel so much as if it could happen to the reader, entrenched this collection in a kind of bourgeois banality. Sometimes realism is a kind of cleverness, and it prevents stories from getting strange or dramatic enough to be interesting, and I feel this is the case here. I think I was hoping for something a bit more psychological, like the excellent ghost stories of Edith Wharton.
July 12, 2008
I have been reading ghost stories for more than thirty years now, and still consider Montague Rhodes James' stories as the most superior, skilfully written and chilling tales to be produced in this genre.
July 22, 2016
I was in two minds about reading this because I love, LOVE, LOVE ghost stories, BUT I don't really enjoy short stories. Often I feel like you just don't get much from them as they are not long enough to get to know the characters or care about the storyline, plus you always like some stories in a collection better than others...
So glad to be proved wrong in this case!
These fabulous tales were the perfect length, long enough to grab your attention and make you need to get to the end, but short enough that they end before you get bored of suspense and waiting.
The writing was fantastic, and it is clear that other authors, particularly Susan Hill, have taken much inspiration from M.R. James' style and work. These are proper 'old school' ghost stories, where people sit around a fire recounting horrors from their past about finding ancient manuscripts and flitting shadows, and where the night time is dangerous and you are lucky if you survive until the morning.
As Ruth Rendell says in the introduction of this edition:
I couldn't agree more.
My only very slight criticism about this collection would be that several of the stories are quite similar and sometimes it can feel a little samey/deja-vu-ey, but I'm not going to mark it down for that since it was my own choice to read it all as one book and not dip in and out, as I know many would with short stories.
Either way, this is a BRILLIANT book which has definitely changed my opinion of short stories. I will certainly be reading more M.R. James in the future.
So glad to be proved wrong in this case!
These fabulous tales were the perfect length, long enough to grab your attention and make you need to get to the end, but short enough that they end before you get bored of suspense and waiting.
The writing was fantastic, and it is clear that other authors, particularly Susan Hill, have taken much inspiration from M.R. James' style and work. These are proper 'old school' ghost stories, where people sit around a fire recounting horrors from their past about finding ancient manuscripts and flitting shadows, and where the night time is dangerous and you are lucky if you survive until the morning.
As Ruth Rendell says in the introduction of this edition:
'There are some writers one wishes one had never read in order to have the joy of reading them for the first time. For me, M.R. James is one of those.'
I couldn't agree more.
My only very slight criticism about this collection would be that several of the stories are quite similar and sometimes it can feel a little samey/deja-vu-ey, but I'm not going to mark it down for that since it was my own choice to read it all as one book and not dip in and out, as I know many would with short stories.
Either way, this is a BRILLIANT book which has definitely changed my opinion of short stories. I will certainly be reading more M.R. James in the future.
January 6, 2016
There is a Monty Python sketch in which a chat show host interviews a man whose only claim to fame is that he says things in a very roundabout way. That man could have been MR James, who seemed to face an epic internal struggle every time he wanted to commence a new story. It became clear half way through this collection that I could probably skip the first two thirds of any story as unnecessarily detailed set-up. How's this for an opening paragraph, from "Count Magnus"?
"By what means the papers out of which I have made a connected story came into my hands is the last point which the reader will learn from these pages. But it is necessary to prefix to my extracts from them a statement of the form in which I possess them."
Not the most promising start to a ripping yarn, is it?
But. BUT! Once he gets to the point, the magic happens. There is something truly startling in the way James describes the actual spooky happenings in his stories. Many of them are genuinely frightening, and I really didn't expect to feel that little frisson in the middle of such an antiquated style of storytelling. There are some great little ideas among these stories. I would recommend this to any students of "eerie fiction", as it has become known.
"By what means the papers out of which I have made a connected story came into my hands is the last point which the reader will learn from these pages. But it is necessary to prefix to my extracts from them a statement of the form in which I possess them."
Not the most promising start to a ripping yarn, is it?
But. BUT! Once he gets to the point, the magic happens. There is something truly startling in the way James describes the actual spooky happenings in his stories. Many of them are genuinely frightening, and I really didn't expect to feel that little frisson in the middle of such an antiquated style of storytelling. There are some great little ideas among these stories. I would recommend this to any students of "eerie fiction", as it has become known.
August 18, 2019
Its the perfect season for a horror read. The nights are dark and wintry, and the days are bleak and cloudy. This time of the year I decided that instead of reading a novel, I should try my pick at reading some short horror stories. I am glad I made this decision because this brought me to the works of the famous author, M.R. James, who to be honestly embarrassed with myself I had never heard of before. After reading his biography I realized that he used to write short stories which he would narrate to his friends during Christmas nights near a fireplace. This got me intrigued as I was a little mixed when it came to reading short horror stories. However, I gave it a try and was not disappointed.
The book which was titled "Ghost Stories" by M.R. James by the Penguin English Library did not contain all of his stories but 17 of them in all. I'm gonna review each one in 2-3 lines to give you a general synopsis and review of them in order-
1- Lost Hearts- A truly creepy tale of vengeful spirits thirsting for revenge against their murderer. The scares were good and chilling. Possesses elements of ritual practices using dark magic. *4/5*
2- Casting The Runes- The first tale in the book which revolves around a cursed object. Not much engaging in my opinion but there is one truly effective scare when the narrator is alone in this room and its worth a read for that. *3/5*
3- The Mezzotint- One of my favorite stories from the book about a painting of a manor which slowly changes itself to reveal its morbid past. This one was actually quite suspenseful. *5/5*
4- The Stalls Of Barchester Cathedral- This is once again a great horror story. The way its told in epistolary format where the character at first is sane and slowly goes insane as he starts to witness supernatural occurrences is truly disturbing. *5/5*
5- Oh, Whistle and I'll come to you, my lad- I enjoyed this one due to its ambiguity and atmosphere. Never have I been scared by the classic white sheet ghost than in this story. I also loved it for its small comic relief elements before the scares. *5/5*
6- The Treasure of Abbot Thomas- This is the first James's story which I believed to have some Lovecraftian elements in it. The sequence of the hunt in the treasure in the abandoned well is truly creepy. *4/5*
7- A View from a Hill- I liked this one for the concept of a binocular's view changing the present view to the past. However, the back story regarding its origins was not that engaging. But still its a great read. *3/5*
8- The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance- While this story had an interesting concept of a missing man's fate narrated through an ominous Punch and Judy show, the ending leaved much to be desired. *2/5*
9- The Ash Tree- Once again, a great horror story which revolved around witches and some of the witch trials which took place during early times. The tension is solidly build and the ending gave me the cringes. *5/5*
10- The Tractate Middoth- The story revolved around two siblings uncovering the true will of their deceased family member, which may be cursed. While the suspense was build up constantly, the ending was a bit anticlimactic. *3/5*
11- Martin's Close- I quite enjoyed this one. It revolves around the trial of a young man who is suspected of killing a woman. What I liked about this was the way the story is told like an actual trial and witnesses stepping in and out. The cloth hanging out from the cupboard is the highlight of the story. *4/5*
12- Mr. Humphreys and his Inheritance- A man inherits a house which is next to a large maze with something mysterious in its middle. The maze appears to change shape for anyone who goes inside making the person truly lost. Once again, an engaging concept with poor execution. *2/5*
13- Canon Alberic's Scrap Book- Again, the vague background of the haunted/cursed book does not make it an interesting read. *2/5*
14- Count Magnus- An effective scary story. The narration style and atmosphere makes it quite chilling. Not to mention the way the supernatural entity taunts and stalks the main character. *5/5*
15- Number 13- The concept of a hotel room disappearing through space and time in the day and appearing back in the night is downright creepy. I truly enjoyed this one. *4/5*
16- An Episode of Cathedral History- I personally enjoyed this one due to the fact that it reminded me of the classic "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. The description of the Cathedral and the mysterious tomb inside it, the night cryings inside it, the sightings by villagers of a dark shadow with red eyes coming out and stalking the windows of various houses before disappearing before sunrise gives it a classic vampire tale. *5/5*
17- A Warning to the Curious- The last tale in the book and once again quite effective. The tension is greatly build up and the background of the missing crowns was quite interesting. *4/5*
While some of the stories are a little dated, it does not stir from the fact that James' writing was truly exceptional in building up the dread and tension before finally reaching the climax. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for some light horror readings for the upcoming Christmas season cuddled up in their blankets.
The book which was titled "Ghost Stories" by M.R. James by the Penguin English Library did not contain all of his stories but 17 of them in all. I'm gonna review each one in 2-3 lines to give you a general synopsis and review of them in order-
1- Lost Hearts- A truly creepy tale of vengeful spirits thirsting for revenge against their murderer. The scares were good and chilling. Possesses elements of ritual practices using dark magic. *4/5*
2- Casting The Runes- The first tale in the book which revolves around a cursed object. Not much engaging in my opinion but there is one truly effective scare when the narrator is alone in this room and its worth a read for that. *3/5*
3- The Mezzotint- One of my favorite stories from the book about a painting of a manor which slowly changes itself to reveal its morbid past. This one was actually quite suspenseful. *5/5*
4- The Stalls Of Barchester Cathedral- This is once again a great horror story. The way its told in epistolary format where the character at first is sane and slowly goes insane as he starts to witness supernatural occurrences is truly disturbing. *5/5*
5- Oh, Whistle and I'll come to you, my lad- I enjoyed this one due to its ambiguity and atmosphere. Never have I been scared by the classic white sheet ghost than in this story. I also loved it for its small comic relief elements before the scares. *5/5*
6- The Treasure of Abbot Thomas- This is the first James's story which I believed to have some Lovecraftian elements in it. The sequence of the hunt in the treasure in the abandoned well is truly creepy. *4/5*
7- A View from a Hill- I liked this one for the concept of a binocular's view changing the present view to the past. However, the back story regarding its origins was not that engaging. But still its a great read. *3/5*
8- The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance- While this story had an interesting concept of a missing man's fate narrated through an ominous Punch and Judy show, the ending leaved much to be desired. *2/5*
9- The Ash Tree- Once again, a great horror story which revolved around witches and some of the witch trials which took place during early times. The tension is solidly build and the ending gave me the cringes. *5/5*
10- The Tractate Middoth- The story revolved around two siblings uncovering the true will of their deceased family member, which may be cursed. While the suspense was build up constantly, the ending was a bit anticlimactic. *3/5*
11- Martin's Close- I quite enjoyed this one. It revolves around the trial of a young man who is suspected of killing a woman. What I liked about this was the way the story is told like an actual trial and witnesses stepping in and out. The cloth hanging out from the cupboard is the highlight of the story. *4/5*
12- Mr. Humphreys and his Inheritance- A man inherits a house which is next to a large maze with something mysterious in its middle. The maze appears to change shape for anyone who goes inside making the person truly lost. Once again, an engaging concept with poor execution. *2/5*
13- Canon Alberic's Scrap Book- Again, the vague background of the haunted/cursed book does not make it an interesting read. *2/5*
14- Count Magnus- An effective scary story. The narration style and atmosphere makes it quite chilling. Not to mention the way the supernatural entity taunts and stalks the main character. *5/5*
15- Number 13- The concept of a hotel room disappearing through space and time in the day and appearing back in the night is downright creepy. I truly enjoyed this one. *4/5*
16- An Episode of Cathedral History- I personally enjoyed this one due to the fact that it reminded me of the classic "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. The description of the Cathedral and the mysterious tomb inside it, the night cryings inside it, the sightings by villagers of a dark shadow with red eyes coming out and stalking the windows of various houses before disappearing before sunrise gives it a classic vampire tale. *5/5*
17- A Warning to the Curious- The last tale in the book and once again quite effective. The tension is greatly build up and the background of the missing crowns was quite interesting. *4/5*
While some of the stories are a little dated, it does not stir from the fact that James' writing was truly exceptional in building up the dread and tension before finally reaching the climax. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for some light horror readings for the upcoming Christmas season cuddled up in their blankets.
August 23, 2023
Wonderfully chilling. Gives you the collywobbles
October 6, 2023
Ninguna antología es perfecta, es casi imposible que no ya en la calidad, si no que nuestros propios gustos o intereses coincidan de tal forma que todos los relatos nos encanten. Dicho esto, me gusta la forma directa, irónica y terrible de narrar de M.R.James, donde lo que nos cuenta es casi tanto como lo que se oculta (por ignorancia de los narradores y por interés del autor), y eso da mucho miedo. Eso, y que el horror puede estar en cualquier parte, a plena luz del día y en las acciones más cotidianas. En esta forma de concebir el terror, fue un pionero.
February 18, 2025
Fun short ghost stories. I can see why this is considered a classic, but with short stories there's also depth lacking and that's not different with this collection. It's enjoyable, some are well written, some just are kinda meh. 3 stars.
December 9, 2017
I think the short story is probably the ideal form for horror - each line building the sense of tension and unease before a terrifying reveal. M R James nails this again and again in his stories as they almost all follow a winning formula... which I won't disclose here. James' creatures (ghosts, demons, whatever they are!) are half-described things and all the more terrifying for it, lettig your imagination do the rest of the work. Cleverly, he also has them appear at times when the character is completely alone, or when they are at their most vulnerable, tapping into common anxieties. James is a master, so why the low rating? Well, the Jamesian formula becomes very apparent when reading these stories in a collection, to the point that you have a pretty good idea what's going to happen soon after you start each one. They begin to lose their mystery and surprise so that it almost feels masochistic on the reader's part to go through the motions of each story in order to spring its terrifying trap. I can imagine they are much better enjoyed as they were originally intended, read out loud around the fire on Christmas Eve. I'd therefore recommend reading the odd story now and then but perhaps not just before bed.
November 26, 2012
μπορεί ναι, οι ιστορίες τρόμου έχουν πλέων άλλο ορισμό, λόγο του ότι με το σινεμά και με την ταχύτατη ανάπτυξη των οπτικοακουστικών εφέ και της αληθοφάνειας,πλέων η αφήγηση και η φαντασία θεωρούνται περιττά. Πάραυτα όμως θεωρώ πως αυτές οι πρώτες ιστορίες, οι αρχέτυπες, ίσως και γενεσιουργοί του είδους, απαιτείτε να διαβαστούν.
μεταφέρουν άλλου είδους μαγεία στις σελίδες τους. λιγότερο τεχνολογικά ανεπτυγμένη, περισσότερο με το αρχέγονο κράμα του φόβου τότε που το σκοτάδι ήταν απροσπέλαστο.
το συγκεκριμένο είναι συλλογή από ιστορίες οπότε αδράττω την ευκαιρία να το απολαύσω σιγά σιγά.
συγχαίρω των ή τους εκδότες του ARS NOCTURA. Έχουν κάνει μερικές δουλείες εξαιρετικές!
μεταφέρουν άλλου είδους μαγεία στις σελίδες τους. λιγότερο τεχνολογικά ανεπτυγμένη, περισσότερο με το αρχέγονο κράμα του φόβου τότε που το σκοτάδι ήταν απροσπέλαστο.
το συγκεκριμένο είναι συλλογή από ιστορίες οπότε αδράττω την ευκαιρία να το απολαύσω σιγά σιγά.
συγχαίρω των ή τους εκδότες του ARS NOCTURA. Έχουν κάνει μερικές δουλείες εξαιρετικές!
May 19, 2022
I don't even know where to start.
I love the concept and some of the stories were pretty good at getting under my skin and making me feel uneasy. However, that's where it ends.
There were a lot of details that made it hard for me to keep track of what I was reading:
• First of all, the writer tells the story from the perspective of someone who has heard the story himself, not lived it - but only sometimes.
• The dialogues, at some point, are monologues where you get a direct quote filled with sentences that are not connected and you have to guess what the other person asked based on the responses.
• I wish the descriptions were more focused on the atmosphere and the feeling rather than the positioning of certain objects - although I can understand that sometimes they are necessary to paint the picture.
• Some stories took about 95% of the time beating around the bush and the last couple of pages is where everything (most of the time nothing) happens.
• I have nothing against Latin phrases, however, not everyone speaks Latin - I think only one or two stories had annotations as to the meaning of the phrases. The rest? Best of luck.
• You might also need a dictionary or at least be ready to google words. The language is appropriate to the time when the stories are placed, so this is not really an issue.
The collection is a hit or miss. Luckily, the stories are not connected to each other, therefore, you're not missing out on anything if you skip some.
My favourites were Lost Hearts, Casting the Runes, A View from a Hill, The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance, Number 13 and A Warning to the Curious.
All in all, not bad, though I'd not read it again in its entirety.
I love the concept and some of the stories were pretty good at getting under my skin and making me feel uneasy. However, that's where it ends.
There were a lot of details that made it hard for me to keep track of what I was reading:
• First of all, the writer tells the story from the perspective of someone who has heard the story himself, not lived it - but only sometimes.
• The dialogues, at some point, are monologues where you get a direct quote filled with sentences that are not connected and you have to guess what the other person asked based on the responses.
• I wish the descriptions were more focused on the atmosphere and the feeling rather than the positioning of certain objects - although I can understand that sometimes they are necessary to paint the picture.
• Some stories took about 95% of the time beating around the bush and the last couple of pages is where everything (most of the time nothing) happens.
• I have nothing against Latin phrases, however, not everyone speaks Latin - I think only one or two stories had annotations as to the meaning of the phrases. The rest? Best of luck.
• You might also need a dictionary or at least be ready to google words. The language is appropriate to the time when the stories are placed, so this is not really an issue.
The collection is a hit or miss. Luckily, the stories are not connected to each other, therefore, you're not missing out on anything if you skip some.
My favourites were Lost Hearts, Casting the Runes, A View from a Hill, The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance, Number 13 and A Warning to the Curious.
All in all, not bad, though I'd not read it again in its entirety.
August 15, 2022
2.5, I enjoyed the first stories and even found some of them creepy but then I just thought them to be repetitive
February 6, 2020
I don't like being scared. I don't watch horror films. I've spent years trying to forget the ghost stories I overheard as a child. But this hasn't been too bad. I suppose a vintage ghost story isn't as scary as the one told by your aunt when you are 11 😉
March 3, 2024
An absolute slog - I am not a short story girl. It’s a bit too old and full of religious imagery to be easily understood
October 13, 2023
Rating: 4 stars.
My third book read for my Gothic university course.
I actually only had to read 'Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad' for class, but I was keen to try out an entire collection from such a famous and influential ghost story writer. And, honestly, James lives up to the hype. Some of these stories were legitimately really spooky, even a century later, which I don't often find with these older horror works.
Not every story was a winner (some made me doze off reading them), and the framing device of an academic visiting some older place (usually in Europe) was used a few too many times. Still, I had a surprisingly good time with this one. I'd definitely recommend it.
My third book read for my Gothic university course.
I actually only had to read 'Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad' for class, but I was keen to try out an entire collection from such a famous and influential ghost story writer. And, honestly, James lives up to the hype. Some of these stories were legitimately really spooky, even a century later, which I don't often find with these older horror works.
Not every story was a winner (some made me doze off reading them), and the framing device of an academic visiting some older place (usually in Europe) was used a few too many times. Still, I had a surprisingly good time with this one. I'd definitely recommend it.
April 27, 2008
Originally published in 1931. Quite spooky and very, very upper-class English.
I love the little asides sprinkled throughout:
"Few people can resist the temptation to try a little amateur research in a department quite outside their own, if only for the satisfaction of how successful they would have been had they only taken it up seriously."
" ' I think probably it was quite an attractive place, but boys seldom allow that their schools possess any tolerable features. ' "
And I love that James describes one of the minor characters, who appears only to ask questions that set up the plot, as "a person not in the story."
I love the little asides sprinkled throughout:
"Few people can resist the temptation to try a little amateur research in a department quite outside their own, if only for the satisfaction of how successful they would have been had they only taken it up seriously."
" ' I think probably it was quite an attractive place, but boys seldom allow that their schools possess any tolerable features. ' "
And I love that James describes one of the minor characters, who appears only to ask questions that set up the plot, as "a person not in the story."
November 7, 2019
Sadly, I didn't enjoy this very much, so I fell into a small reading slump :/
November 14, 2019
A mixed bag - some stories are excellent ghost stories, with odd undertones. Others are not. A better edition would have commentary and references.
January 3, 2026
The controlled suspense and subtle shocks of M.R. James's ghost stories come from a time before we were all inured to the graphic horror and visceral thrills of the big screen. It's rather like listening to a Mozart piano sonata after gorging yourself on Wagner's Ring cycle - as an old music teacher of mine used to say, you have to make a conscious effort to cleanse your palate so you are alive to the suggestive details and carefully calibrated effects.
These stories do, of course, have their shocks - some of which have greater impact than others - but they are almost scarier after you close the book. The rustle of dry leaves blowing about in the wind, an unexpected knock on the door late at night, a walk through the woods or an empty expanse of beach in the winter will not seem quite the same for a while after reading them.
M.R. James's sublime skill as a storyteller is his ability to make you feel completely cosy, then bit by bit, undermine that cosiness until you catch a glimpse of something really nasty. It is rarely more than a glimpse. You end the story with a mild feeling of unease that tends to grow the more you think about it.
[mild spoilers below]
This collection of 13 stories selected by Ruth Rendell (of course it would be 13), includes some of the best known. 'Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to You My Lad' is a masterpiece of understatement. Almost nothing happens, but it stays with you. At the other end of the scale, 'The Ash-Tree' has more explicit horror and an ending that makes you shiver. 'The Mezzotint' was one of my favourites, because James eschews completely the usual device of putting his protagonists in personal peril, yet still manages to grip our attention and create an indirect sense of threat. 'Casting the Runes' has more incident, and as Rendell says in her introduction, contains "one of the most truly dreadful experiences of an occult nature that I have ever read... tossed in lightly almost as an aside". 'Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book' begins the collection and is another masterpiece of understatement, one of the more subtly disturbing stories. 'Number 13' is intriguing, though there is more humour than horror in it (James can be quite funny, especially if you like comedy accents and donnish jokes).
James denied having a formula - or a "receipt for success" as he put it. There is clearly a similarity to the stories in their slow build to a moment (or moments) of terror, and yes, there are a lot of amateur antiquarians and mysterious manuscripts, but this collection nicely illustrates how James was able to vary the character and settings of each story, as well as sidestepping the obvious. He often teases the reader by stating, through his narrators, what he thinks we will expect to happen, before of course revealing a development we had not anticipated. For example, 'Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance', centred on a sinister maze, completely subverts the reader's expectations about where the terror will come from. Sometimes James kills his protagonists, sometimes it's someone else, sometimes no-one at all. So we never quite know what's coming next. An acquired taste, perhaps, these ghost stories, but one worth acquiring.
These stories do, of course, have their shocks - some of which have greater impact than others - but they are almost scarier after you close the book. The rustle of dry leaves blowing about in the wind, an unexpected knock on the door late at night, a walk through the woods or an empty expanse of beach in the winter will not seem quite the same for a while after reading them.
M.R. James's sublime skill as a storyteller is his ability to make you feel completely cosy, then bit by bit, undermine that cosiness until you catch a glimpse of something really nasty. It is rarely more than a glimpse. You end the story with a mild feeling of unease that tends to grow the more you think about it.
[mild spoilers below]
This collection of 13 stories selected by Ruth Rendell (of course it would be 13), includes some of the best known. 'Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to You My Lad' is a masterpiece of understatement. Almost nothing happens, but it stays with you. At the other end of the scale, 'The Ash-Tree' has more explicit horror and an ending that makes you shiver. 'The Mezzotint' was one of my favourites, because James eschews completely the usual device of putting his protagonists in personal peril, yet still manages to grip our attention and create an indirect sense of threat. 'Casting the Runes' has more incident, and as Rendell says in her introduction, contains "one of the most truly dreadful experiences of an occult nature that I have ever read... tossed in lightly almost as an aside". 'Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book' begins the collection and is another masterpiece of understatement, one of the more subtly disturbing stories. 'Number 13' is intriguing, though there is more humour than horror in it (James can be quite funny, especially if you like comedy accents and donnish jokes).
James denied having a formula - or a "receipt for success" as he put it. There is clearly a similarity to the stories in their slow build to a moment (or moments) of terror, and yes, there are a lot of amateur antiquarians and mysterious manuscripts, but this collection nicely illustrates how James was able to vary the character and settings of each story, as well as sidestepping the obvious. He often teases the reader by stating, through his narrators, what he thinks we will expect to happen, before of course revealing a development we had not anticipated. For example, 'Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance', centred on a sinister maze, completely subverts the reader's expectations about where the terror will come from. Sometimes James kills his protagonists, sometimes it's someone else, sometimes no-one at all. So we never quite know what's coming next. An acquired taste, perhaps, these ghost stories, but one worth acquiring.
October 9, 2023
I came to M. R. James' ghost stories having recently watched a few of the BBC adaptations of them from the 1970s. They, like the stories in this collection, were frankly a bit hit and miss. James had a wonderful capacity at transforming cozy scenes of buffoonish antiquarians puzzling over stained glass windows into moments of genuine dread. The formula for his stories is almost always the same: a bookish academic or keen amateur antiquarian either happens upon or seeks an object - often a manuscript - of some minor historical importance. He - it's always a man - procures this object in some dreary old library or dusty abbey of sometimes obscure heritage, generally somewhere in England. The object has a peculiar quality to it that eventually becomes a horrifying power that almost overcomes the man. However, he just about survives the tell his tale to the narrator of the story, who is usually some friend or another. There are variations and additions to this formula, as well as many more specificities, but this is how things usually run in James' stories. What really matters is the character himself, the setting, and the unfolding of actions he takes that lead to the moment of horror and dread. James sometimes pitches the foolhardiness of his character perfectly and paces the growing sense of unease beautifully, but too often he seems to just be dialing it in and not bothering too much with dramatic pace and description of that fateful moment. The best stories in this collection are, arguably, the ones that surprise the most or that which do more of the foreshadowing work and less of the fusty antiquarian descriptions. Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to You My Lad! is a standout in this regard, as is A Warning to the Curious - although this is actually even better dramatically in the BBC adaptation. The frequent theme of a poisoned chalice inheritance - usually of a grand house - is best achieved in Mr Humphrey's and His Inheritance. But most of the stories present in this selection just plod along a bit too much for my taste and fail to excite much dread. A slimmer and more refined selection would have suited my taste. After all, despite the tremendous love so many have for James, he is hardly a great writer, and it would serve him best, I think, to only present his strongest work. And these stronger works are, I believe, really rather good, and perfect for the darkening evenings we're getting in the northern hemisphere right now.
January 10, 2025
The Folio Society’s edition of M.R. James' ghost stories is a beautifully crafted collection, though my experience with it was mixed. James’ atmospheric writing excels in creating subtle, eerie tales that evoke a creeping sense of dread. However, this subtlety often made the stories feel vague and hard to follow, leaving me struggling to piece together the full narrative.
The dense prose and antiquarian details sometimes softened the impact of the horror, making certain stories feel overly complex. Yet, what surprised me was the humor—dry wit and absurd moments added a refreshing lightness amidst the eerie atmosphere.
Despite the challenges, the blend of the eerie, scholarly, and humorous elements made for a unique and memorable experience. This collection, while demanding patience, offers a rewarding dive into James’ world of understated supernatural tales.
The dense prose and antiquarian details sometimes softened the impact of the horror, making certain stories feel overly complex. Yet, what surprised me was the humor—dry wit and absurd moments added a refreshing lightness amidst the eerie atmosphere.
Despite the challenges, the blend of the eerie, scholarly, and humorous elements made for a unique and memorable experience. This collection, while demanding patience, offers a rewarding dive into James’ world of understated supernatural tales.
May 25, 2021
Збірка вікторіанських жахливчиків від класика та майстра жанра, якого друзі називали просто Монті, хоча людина все життя була серйозна, викладала в університеті та займалась середньовічними манускриптами. А також любила добряче налякати оточуючих, особливо під Різдво та всякі інші нагідні празники.
Моя улюблена історія - Casting the Runes, де жахливчик поступово переходить в детектив, потім в триллер, а потім знову в жах, що ширяє на крилах ночі (майже буквально). А Mezzotint просто майстер-клас, як писати про те, "що воно наче виповзло, а наче ні, але крадеться, ряту..." Причому чітко окресленого ворога ніде немає, і саме це чудово працює на атмосферу і жижки напруженої читачки.
Моя улюблена історія - Casting the Runes, де жахливчик поступово переходить в детектив, потім в триллер, а потім знову в жах, що ширяє на крилах ночі (майже буквально). А Mezzotint просто майстер-клас, як писати про те, "що воно наче виповзло, а наче ні, але крадеться, ряту..." Причому чітко окресленого ворога ніде немає, і саме це чудово працює на атмосферу і жижки напруженої читачки.
January 1, 2021
I did this as a mix of reading and listening to and it worked very well. These are ghost stories in a traditional sense and they are done really well. Of course there are a lot of similarities in the stories and also M.R. James tends to tell all his stories in a very fixed way. But nevertheless I enjoyed them and there was a dark undertone to them, I often miss in other ghost stories.
October 22, 2025
These clever tales live up to their vaulted reputation, and sometimes the scary edges into the downright creepy. Touches of wry humor are aimed at "the golfing population" or fellow academics. They are also more wide-ranging than I expected, with settings not just in England but also France and Denmark.
November 3, 2020
I didn't finish it, only read a few stories from the beginning. It was alright, I suppose. A generic late 19th/ early 20th-century novel to spook yourself with. The stories were entertaining, albeit a tad redundant. Not very surprising. I understood the formula and could pretty much predict what would happen in the stories. Was pretty cool for the Halloween season though. :)
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