M. R. James: The Complete Supernatural Stories

by M.R. James

Montague Rhodes James (1862-1936) was an English author, medievalist scholar and provost of King’s College, Cambridge, and of Eton College. Though James’s work as a medievalist is still highly regarded, he is best remembered for his ghost stories, which are regarded as among the best in the genre. He redefined the ghost story for the new century by abandoning many of the formal Gothic clichés of his predecessors and using more realistic contemporary settings. H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith were admirers of James’s work. Michael Sadleir described him as “the best ghost-story writer England has ever produced”. Paul Theroux refers to “The Mezzotint” as “the most frightening story I know”. In his list “The 13 Most Terrifying Horror Stories”, T. E. D. Klein placed James’s “Casting the Runes” at number one.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2019

About the author

Montague 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

Reviews

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of ghost stories and their ilk which range from really good to really gauche so that the completely collection is just okay.

[Dan Seitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like stories about academics finding haunted objects, this is a treasure trove. Beyond that, more interesting for horror nerds than scary.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, yes, it did take me a long time to read this. It's huge, with about six million short stories. Short stories, you just pick up and read when you have time.

So, the good news and bad news. To me, the stories weren't frightening. It seems like ghost stories should be scary. Even the most famous, Whistle, My Lad, and I Will Come, didn't give me the willies at all.

So why did I rate this a four? It is outstanding for studying the looks and the lifestyle of the (mostly) Victorian age. He describes buildings, clothes, hobbies, whisker styles, thoughts, attitudes in so much detail. If you want interesting in-depth descriptions of the era, James really sets a standard. James did write these stories up until the mid-1930s, but most are in the Victorian age of the late 1800s.

He's funny, too, like when a Boy Scout gets a badge for picking up small bits of newspaper and another badge for not slamming doors.

Not scary, to me, but an enjoyable look at what scared our great great grandparents.

[William Perrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

M R James was the only great ghost story writer, arguably the only person who has touched ghost/horror fiction &, himself, been touched with genius. There is an old comment that when you dissect a joke, like an animal, you are left only with a corpse & no idea what ever animated it. In this case, however, it is worth tentatively dissecting MRJ's best stories. What I find, when I try to do so, is that every one would have been massively inferior if more background had been added, or if a little understanding had been taken away. That is what makes the best stories, 'Oh whistle', 'Lost hearts' 'A warning to the curious', 'the treasure of Abbot Thomas', 'the Mezzotint' so special. Every word is weighed, every word is necessary. MRJ always gives us that tiny bit less explanation than we need. In part, this may have been because his intended audience was other Cambridge intellectuals, who would be able to make the necessary inferences, but it works wonderfully for us, less educated, folk because each story remains, slightly, occult. There is never the full explanation, never the pat answer; always the hideous hell-beasts's muzzle is genteelly pushed away from the drawing room & it slinks off dissatisfied to that little corridor where the chaps keep their bicycles & golf-clubs. Sometimes, the mark of genius is simply knowing not to add or take away anything. My all time favourite will always be 'a warning to the curious'. although I also love 'a school story' but 'Count Magnus' is IMO, the scariest by far. That one will keep you up all night if you don't take recourse in drink or drugs.

[Audrey Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual with collections of many stories, some of these are excellent and others so-so. A few things I noted while reading: almost always, the narrator isn't the person who experienced the events being described; it's as though the reader is in M.R. James's study, listening to a conversation between him and some visitor about things they heard from someone else. It's a curious way to tell a story, but does seem to work for these.
Another thing I noticed was that in several of the stories, the ghost or other supernatural presence manifests by way of textiles such as curtains or bedclothes. Quite creepy.
Then there is the ever-present social stratification so important in Victorian times and the early 20th century, displayed by speech patterns. Servants and country people use different words and expressions than the educated scholars and clergymen who are the usual main characters. Although not usually a problem, I think I may have missed some subtleties because I didn't fully understand the nuances of certain expressions.
The stories are not terrifying as much as intriguing and creepy. They hint at forces and beings that lurk behind the surface, manifesting because of ill-considered meddling by the curious. This book is perfect for slow reading when one is in the mood for things old and strange.

[Mrs S J Owen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Basically the same story over and over with different settings and different people, but the same story.