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Un susurro en la noche
El observador Nº 70.
Contiene 7 de los relatos del libro "A whisper in the Night":
-La chica del Lob
-La señorita Spitfire
-Si lo encuentras, te lo quedas
-El vals de la jardinera
-El Niño Cisne
-Merminster o la Catedral marina
-La señora parlanchina.
Nota: El resto de relatos del libro se incluyeron en "El Jorobado de Brook Green" (El oservador nº 71).
Contiene 7 de los relatos del libro "A whisper in the Night":
-La chica del Lob
-La señorita Spitfire
-Si lo encuentras, te lo quedas
-El vals de la jardinera
-El Niño Cisne
-Merminster o la Catedral marina
-La señora parlanchina.
Nota: El resto de relatos del libro se incluyeron en "El Jorobado de Brook Green" (El oservador nº 71).
146 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
123 people want to read
About the author
Joan Aiken
331 books601 followersJoan Aiken was a much loved English writer who received the MBE for services to Children's Literature. She was known as a writer of wild fantasy, Gothic novels and short stories.
She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, Conrad Aiken (who won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry), and her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge. She worked for the United Nations Information Office during the second world war, and then as an editor and freelance on Argosy magazine before she started writing full time, mainly children's books and thrillers. For her books she received the Guardian Award (1969) and the Edgar Allan Poe Award (1972).
Her most popular series, the "Wolves Chronicles" which began with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, was set in an elaborate alternate period of history in a Britain in which James II was never deposed in the Glorious Revolution,and so supporters of the House of Hanover continually plot to overthrow the Stuart Kings. These books also feature cockney urchin heroine Dido Twite and her adventures and travels all over the world.
Another series of children's books about Arabel and her raven Mortimer are illustrated by Quentin Blake, and have been shown on the BBC as Jackanory and drama series. Others including the much loved Necklace of Raindrops and award winning Kingdom Under the Sea are illustrated by Jan Pieńkowski.
Her many novels for adults include several that continue or complement novels by Jane Austen. These include Mansfield Revisited and Jane Fairfax.
Aiken was a lifelong fan of ghost stories. She set her adult supernatural novel The Haunting of Lamb House at Lamb House in Rye (now a National Trust property). This ghost story recounts in fictional form an alleged haunting experienced by two former residents of the house, Henry James and E. F. Benson, both of whom also wrote ghost stories. Aiken's father, Conrad Aiken, also authored a small number of notable ghost stories.
She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, Conrad Aiken (who won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry), and her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge. She worked for the United Nations Information Office during the second world war, and then as an editor and freelance on Argosy magazine before she started writing full time, mainly children's books and thrillers. For her books she received the Guardian Award (1969) and the Edgar Allan Poe Award (1972).
Her most popular series, the "Wolves Chronicles" which began with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, was set in an elaborate alternate period of history in a Britain in which James II was never deposed in the Glorious Revolution,and so supporters of the House of Hanover continually plot to overthrow the Stuart Kings. These books also feature cockney urchin heroine Dido Twite and her adventures and travels all over the world.
Another series of children's books about Arabel and her raven Mortimer are illustrated by Quentin Blake, and have been shown on the BBC as Jackanory and drama series. Others including the much loved Necklace of Raindrops and award winning Kingdom Under the Sea are illustrated by Jan Pieńkowski.
Her many novels for adults include several that continue or complement novels by Jane Austen. These include Mansfield Revisited and Jane Fairfax.
Aiken was a lifelong fan of ghost stories. She set her adult supernatural novel The Haunting of Lamb House at Lamb House in Rye (now a National Trust property). This ghost story recounts in fictional form an alleged haunting experienced by two former residents of the house, Henry James and E. F. Benson, both of whom also wrote ghost stories. Aiken's father, Conrad Aiken, also authored a small number of notable ghost stories.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 12, 2024
a pleasure to read Aiken short stories I'd never encountered before. Some of this collection are sad, some deeply disturbing--a nice mix.
December 2, 2019
En "El Observador" se publicaron dos libritos de Joan Aiken (autora eminentemente infantil, de la que lei hace poco "Los guerreros de la cocina"), de su vertiente mas tendente al terror. En realidad, los dos forman parte del mismo libro original "A whisper in the night" (1982), solo que aquí lo dividieron en dos para la colección. Contiene estos 7 relatos:
-La chica de Lob: La verdad es que es un relato muy entrañable, una historia con bastante corazón y final relativamente amable, a pesar de que una cosa terrible le pasa a una familia. 3.5/5
-La señorita Spitfire: Similar al anterior, en este caso sobre un anciano dispuesto a morir en una pista de aterrizaje (bastante humor británico en su primera mitad). Pelín forzado al final. 2.5/5
-Si lo encuentras, te lo quedas: La verdad es que este es muy poquita cosa, pero me ha hecho bastante gracia. Es sobre el nuevo alumno en un colegio, que para llamar la atención está siempre inventándose cosas, y esta narrado desde el punto de vista de una niña a la que le cae bastante mal. La frase final me gustó bastante. 3.5/5
-El vals de la jardinera: Este es extrañísimo que este aquí. Es una especie de thriller a lo hitchcock, con una mujer metida en una trama de espías. Es entretenido, pero no se... destaca poco. 2/5
-El niño cisne: Dos niños en una misión para recaudar fondos para su colegio pasan por una casa que todo el mundo evita. Bastante conseguido. 4/5
-Merminster o La catedral marina: Este es otro bastante raro, sobre un profesor ciego, su alumno que se quiere casar con su hija, y una leyenda vieja sobre una catedral en el mar. Es el mas interpretable de todos. 3.5/5
-La Señora Parlanchina: Para mi, el mejor del libro, sobre una pareja de caminantes que van de travesía por las montañas, alojándose en granjas o sitios donde les permiten pasar la noche. Su último lugar será un hotel, donde les permiten quedarse a cambió de ayudarles con unas tareas. 4.5/5
En general es una lectura agradable. "La chica de Lob", "El niño cisne" y "La señora parlanchina" son sus relatos mas conseguidos. Por otro lado, "La canción de la jardinera" queda bastante fuera de lugar, y me ha parecido muy poquita cosa.
El volumen que completa la colección de llama "El jorobado de brook green".
-La chica de Lob: La verdad es que es un relato muy entrañable, una historia con bastante corazón y final relativamente amable, a pesar de que una cosa terrible le pasa a una familia. 3.5/5
-La señorita Spitfire: Similar al anterior, en este caso sobre un anciano dispuesto a morir en una pista de aterrizaje (bastante humor británico en su primera mitad). Pelín forzado al final. 2.5/5
-Si lo encuentras, te lo quedas: La verdad es que este es muy poquita cosa, pero me ha hecho bastante gracia. Es sobre el nuevo alumno en un colegio, que para llamar la atención está siempre inventándose cosas, y esta narrado desde el punto de vista de una niña a la que le cae bastante mal. La frase final me gustó bastante. 3.5/5
-El vals de la jardinera: Este es extrañísimo que este aquí. Es una especie de thriller a lo hitchcock, con una mujer metida en una trama de espías. Es entretenido, pero no se... destaca poco. 2/5
-El niño cisne: Dos niños en una misión para recaudar fondos para su colegio pasan por una casa que todo el mundo evita. Bastante conseguido. 4/5
-Merminster o La catedral marina: Este es otro bastante raro, sobre un profesor ciego, su alumno que se quiere casar con su hija, y una leyenda vieja sobre una catedral en el mar. Es el mas interpretable de todos. 3.5/5
-La Señora Parlanchina: Para mi, el mejor del libro, sobre una pareja de caminantes que van de travesía por las montañas, alojándose en granjas o sitios donde les permiten pasar la noche. Su último lugar será un hotel, donde les permiten quedarse a cambió de ayudarles con unas tareas. 4.5/5
En general es una lectura agradable. "La chica de Lob", "El niño cisne" y "La señora parlanchina" son sus relatos mas conseguidos. Por otro lado, "La canción de la jardinera" queda bastante fuera de lugar, y me ha parecido muy poquita cosa.
El volumen que completa la colección de llama "El jorobado de brook green".
December 29, 2025
Would give this two different ratings (or perhaps 1.5 would be the compromise?) if I could because, while I did not enjoy the book, I appreciate the craftmanship that went into it - it was both well-written and cleverly off the beaten track.
August 31, 2021
If you don't know Aiken you'd better get to it. She is a master in many ways. Adults and kids alike can relate to her writing. An unknown classic writer? Get to know her.
January 9, 2022
Es original, pero son relatos mal definidos, son cuentos que en realidad yo no los calificaría de terroríficos. Se leen de forma muy llevadera.
October 11, 2022
Todos los cuentos son muy buenos, en especial los últimos 3
October 12, 2008
Two of the stories in this collection, "Miss Spitfire" and "Mrs. Chatterbox" are some of my all time favorites. I think I checked this book out of the library about 4 times before I finally bought it (they wouldn't take $20 for the library volume because they can't sell their books!).
I must confess I don't "get" all of the stories - hence the 4 stars - I find I expect a crisp punchline at the end. But Ms Aiken is, nonetheless incredibly creative plot and setting-wise, and she can put me there, in the story.
Great pre-Halloween reading (though the last story is set in springtime).
I must confess I don't "get" all of the stories - hence the 4 stars - I find I expect a crisp punchline at the end. But Ms Aiken is, nonetheless incredibly creative plot and setting-wise, and she can put me there, in the story.
Great pre-Halloween reading (though the last story is set in springtime).
January 25, 2011
The YA/children's supernatural fiction market could do with reprinting some of Joan Aiken's wonderful, bizarre short-story collections. They truly frightened me as a child and are amazingly sharp character studies of adults, children and their relationships in both the seen and unseen world.
What is so frightening about a little girl that won't go upstairs, anywhere?
Why don't you ask her?
What is so frightening about a little girl that won't go upstairs, anywhere?
Why don't you ask her?
May 31, 2010
Good but not as mind blowing as the last Aiken book I read. I don't know if my taste has changed or if the two books are just that different.
May 2, 2017
I love her short stories!
May 3, 2015
A Whisper in the Night: Tales of Terror and Suspense
Aiken, Joan
this story scared me
July 24, 2016
Surreal and beautifully written. Aiken is one of my all-time favourite kids' writers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews