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The Dark Companion: Ghost Stories
These tales of twilight and borderlands depart from an oral tradition developed through the writings of Beckford, Mary Shelley, Le Fanu, and M.R. James. They are concerned with the life of the mind and imagination, fear and the supernatural, and they attest to the demands of the unconscious in the twenty-first century. The eleven stories incarnate shadow worlds where the past and present interpenetrate, where common life is touched by deeper, less pleasant purposes. They are set variously in Ireland, Scotland and England, and are permeated by a powerful sense of place: the empty moor, the garden at the edge of the wild, the abandoned railway, the enclosed privacy of an ancient college. Absorbing, haunting narratives, they are related with the skill and precision of a master storyteller.
- GenresGhost Stories
213 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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August 2, 2019Contents:
vii - Preface & Acknowledgments
003 - "The Pit"
025 - "The Black Night"
036 - "Cropsey's Hole"
075 - "Blaeweary"
095 - "Single to Burnfoot"
106 - "The Dark Companion"
128 - "Blindburn"
143 - "Vantis Vanitatum"
150 - "The Dublin Epicretus"
170 - "Avernus"
192 - "Look Closly"
vii - Preface & Acknowledgments
003 - "The Pit"
025 - "The Black Night"
036 - "Cropsey's Hole"
075 - "Blaeweary"
095 - "Single to Burnfoot"
106 - "The Dark Companion"
128 - "Blindburn"
143 - "Vantis Vanitatum"
150 - "The Dublin Epicretus"
170 - "Avernus"
192 - "Look Closly"
July 11, 2024
(edits made - July 2024).
An exceptionally fine collection of stories from a writer of beautiful prose and subtle and at times heartbreaking nuance. It is in the tradition of M.R. James but don't imagine this is some fusty imitation - comparing him to James complements both authors. I have owned a copy of this book for many years and that I haven't acquired any more says more about my dilatory and lazy nature than anything about my desire to read more by Gaskin. This is an author to savour, enjoy and tell others about.
There is also a listing on Goodreads for 'John Gaskin' which includes many of his works, though not this one, including his extensive works on John Hume (the philosopher) and Epicurus (the ancient Greek philosopher) but I am not sure all the works listed are by him. There are some good profiles available if you google 'John Gaskin author' which may be improved if you add the middle names.
An exceptionally fine collection of stories from a writer of beautiful prose and subtle and at times heartbreaking nuance. It is in the tradition of M.R. James but don't imagine this is some fusty imitation - comparing him to James complements both authors. I have owned a copy of this book for many years and that I haven't acquired any more says more about my dilatory and lazy nature than anything about my desire to read more by Gaskin. This is an author to savour, enjoy and tell others about.
There is also a listing on Goodreads for 'John Gaskin' which includes many of his works, though not this one, including his extensive works on John Hume (the philosopher) and Epicurus (the ancient Greek philosopher) but I am not sure all the works listed are by him. There are some good profiles available if you google 'John Gaskin author' which may be improved if you add the middle names.
December 2, 2011
This book of ghost stories (it would have been better to simply describe them as "strange tales" since the ghosts remain rather elusive all along) contains the following:
(*) Preface & Acknowledgements
1) The Pit: What secrets are hidden inside the abandoned mine? And why is the daughter of the host leading the guest towards it again & again?
2) The Black Knight: Was it merely a game of chess, or did some terrible ritual play itself out?
3) Cropsey's Hole: An accident, a death, lots of miscommunications, and an accidental death; but was fate involved in twining all of them together?
4) Blaeweary: The first above-par tale of the book, with superb depiction of details & atmosphere allowing a terrifying tale of death & loss to be told.
5) Single to Burnfoot: Re-telling of Basil Copper's unforgettable "Charon", with a more mellowed ending.
6) The Dark Companion: Was it the revenge extracted by the displaced ghost, or an elaborate conspiracy on part of someone that caused the demise of the unpleasant Bursar?
7) Blindburn: The second superlative story, told against the backdrop of Christmas, with enough hair-rising stuff combined with literally chilling atmospheric details.
8) Vanitas Vanitatum: How permanent is our footstep on the sands of time?
9) The Dublin Epictetus: An enjoyable antiquarian story of books, scholars, evil and inevitable darkness.
10) Avernus: Was it a nightmare resulting from study-related fears, or premonition through the glass darkly?
11) Look Closely: Was it a well-planned manoeuvre aimed at evicting the outsiders bristling with ideas about changing things, or did the new owners actually manage to raise a ghost from the past?
As you may appreciate, these stories are quite difficult to classify as ghost stories, because of their ambiguous endings (perhaps that was the intention, to begin with). But even as strange tales, these stories have that combination of comfortable settings and uneasiness bordering on fear. Recommended for the dark evenings, and darker nights.
(*) Preface & Acknowledgements
1) The Pit: What secrets are hidden inside the abandoned mine? And why is the daughter of the host leading the guest towards it again & again?
2) The Black Knight: Was it merely a game of chess, or did some terrible ritual play itself out?
3) Cropsey's Hole: An accident, a death, lots of miscommunications, and an accidental death; but was fate involved in twining all of them together?
4) Blaeweary: The first above-par tale of the book, with superb depiction of details & atmosphere allowing a terrifying tale of death & loss to be told.
5) Single to Burnfoot: Re-telling of Basil Copper's unforgettable "Charon", with a more mellowed ending.
6) The Dark Companion: Was it the revenge extracted by the displaced ghost, or an elaborate conspiracy on part of someone that caused the demise of the unpleasant Bursar?
7) Blindburn: The second superlative story, told against the backdrop of Christmas, with enough hair-rising stuff combined with literally chilling atmospheric details.
8) Vanitas Vanitatum: How permanent is our footstep on the sands of time?
9) The Dublin Epictetus: An enjoyable antiquarian story of books, scholars, evil and inevitable darkness.
10) Avernus: Was it a nightmare resulting from study-related fears, or premonition through the glass darkly?
11) Look Closely: Was it a well-planned manoeuvre aimed at evicting the outsiders bristling with ideas about changing things, or did the new owners actually manage to raise a ghost from the past?
As you may appreciate, these stories are quite difficult to classify as ghost stories, because of their ambiguous endings (perhaps that was the intention, to begin with). But even as strange tales, these stories have that combination of comfortable settings and uneasiness bordering on fear. Recommended for the dark evenings, and darker nights.
May 24, 2023
An excellent collection of new ghost stories that read like classic literature. Brilliant writing.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews