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Jack, zwabiony delikatnym światłem sączącym się zza zasłon w oknie na piętrze, zakrada się do tajemniczego opuszczonego domu. Kiedyś słyszał o tym domu dziwne rzeczy, zupełnie niestworzone, a jednak… Jack nie mógł przestać myśleć o tym, co usłyszał i oto teraz stoi przed drzwiami, zza których dobiegają przyciszone głosy, i próbuje się zdecydować, czy nacisnąć klamkę, czy uciec. W końcu ciekawość zwycięża – Jack jest ciekawskim chłopcem… Otwiera drzwi i odkrywa, że w jednym z pokoi przy dużym owalnym stole siedzi dwanaścioro osób różnej płci, w różnym wieku i, jak się wkrótce okaże, różnych profesji. Przed każdym stoi płonąca świeca. Chłopiec zostaje zaproszony do kręgu i nie bez wahania siada na u trzynastym krześle. Postanawia zobaczyć, co będzie działo się dalej. Rozgląda się uważnie w półmroku, upewniając się, że wie, gdzie znajdują się drzwi, w razie gdyby przyszło mu nagle uciekać. Grupie zebranych w pokoju osób przewodzi niewysoki blady mężczyzna. Wywołuje on, niejako do odpowiedzi, każdą z zebranych osób, a ta opowiada historię. Jedne historie przypominają ludowe podania, drugie stare legendy miejskie, a jeszcze inne są całkiem współczesne. Wszystkie jednak są opowieściami o duchach – opowieściami mrocznymi, niepokojącymi, złowrogimi, wywołującymi dreszcz przerażenia na plecach.
Książka o wielostopniowym układzie fabularnym – jest opowieścią o opowieściach, z których część również ma budowę szkatułkową. To buduje mroczny nastrój i sprawia, ze czytelnik zanurza się w kolejne warstwy historii, nie będąc pewnym, co one przyniosą. Wszystkie zawarte w książce utwory to tzw. scarry stories i campfire stories, czyli straszne historie do opowiadania sobie po zmierzchu odwołujące się do powszechnych lęków oraz do dobrze znanych dzieciom motywów, występujących w baśniach i innych utworach literackich: nawiedzony dom, zwierzęta-upiory, zmarły mszczący się za grobu, duch szukający swej własności, nadprzyrodzona pomoc słabszym i potępienie złych uczynków, kara za lekceważone przepowiednie, niemożność odwrócenia kolei losu, który jest nam pisany itp.
Czytelnikowi towarzyszy podczas lektury uczucie niepokoju, niepewności, trudnego do określenia lęku, które jednak bardziej fascynuje niż przeraża.
Książka o wielostopniowym układzie fabularnym – jest opowieścią o opowieściach, z których część również ma budowę szkatułkową. To buduje mroczny nastrój i sprawia, ze czytelnik zanurza się w kolejne warstwy historii, nie będąc pewnym, co one przyniosą. Wszystkie zawarte w książce utwory to tzw. scarry stories i campfire stories, czyli straszne historie do opowiadania sobie po zmierzchu odwołujące się do powszechnych lęków oraz do dobrze znanych dzieciom motywów, występujących w baśniach i innych utworach literackich: nawiedzony dom, zwierzęta-upiory, zmarły mszczący się za grobu, duch szukający swej własności, nadprzyrodzona pomoc słabszym i potępienie złych uczynków, kara za lekceważone przepowiednie, niemożność odwrócenia kolei losu, który jest nam pisany itp.
Czytelnikowi towarzyszy podczas lektury uczucie niepokoju, niepewności, trudnego do określenia lęku, które jednak bardziej fascynuje niż przeraża.
356 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2013
148 people are currently reading
3085 people want to read
About the author
Dave Shelton
21 books23 followersDave Shelton is the author of Thirteen Chairs. His UK debut novel for children, A Boy And A Bear In A Boat, was shortlisted for numerous awards in the UK and won the Branford Boase Award, an award given to an outstanding children's or young adult novel by a first-time writer. He's also the creator of the UK comic strip "Good Dog, Bad Dog." He lives in Cambridge, England, with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 424 reviews
March 25, 2024
Inside of a dilapidated, abandoned home— that is most assuredly haunted, per the neighborhood children—one room appears to be in use. A long table is set with flickering candles, casting strange rays on the oddly assembled group gathered around.
Jack had heard the wicked rumors; but standing outside and seeing a soft light within, his curiosity has passed piqued. Compelled, he enters the house and follows the glow. He is welcomed to the table, where there is, uncannily, one empty chair.
Each person has a story to share and every one of the scary shorts could stand alone. Some of narrators appear to know one another quite well, while others seem less comfortable with the eclectic individuals sharing their space. Jack is clearly the freshest face to the table, and perhaps, he has the most to fear.
This mini-review was written by jv poore for Buried Under Books, with huge thanks for the Advance Review Copy.
Jack had heard the wicked rumors; but standing outside and seeing a soft light within, his curiosity has passed piqued. Compelled, he enters the house and follows the glow. He is welcomed to the table, where there is, uncannily, one empty chair.
Each person has a story to share and every one of the scary shorts could stand alone. Some of narrators appear to know one another quite well, while others seem less comfortable with the eclectic individuals sharing their space. Jack is clearly the freshest face to the table, and perhaps, he has the most to fear.
This mini-review was written by jv poore for Buried Under Books, with huge thanks for the Advance Review Copy.
May 9, 2018
Overall a really good book, kept me interested the whole time. By the last 100 pages I could hardly put it down, I found myself entranced by the creepy yet somehow beautiful stories embedded in the book.
July 22, 2018
THIRTEEN CHAIRS, by Dave Shelton, is one of my favorite types of story collections: a number of individual tales that are all part of a larger "wrap-around" story. This encompasses them each into it so that they seem more as part of a novel, rather than separate inclusions. The main concept is of a boy named Jack, and how he comes to be standing before a door in an old building that shows a sliver of candlelight beneath it . . .
"And Jack is a curious boy."
Inside he finds twelve people of varying ages--all with a single tale to tell to the grouping. As a thirteenth chair is conveniently brought out for him, Jack's night truly begins.
". . . that snapshot moment was another crumb to fed that worm of doubt in his head, to make him reconsider what is possible, and what impossible, in the world . . . "
While the wraparound tale of Jack and the strangers was my favorite overall, here are a few others that stood out to me:
--"Snowstorms": In an Arctic substation, a small crew begins seeing things in impossibly small snow funnels . . .
--"The Girl in the Red Coat": A young girl bullied at school gets help from an unlikely ally. ". . . her face is half covered up again ow . . . and I think that's a shame because I think it would be interesting to see . . . "
--"The Red Tree": An old fashioned ghostly tale told in the humorous dialect of a larger than life, but friendly, man. ". . . This all go on for a long time and wood-cutter very bored. Also, soup is no good."
--"The Patchwork Sailor": A dark story told in a dimly lit pub. ". . . there should be light enough that if any man should kill another than he can be sure of his identity, but no more than that." One of my personal favorites!
--Beneath the Surface": Another favorite of mine! When a family's boat is overturned, the sole survivor is like a ship lost at sea. ". . . They sleepwalk from day to day . . . Life, or at least something superficially resembling it, goes on."
Overall, an enjoyable collection of a wide assortment of ghostly tales, all combined into a "full novel" setting. This book was pleasantly different from anything I've read recently, and I would definitely read another novel by this author.
Recommended!
"And Jack is a curious boy."
Inside he finds twelve people of varying ages--all with a single tale to tell to the grouping. As a thirteenth chair is conveniently brought out for him, Jack's night truly begins.
". . . that snapshot moment was another crumb to fed that worm of doubt in his head, to make him reconsider what is possible, and what impossible, in the world . . . "
While the wraparound tale of Jack and the strangers was my favorite overall, here are a few others that stood out to me:
--"Snowstorms": In an Arctic substation, a small crew begins seeing things in impossibly small snow funnels . . .
--"The Girl in the Red Coat": A young girl bullied at school gets help from an unlikely ally. ". . . her face is half covered up again ow . . . and I think that's a shame because I think it would be interesting to see . . . "
--"The Red Tree": An old fashioned ghostly tale told in the humorous dialect of a larger than life, but friendly, man. ". . . This all go on for a long time and wood-cutter very bored. Also, soup is no good."
--"The Patchwork Sailor": A dark story told in a dimly lit pub. ". . . there should be light enough that if any man should kill another than he can be sure of his identity, but no more than that." One of my personal favorites!
--Beneath the Surface": Another favorite of mine! When a family's boat is overturned, the sole survivor is like a ship lost at sea. ". . . They sleepwalk from day to day . . . Life, or at least something superficially resembling it, goes on."
Overall, an enjoyable collection of a wide assortment of ghostly tales, all combined into a "full novel" setting. This book was pleasantly different from anything I've read recently, and I would definitely read another novel by this author.
Recommended!
November 18, 2017
"And I found that there were others like me, others who persisted in this half-life. Others who had failed properly to depart."
When Jack enters the old, dark house, he isn't sure what he'll find in these mysterious rooms, this long hallway with a sliver of candlelight beneath just one cold door. Jack is more curious than sensible, though, and allows himself into the meeting of twelve, each surrounding a table, each facing a candle. Each will tell a story, and in time, Jack must tell a tale of his own, too.
---
This book is a collection of short ghost stories, which isn't anything particularly unique in and of itself; however, the vehicle that Dave Shelton uses to deliver these ghost stories is what made me enjoy Thirteen Chairs so much. A young boy named Jack finds himself surrounded by strange adults; some kind, some cold, but each has a story to tell him, one by one. Some of the stories are simply dark and gothic in nature, while others are actually fairly haunting. I wouldn't call any of the stories scary, but as a lifelong horror fan, my views on horror may be a little bit different from someone else's, so I won't say that these stories are downright incapable of frightening another reader.
Regardless of the lack of a substantial fear factor, I thoroughly enjoyed the imagery that Dave's writing presented, and I loved how each of the twelve people at the table was a distinct character; they weren't just props for the stories, but actually seemed to match each of their stories. I also loved the snippets between stories where we got to dive into Jack's thoughts a little bit, and sense his gradually increasing unease with his surroundings. Of course, the ending felt predictable to me, but I still liked how the writing slowly built up to the "big reveal".
All in all, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror anthologies and ghost stories, but isn't looking for anything to keep them up all night.
When Jack enters the old, dark house, he isn't sure what he'll find in these mysterious rooms, this long hallway with a sliver of candlelight beneath just one cold door. Jack is more curious than sensible, though, and allows himself into the meeting of twelve, each surrounding a table, each facing a candle. Each will tell a story, and in time, Jack must tell a tale of his own, too.
---
This book is a collection of short ghost stories, which isn't anything particularly unique in and of itself; however, the vehicle that Dave Shelton uses to deliver these ghost stories is what made me enjoy Thirteen Chairs so much. A young boy named Jack finds himself surrounded by strange adults; some kind, some cold, but each has a story to tell him, one by one. Some of the stories are simply dark and gothic in nature, while others are actually fairly haunting. I wouldn't call any of the stories scary, but as a lifelong horror fan, my views on horror may be a little bit different from someone else's, so I won't say that these stories are downright incapable of frightening another reader.
Regardless of the lack of a substantial fear factor, I thoroughly enjoyed the imagery that Dave's writing presented, and I loved how each of the twelve people at the table was a distinct character; they weren't just props for the stories, but actually seemed to match each of their stories. I also loved the snippets between stories where we got to dive into Jack's thoughts a little bit, and sense his gradually increasing unease with his surroundings. Of course, the ending felt predictable to me, but I still liked how the writing slowly built up to the "big reveal".
All in all, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror anthologies and ghost stories, but isn't looking for anything to keep them up all night.
August 12, 2015
THIRTEEN CHAIRS starts with Jack, a young boy who has entered an (apparently) abandoned house to find a room filled with thirteen chairs, thirteen candles, and twelve people. So he sits down, and then they each start to tell stories.
Each of them tells a ghost story. Some, like "Let Me Sleep," are more traditional stories. Others are set in the here and now, with taxis and cell phones. I rather liked that touch, as it is harder to find ghost stories set in the present. The tension builds nicely throughout the book. I found the ending stories much scarier. There are also interludes between each story, where the people talk to each other and Jack grows increasingly uncomfortable, ever more worried about more than the fact he'll soon have to tell a story himself.
I wouldn't say that THIRTEEN CHAIRS has twists, but the truth of what is going on in that old house does unfold at a nice pace. There's a good balance of the frame story having a point and direction while still giving the individual stories their spotlights.
Each story opens with a woodcut-style illustration (done by the author, I believe). I enjoyed all of the miniature ghost/horror stories, although some did particularly stand out. The macabre "The Red Tree" was a true delight, as was "Unputdownable," which has an ending that bodes ill for anyone that comes into contact with a certain piece of literature.
If you like dark tales, and stories that build so that you start to feel a nice frisson of terror, then pick up THIRTEEN CHAIRS. It's an excellent quick read with a decent amount of re-read value.
Each of them tells a ghost story. Some, like "Let Me Sleep," are more traditional stories. Others are set in the here and now, with taxis and cell phones. I rather liked that touch, as it is harder to find ghost stories set in the present. The tension builds nicely throughout the book. I found the ending stories much scarier. There are also interludes between each story, where the people talk to each other and Jack grows increasingly uncomfortable, ever more worried about more than the fact he'll soon have to tell a story himself.
I wouldn't say that THIRTEEN CHAIRS has twists, but the truth of what is going on in that old house does unfold at a nice pace. There's a good balance of the frame story having a point and direction while still giving the individual stories their spotlights.
Each story opens with a woodcut-style illustration (done by the author, I believe). I enjoyed all of the miniature ghost/horror stories, although some did particularly stand out. The macabre "The Red Tree" was a true delight, as was "Unputdownable," which has an ending that bodes ill for anyone that comes into contact with a certain piece of literature.
If you like dark tales, and stories that build so that you start to feel a nice frisson of terror, then pick up THIRTEEN CHAIRS. It's an excellent quick read with a decent amount of re-read value.
June 19, 2021
I don’t read many kids’ books, but I’m usually happy to make an exception for ghost stories. I like ghost stories best when they’re relatively simple and free of gore, which those for young readers obviously have to be. The central narrative of Thirteen Chairs concerns a boy, Jack, walking into a dark old house; he sits down with a group of strangers, each of whom tells a spooky story. Highlights are ‘Tick, Tick, Tick...’ (M.R. James-lite about a professor hearing a phantom clock), ‘Beneath the Surface’ (grief-stricken boy haunted by water – shades of Junji Ito and Stephen King) and, best of all, ‘Unputdownable’ (writer can’t stop writing – by far the most original premise in the book). The flaws – a couple of stories are extremely predictable, another couple are told in irritatingly childish voices – are things that go with the territory and only bothered me because I’m not the intended reader. Not my favourite of the genre (that would probably be
The Wrong Train
by Jeremy de Quidt); good fun all the same.
TinyLetter | Linktree
TinyLetter | Linktree
December 3, 2016
I received this book from the publisher, for an honest review. Jack is told about an abandon house, were ghosts meet once a year. Jack goes out of his way to checkout this house out, that is supposedly haunted. He sees nothing for months but does not give up on his quest. One night Jack enters the house and the room is filled with all types of ghosts. There are thirteen chairs in this room.
Twelve for the ghosts and one for Jack. Each ghost will tell their story. Some of them are true and some of them are not. After each ghosts finishes their story, there is a candle in front of them that they must blow out. With each story that is told, Jack knows that they are getting closer and closer to his story. Jack does not know what he will say but knows that he must come up with something. This is a different approach to a tale of the unknown. This was a creepy story that it held my interest. I recommend this book.
Twelve for the ghosts and one for Jack. Each ghost will tell their story. Some of them are true and some of them are not. After each ghosts finishes their story, there is a candle in front of them that they must blow out. With each story that is told, Jack knows that they are getting closer and closer to his story. Jack does not know what he will say but knows that he must come up with something. This is a different approach to a tale of the unknown. This was a creepy story that it held my interest. I recommend this book.
January 30, 2018
Even though this book was supposed to be ghost stories, I wasn't scared at all. I have heard most of the stories before (at least similar ones), and none of them seemed very appealing to me. Although, I do think the writing was very nice. Each story was very descriptive, and I enjoyed how the author uses powerful words to tell the story. Overall, I would give this book three stars.
April 30, 2017
Thirteen Chairs is marketed as a collection of Halloween ghost stories. I'm not sure it is, though. This book is full of creative stories, rather than scary ones. While this didn't scare me as much as I would've liked, there were some interesting, suspenseful ghost stories in here.
Possibly the best part of this story was how every story blended together. The framing device used here isn't just a final touch; it's a clever bind-up. The ending was perfect.
In general, this was good, just not great and definitely not what it's marketed as. I'll possibly add some specific notes on every story here someday.
Possibly the best part of this story was how every story blended together. The framing device used here isn't just a final touch; it's a clever bind-up. The ending was perfect.
In general, this was good, just not great and definitely not what it's marketed as. I'll possibly add some specific notes on every story here someday.
October 13, 2021
*3.5.
This book was good! I have to admit in the middle of the story it got to be a little boring and I kind of drifted away from it for a little but this story pulled me from the beginning, making me desperately wanting to know what happens next! (Which I love in my books!) I liked the descriptions and characters personalities and the plot twist at the end! I haven’t heard anyone talk about this book but it’s underrated! This is also a good book if you want a scary read that isn’t horribly violent and terrifying! I recommend :)!
This book was good! I have to admit in the middle of the story it got to be a little boring and I kind of drifted away from it for a little but this story pulled me from the beginning, making me desperately wanting to know what happens next! (Which I love in my books!) I liked the descriptions and characters personalities and the plot twist at the end! I haven’t heard anyone talk about this book but it’s underrated! This is also a good book if you want a scary read that isn’t horribly violent and terrifying! I recommend :)!
March 5, 2016
*3.5 out of 5 stars*
Such a unique collection of ghost stories! It takes quite a bit to scare me, and this book simply didn't. I do, however, recommend it for Halloween, or when you're in the mood for a ghost story or two.
Such a unique collection of ghost stories! It takes quite a bit to scare me, and this book simply didn't. I do, however, recommend it for Halloween, or when you're in the mood for a ghost story or two.
August 3, 2023
2.25 ☆
nie patrzyłabym na tą książkę jako na złą, ale właściwie czy była ona dobra? szczerze bym nie powiedziała. mamy tutaj zgromadzenie. zgromadzenie w opuszczonym domu. każda z osób biorąca udział w tej swego rodzaju grze/zabawie, opowiada swoją historię. historię o duchach. historię z pozoru nierzeczywistą. ale co zrobić jeśli okaże się że historie te jednak mogłyby zdarzyć się naprawdę? co zrobić kiedy prawda zaczyna mieszać się z kłamstwem? co zrobić gdy już sam nie jesteś pewien kim tak naprwdę są ososby z którymi zasiadłeś do stołu? co zrobić gdy sam nie wiesz już kim jesteś? co wtedy? co zrobić w takiej sytuacji? każda z historii, każdej z trzynastu osób się różni. pomijając jeden oczywisty fakt, że wsztstkie są o duchach, ich historie są z pozoru różne. ale czy na pewno?
każdy rodział, czyli każda historia jest... hmm nazwałabym je ciekawymi. niektóre podobały mi się bardziej, inne mniej. każda z nich w pewien sposób coś we mnie poruszyła. zwałaszcze końcówki tych historii. za każdym razem były one dobrane niesamowicie precyzyjnie i tak by poruszyć czytelnika. skąd więc tylko dwie gwiazdki? otóż same historie (nie licząc zakończeń) bardzo mnie nudziły. mówiąc bardzo mam namyśli bardzo ekstremalnie mnie nudziły. nie było w nich ani nic wyjątkowego ani godnego uwagi. oczywoście były dwie czy trzy, które naprwdę mi się podobały ale biorąc pod uwagę całą książkę nie była ona godna mojej uwagi. przewidziałam też zakończenie całej historii. mimo to wzbudziło one we mnie lekki podziw. sposób w jaki było napisne był wręcz ujmujący i mimo iż od początku wiedziałam jak zakończy się cała historia to zakończenie zaparło mi dech. nie wiem jednak czy komuś poleciłabym tę książkę, ale wiem, że raczej nie przeczytałabym jej całej jescze raz. chociaż bardzo możliwe, że do niektórych opowiadań jeszcze wrócę... i to co najmniej raz.
nie patrzyłabym na tą książkę jako na złą, ale właściwie czy była ona dobra? szczerze bym nie powiedziała. mamy tutaj zgromadzenie. zgromadzenie w opuszczonym domu. każda z osób biorąca udział w tej swego rodzaju grze/zabawie, opowiada swoją historię. historię o duchach. historię z pozoru nierzeczywistą. ale co zrobić jeśli okaże się że historie te jednak mogłyby zdarzyć się naprawdę? co zrobić kiedy prawda zaczyna mieszać się z kłamstwem? co zrobić gdy już sam nie jesteś pewien kim tak naprwdę są ososby z którymi zasiadłeś do stołu? co zrobić gdy sam nie wiesz już kim jesteś? co wtedy? co zrobić w takiej sytuacji? każda z historii, każdej z trzynastu osób się różni. pomijając jeden oczywisty fakt, że wsztstkie są o duchach, ich historie są z pozoru różne. ale czy na pewno?
każdy rodział, czyli każda historia jest... hmm nazwałabym je ciekawymi. niektóre podobały mi się bardziej, inne mniej. każda z nich w pewien sposób coś we mnie poruszyła. zwałaszcze końcówki tych historii. za każdym razem były one dobrane niesamowicie precyzyjnie i tak by poruszyć czytelnika. skąd więc tylko dwie gwiazdki? otóż same historie (nie licząc zakończeń) bardzo mnie nudziły. mówiąc bardzo mam namyśli bardzo ekstremalnie mnie nudziły. nie było w nich ani nic wyjątkowego ani godnego uwagi. oczywoście były dwie czy trzy, które naprwdę mi się podobały ale biorąc pod uwagę całą książkę nie była ona godna mojej uwagi. przewidziałam też zakończenie całej historii. mimo to wzbudziło one we mnie lekki podziw. sposób w jaki było napisne był wręcz ujmujący i mimo iż od początku wiedziałam jak zakończy się cała historia to zakończenie zaparło mi dech. nie wiem jednak czy komuś poleciłabym tę książkę, ale wiem, że raczej nie przeczytałabym jej całej jescze raz. chociaż bardzo możliwe, że do niektórych opowiadań jeszcze wrócę... i to co najmniej raz.
November 18, 2021
I mostly ring psychological thrillers but decided to give this book a go. I found this story to be a bit childish I don't know if it was the writing style but it seemed like this book is a story within a story. By that I mean the main character's are telling different stories and that sort of puts the interest of reading the book. I am currently writing my own book which I hope to get published and writing stories within stories in my opinion is never a good idea because it sort of takes away the intrigue of the overall story.
April 16, 2022
در نوع خودش خوب و جالب بود
پایانش جذاب و متفاوت بود و کاش کلش مثل پایانش بود
نقطه ضعف زیاد داشت
داستانا غیر یکی دوتا واقعا ادمو نمی ترسوندن و ...
در کل
بد نبود.
پایانش جذاب و متفاوت بود و کاش کلش مثل پایانش بود
نقطه ضعف زیاد داشت
داستانا غیر یکی دوتا واقعا ادمو نمی ترسوندن و ...
در کل
بد نبود.
June 29, 2023
2,5⭐️
November 16, 2018
Tolle Geschichten, die mal nicht (menschliche) Abgründe auftun, sondern einfach nur gepflegt gruseln.
March 2, 2021
If you like horror you’re going to LOVE this book!
What this book taught me however is that I really don’t. This book creeped me out so much that, no exaggeration, I couldn’t sleep with it in my room. The stories start reasonably timid before crescendoing into the creepier stuff (I found it all creepy though), and at the end of each story you’d go back to the house itself and what was happening with the storytellers. I did find that the tense used during these parts felt clunky at times but it didn’t really hamper my enjoyment of it.
Unless you want to torture yourself for a prolonged period of time I recommend reading this in one or two sittings to try to minimise how creeped out you’ll get.
What this book taught me however is that I really don’t. This book creeped me out so much that, no exaggeration, I couldn’t sleep with it in my room. The stories start reasonably timid before crescendoing into the creepier stuff (I found it all creepy though), and at the end of each story you’d go back to the house itself and what was happening with the storytellers. I did find that the tense used during these parts felt clunky at times but it didn’t really hamper my enjoyment of it.
Unless you want to torture yourself for a prolonged period of time I recommend reading this in one or two sittings to try to minimise how creeped out you’ll get.
October 12, 2016
Normally I'm not a fan of these sort of short stories in one novel, or ghosts, but I have to say I quite enjoyed this read. There were some pictures, too, but I have to say they weren't the best; some of them were too simple.
The ending, although I felt like it should've been an "Oou!!" moment, when the reader is delighted with a good twist in the end, I didn't really feel this way; I predicted it actually the page before, when there was the tinniest bit of foreshadowing that I caught.
I will say 11 and older, simply because there are ghost stories involving blood, murder, insanity and... yeah.
All in all, an enjoyable read about a haunted house and a bunch of ghosts telling stories–their stories.
The ending, although I felt like it should've been an "Oou!!" moment, when the reader is delighted with a good twist in the end, I didn't really feel this way; I predicted it actually the page before, when there was the tinniest bit of foreshadowing that I caught.
I will say 11 and older, simply because there are ghost stories involving blood, murder, insanity and... yeah.
All in all, an enjoyable read about a haunted house and a bunch of ghosts telling stories–their stories.
Read
February 8, 2016Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: I Am, I Cried...
The Best: Razor, The Patchwork Sailor
The Worst: The Wrong Side of the Road
The Weird: The Girl in the Red Coat, Unputdownable
Bonus Factors: So What's Really Going on Here?
Break Glass In Case Of: A Need for Goosebumps
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: I Am, I Cried...
The Best: Razor, The Patchwork Sailor
The Worst: The Wrong Side of the Road
The Weird: The Girl in the Red Coat, Unputdownable
Bonus Factors: So What's Really Going on Here?
Break Glass In Case Of: A Need for Goosebumps
Read the full book report here.
March 3, 2016
Jack has heard about the strange house in town – even that it might be haunted. So when he finds 12 people sitting in a room, each with a flickering candle in front of them and ready to tell a scary story, he makes sure he is close to the door. Just in case. But the stories he hears draw him in – until he has to tell one of his own….
On the Carnegie/CILIP Medal Longlist 2016.
This is a great collection of scary stories, wrapped up in a story of its own. Clever!
On the Carnegie/CILIP Medal Longlist 2016.
This is a great collection of scary stories, wrapped up in a story of its own. Clever!
October 27, 2025
A mesmerizing collection of spooky stories, perfect for spooky season! As with all short story collections, I liked some (“The Patchwork Sailor,” for example) and I didn’t like others (“Snowstorms”), but overall this fit the bill for that creepy unsettling vibe I like in my fiction this time of year. It managed to do so without going too far into the deep end of the horror genre, which I also like.
I also like the format of all the stories connecting back to the central gathering point of the group of storytellers. It gave the whole book a far greater sense of structure and unity and cohesiveness than most short story collections have.
Overall, not a bad read if you’re looking for something moody and atmospheric to read for spooky season!
I also like the format of all the stories connecting back to the central gathering point of the group of storytellers. It gave the whole book a far greater sense of structure and unity and cohesiveness than most short story collections have.
Overall, not a bad read if you’re looking for something moody and atmospheric to read for spooky season!
January 17, 2020
This collection of 13 stories within a story is eerie and intensely unputdownable. I flew through the pages (I can't honestly explain precisely why) and couldn't step away from these spooky tales until the book was finished. The stories are not terrifying, just creepy enough to raise the hairs on the back of your neck, but parents of young readers may need to take a look themselves before letting their child read it.
July 26, 2017
Thirteen Chairs was an unexpected thrill. What I loved best about it was that the author pulled off thirteen distinct voices seamlessly! It reminded me of the play Ghost Stories in its structure and it was lovely to read something so different!
December 12, 2022
Książka do przeczytania na jeden wieczór. Niektóre opowiadnia były ciekawe, inne troche mniej. Nie jest jakoś bardzo wciągająca, a końcówki można się łatwo domyślić.
January 26, 2024
Zmarnowany potencjał, same historie byly schematyczne i nudne. moze jestem po prostu juz za stara na te ksiazke :(
October 26, 2015
With the night’s drawing in it seemed like the perfect time to pick up Thirteen Chairs.
This book is a collection of short ghost stories, each told by a different narrator. The book begins with a young boy finding a room full of ‘people’, each with a candle. Once they finish their tale the candle is extinguished and the shadows swallow that storyteller. As the evening progresses the boy becomes more enraptured by the tales while worrying about that story he should tell, because just like the others he too has a candle.
I loved the concept of this book and each story is different. None of the narrators are alike. As with any collection of short stories, some will speak to readers more than others. There were a couple I enjoyed very much while others I could have done without. None, I’ll found particularly unnerving to be honest.
Personally I’d probably recommend reading this book as bedtime stories, one at a time. Or maybe using this book at an event with different people reading different tales? I think that might be quite effective.
This book is a collection of short ghost stories, each told by a different narrator. The book begins with a young boy finding a room full of ‘people’, each with a candle. Once they finish their tale the candle is extinguished and the shadows swallow that storyteller. As the evening progresses the boy becomes more enraptured by the tales while worrying about that story he should tell, because just like the others he too has a candle.
I loved the concept of this book and each story is different. None of the narrators are alike. As with any collection of short stories, some will speak to readers more than others. There were a couple I enjoyed very much while others I could have done without. None, I’ll found particularly unnerving to be honest.
Personally I’d probably recommend reading this book as bedtime stories, one at a time. Or maybe using this book at an event with different people reading different tales? I think that might be quite effective.
December 28, 2016
I must say that I was really excited to get this book from the library. Even though it didn't have the best rating, I was intrigued by the description.
I started reading it and was a little disappointed by how quickly it dived into the story. I thought it rushed everything. There never is revealed a point to the ghosts stories? I was a little spooked by some of the stories, but most of them seemed way too far fetched.
I found myself wanting to read more of the stories in hopes they would get better. However, I was not met with satisfaction.
I didn't really care for this book.
I started reading it and was a little disappointed by how quickly it dived into the story. I thought it rushed everything. There never is revealed a point to the ghosts stories? I was a little spooked by some of the stories, but most of them seemed way too far fetched.
I found myself wanting to read more of the stories in hopes they would get better. However, I was not met with satisfaction.
I didn't really care for this book.
January 20, 2016
I enjoyed this book. Its a short little thing but its well written and while it may not be as scary as other horror books I have read it still gives you a nice shiver. It reminds me of growing up reading the tells to give shivers books or all hollows eves. All in all Its a great read if you want a quick scare.
February 3, 2016
Terrible.
Just a bunch of ghost stories, the quality of which are similar to the ones my friends and I told each other in 5th grade. It's possible the book had a point at the end, and the ghost stories got better - by the end of the book they may have been GENIUS! But I stopped reading. Life's too short.
Just a bunch of ghost stories, the quality of which are similar to the ones my friends and I told each other in 5th grade. It's possible the book had a point at the end, and the ghost stories got better - by the end of the book they may have been GENIUS! But I stopped reading. Life's too short.
December 26, 2016
I wish this hadn't had the frame story because I didn't get it out and found it distracting. But then, without it, I probably wouldn't have kept reading because I just wanted to figure it out . . .
The writing didn't click with me and I didn't find the stories very scary or memorable.
The writing didn't click with me and I didn't find the stories very scary or memorable.
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