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Gothic Short Stories
Alternate cover edition of ASIN 1840224258
This superb new collection brings together stories from the earliest decades of Gothic writing with later 19th and early 20th century tales from the period in which Gothic diversified into the familiar forms of the ghost-and horror-story. Some of these stories are lost masterpieces and several have never been anthologised before.
This superb new collection brings together stories from the earliest decades of Gothic writing with later 19th and early 20th century tales from the period in which Gothic diversified into the familiar forms of the ghost-and horror-story. Some of these stories are lost masterpieces and several have never been anthologised before.
272 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
October 30, 2019
Our university professor book club usually chooses short story collections we can read together so members who miss a discussion don't feel "behind" when the next meeting rolls around. We began reading this in the spring semester, but we postponed many sessions, resulting in a continuation into the fall semester.
This Gothic short story collection gave us a feel for the development of the genre. Our leader is an English professor who asks great questions that provide a lot of discussion. One professor wrote his dissertation on the Gothic. Many members like the Gothic but each prefers a different style or element. This collection provided at least one or two stories each of us enjoyed at a surface reading, but the discussions made us understand and enjoy most of the rest.
The collection includes:
"Sir Bertrand: A Fragment" by Anna Letitia Aikin
"Captive of the Banditti" by Nathan Drake and an Anonymous Hand
"Extracts from Gosschen's Diary: No. 1" by Anonymous
"The Parricide's Tale" by Charles Robert Maturin
"The Spectre Bride" by Anonymous
"The Tapestried Chamber" by Sir Walter Scott
"Berenice" by Edgar Allan Poe
"The Madman's Manuscript" by Charles Dickens
"Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter" by J. S. le Fanu
"Ethan Brand: A Chapter from an Abortive Romance" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell
"The Body-Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson
"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Stetson
"The Death of Halpin Frayser" by Ambrose Bierce
"Canon Alberic's Scrapbook" by M. R. James
"No. 252 Rue M. le Prince [1]" by Ralph Adams Cram
"The Lame Priest" by S. Carleton
"Luella Miller" by Mary Wilkins Freeman
"The Bird in the Garden" by Richard Middleton
"The Room in the Tower" by E. F. Benson
My favorite was "The Yellow Wallpaper," mainly because of the interesting discussion it generated, and my least favorite was "The Bird in the Garden," which was short and seemingly less Gothic than most. (3.5 stars)
This Gothic short story collection gave us a feel for the development of the genre. Our leader is an English professor who asks great questions that provide a lot of discussion. One professor wrote his dissertation on the Gothic. Many members like the Gothic but each prefers a different style or element. This collection provided at least one or two stories each of us enjoyed at a surface reading, but the discussions made us understand and enjoy most of the rest.
The collection includes:
"Sir Bertrand: A Fragment" by Anna Letitia Aikin
"Captive of the Banditti" by Nathan Drake and an Anonymous Hand
"Extracts from Gosschen's Diary: No. 1" by Anonymous
"The Parricide's Tale" by Charles Robert Maturin
"The Spectre Bride" by Anonymous
"The Tapestried Chamber" by Sir Walter Scott
"Berenice" by Edgar Allan Poe
"The Madman's Manuscript" by Charles Dickens
"Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter" by J. S. le Fanu
"Ethan Brand: A Chapter from an Abortive Romance" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell
"The Body-Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson
"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Stetson
"The Death of Halpin Frayser" by Ambrose Bierce
"Canon Alberic's Scrapbook" by M. R. James
"No. 252 Rue M. le Prince [1]" by Ralph Adams Cram
"The Lame Priest" by S. Carleton
"Luella Miller" by Mary Wilkins Freeman
"The Bird in the Garden" by Richard Middleton
"The Room in the Tower" by E. F. Benson
My favorite was "The Yellow Wallpaper," mainly because of the interesting discussion it generated, and my least favorite was "The Bird in the Garden," which was short and seemingly less Gothic than most. (3.5 stars)
March 22, 2023
GOTHIC SHORT STORIES-selected by David Blair
✒️"It was a fearful page in the record of my existence,written all over with dim,and hideous,and unintelligible recollections."(Berenice,E.A. Poe)
✒️"Ho!ho! It's a grand thing to be mad!"(A Madman's Manuscript from The Pickwick papers,Charles Dickens)
✒️"It's so pleasant to be out in this great room and creep around as I please!
I don't want to go outside."(The Yellow Wallpaper,Charlotte Perkins Gilman)
👻Zbirka sadrži priče nastajale u periodu od 1773.do 1912,i odlično prikazuje čega su se sve ljudi plašili u širokom vremenskom periodu.
👻Prikazani su duhovi,vukodlaci,vampiri,ludilo,visoke kule i podrumi,osamljena jeziva mesta...
👻Edgar Alan Po,Le Fanu,Dikens,Volter Skot,Stivenson su samo najpoznatiji od autora među dvadesetoricom predstavljenih po jednom pričom. Pokušaću da izdvojim samo one koje su na mene ostavile najjači utisak
🐺The Lame Priest-priča S.(Suzan verovatno) Carlton je priča o vukodlaku koji je umeo da ispoštuje dobročinstvo.
💃Luella Miller je tvorevina autorke Mary Wilkins Freeman i ja mislim da je ovo prvo pojavljivanje nečega što sada nazivamo terminom "energetski vampir". Luela je jadna nežna i osetljiva,ništa ne moze sama,a ljudi koji joj služe umiru od iscrpljenosti jedan po jedan. 😬
⚰️Body-Snatchers-Stivenson i opet doktori(Setimo se Džekila i Hajda). Zasnovana na istinitoj priči o tome kako su se nabavljala tela za časove anatomije.
💛The Yellow Wallpaper je najpotresnija i najjezivija od svih priča. Napisala ju je Charlotte Perkins Gilman na osnovu sopstvenog iskustva s postporođajnom depresijom,tada smatranom slučajem "histerije" a od koje su je lečili totalnom izolacijom i lišavanjem svih fizičkih i mentalnih stimulansa. Junakinju ove priče,to je odvelo u halucinacije. Autorka se nakon "tretmana" i verovatno iz mnogih drugih razloga,razvela.
😱Ako volite da se plašite,ovo je izvanredna zbirka. Preporuka
#7sensesofabook #bookstagram #readingaddict #literature #knjige
✒️"It was a fearful page in the record of my existence,written all over with dim,and hideous,and unintelligible recollections."(Berenice,E.A. Poe)
✒️"Ho!ho! It's a grand thing to be mad!"(A Madman's Manuscript from The Pickwick papers,Charles Dickens)
✒️"It's so pleasant to be out in this great room and creep around as I please!
I don't want to go outside."(The Yellow Wallpaper,Charlotte Perkins Gilman)
👻Zbirka sadrži priče nastajale u periodu od 1773.do 1912,i odlično prikazuje čega su se sve ljudi plašili u širokom vremenskom periodu.
👻Prikazani su duhovi,vukodlaci,vampiri,ludilo,visoke kule i podrumi,osamljena jeziva mesta...
👻Edgar Alan Po,Le Fanu,Dikens,Volter Skot,Stivenson su samo najpoznatiji od autora među dvadesetoricom predstavljenih po jednom pričom. Pokušaću da izdvojim samo one koje su na mene ostavile najjači utisak
🐺The Lame Priest-priča S.(Suzan verovatno) Carlton je priča o vukodlaku koji je umeo da ispoštuje dobročinstvo.
💃Luella Miller je tvorevina autorke Mary Wilkins Freeman i ja mislim da je ovo prvo pojavljivanje nečega što sada nazivamo terminom "energetski vampir". Luela je jadna nežna i osetljiva,ništa ne moze sama,a ljudi koji joj služe umiru od iscrpljenosti jedan po jedan. 😬
⚰️Body-Snatchers-Stivenson i opet doktori(Setimo se Džekila i Hajda). Zasnovana na istinitoj priči o tome kako su se nabavljala tela za časove anatomije.
💛The Yellow Wallpaper je najpotresnija i najjezivija od svih priča. Napisala ju je Charlotte Perkins Gilman na osnovu sopstvenog iskustva s postporođajnom depresijom,tada smatranom slučajem "histerije" a od koje su je lečili totalnom izolacijom i lišavanjem svih fizičkih i mentalnih stimulansa. Junakinju ove priče,to je odvelo u halucinacije. Autorka se nakon "tretmana" i verovatno iz mnogih drugih razloga,razvela.
😱Ako volite da se plašite,ovo je izvanredna zbirka. Preporuka
#7sensesofabook #bookstagram #readingaddict #literature #knjige
December 19, 2018
Dažu īsie stāsti bija diezgan labi.
January 11, 2018
Well, I was expecting other kind of book. I am sorry, I did nit enjoy this too much. Not scary at all by the way.
November 17, 2012
Wordsworth Classics are generally very good value. This is no exception - a collection of twenty gothic short stories from the second half of the eighteenth century through to the Edwardian era.
What is interesting about the collection is that David Blair has usefully compared and contrasted the English and American approaches with an eye to illustrating his fine introduction.
He also introduces us to American by-ways that I had not known before - alongside Poe, Gilman and Bierce are three tales by 'minor' writers from the turn of the last century that are of considerable interest .
However, it is important not to read the Introduction first (there is a warning to that effect at the beginning). Blair's analysis, including the sexual and gender themes, comes alive from its reference back to the readings.
Blair has not always chosen the obvious Gothic master tales. Although there are some familiar stories in here, each has been carefully chosen to illustrate his introductory themes, a process that only becomes clear when he has tied them together analytically.
Normally, one avoids spoilers on stories but here I think one should avoid spoilers on the analysis and insights. So I shall say no more ...
What is interesting about the collection is that David Blair has usefully compared and contrasted the English and American approaches with an eye to illustrating his fine introduction.
He also introduces us to American by-ways that I had not known before - alongside Poe, Gilman and Bierce are three tales by 'minor' writers from the turn of the last century that are of considerable interest .
However, it is important not to read the Introduction first (there is a warning to that effect at the beginning). Blair's analysis, including the sexual and gender themes, comes alive from its reference back to the readings.
Blair has not always chosen the obvious Gothic master tales. Although there are some familiar stories in here, each has been carefully chosen to illustrate his introductory themes, a process that only becomes clear when he has tied them together analytically.
Normally, one avoids spoilers on stories but here I think one should avoid spoilers on the analysis and insights. So I shall say no more ...
January 18, 2009
Poe was awful! awful!!
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, on the other hand, was awesome. the yellow wallpaper creeped (excuse the pun) me out the most out of any of the stories, and it isn't definitely a ghost story.
ambrose bierce was pretty good too, as was r.l.s. who's story was extremely well-written though a bit dull. unless you take the interpretation that gray's body reappeared at the end as a ghostly apparition as opposed to the notion that his corpse had been sown back together after being dissected and buried.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, on the other hand, was awesome. the yellow wallpaper creeped (excuse the pun) me out the most out of any of the stories, and it isn't definitely a ghost story.
ambrose bierce was pretty good too, as was r.l.s. who's story was extremely well-written though a bit dull. unless you take the interpretation that gray's body reappeared at the end as a ghostly apparition as opposed to the notion that his corpse had been sown back together after being dissected and buried.
March 25, 2024
An interesting collection of stories which spark the darker parts of the imagination. However, the first one seems to have been taken from the middle of a larger story and the second doesn’t seem gothic or to fit the rest of the collection.
September 3, 2023
perhaps my favourite collection of gothic short stories yet!
April 28, 2024
Have rated the majority of stories separately as usual. Found this collection at the weekend in Oxfam. I haven't seen it previously. I had read several of the stories before, those by M.R. James, Sheridan LeFanu and Elizabeth Gaskell, but many were completely new to me.
I would recommend this as a great collection to dip into for fans of the genre, new and old. There is a wide ranging selection across the centuries, and many authors to explore further. The book has a very comprehensive introductory essay, which is essential reading. Also extensive notes at the rear, regarding the individual stories and their authors.
•Sir Bertrand: A Fragment, John Aikin and Anna Letitia Barbauld (1773)
•Captive of the Banditti, Nathan Drake and A. N. Other (1801)
•The Parricide's Tale, Charles Maturin (1946)
•The Spectre Bride, Anon (1822)
•The Tapestried Chamber, Sir Walter Scott (1828)
•Berenice, Edgar Allan Poe (1835)
•A Madman's Manuscript, Charles Dickens (1837)
•Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter, J. Sheridan Le Fanu (1839)
•Ethan Brand, Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)
•The Old Nurse's Story, Elizabeth Gaskell (1935)
•The Body-Snatcher, Robert Louis Stevenson (1884)
•The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)
•The Death of Halpin Frayser, Ambrose Bierce (1891)
•Canon Alberic's Scrapbook, M. R. James (1895)
•No. 252 Rue M. Le Prince, Ralph Adams Cram (1895)
•The Lame Priest, S. Carleton (1901)
•Luella Miller, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (1902)
•The Bird in the Garden, Richard Middleton (1912)
•The Room in the Tower, E. F. Benson (1912)
I would recommend this as a great collection to dip into for fans of the genre, new and old. There is a wide ranging selection across the centuries, and many authors to explore further. The book has a very comprehensive introductory essay, which is essential reading. Also extensive notes at the rear, regarding the individual stories and their authors.
•Sir Bertrand: A Fragment, John Aikin and Anna Letitia Barbauld (1773)
•Captive of the Banditti, Nathan Drake and A. N. Other (1801)
•The Parricide's Tale, Charles Maturin (1946)
•The Spectre Bride, Anon (1822)
•The Tapestried Chamber, Sir Walter Scott (1828)
•Berenice, Edgar Allan Poe (1835)
•A Madman's Manuscript, Charles Dickens (1837)
•Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter, J. Sheridan Le Fanu (1839)
•Ethan Brand, Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)
•The Old Nurse's Story, Elizabeth Gaskell (1935)
•The Body-Snatcher, Robert Louis Stevenson (1884)
•The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)
•The Death of Halpin Frayser, Ambrose Bierce (1891)
•Canon Alberic's Scrapbook, M. R. James (1895)
•No. 252 Rue M. Le Prince, Ralph Adams Cram (1895)
•The Lame Priest, S. Carleton (1901)
•Luella Miller, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (1902)
•The Bird in the Garden, Richard Middleton (1912)
•The Room in the Tower, E. F. Benson (1912)
May 27, 2019
Despite all my best efforts, I didn’t enjoy this short story collection. I did not enjoy the writing style of most of these stories. Long-winded sentences, lengthy descriptions and not enough dialogues are some of the pet peeves I’ve encountered on here. As such these stories were a chore to read. It felt like going through a pilgrimage across a path of rusty nails and shards of bloodied glass.
The only redeeming stories to me were “Berenice” by Edgar Allan Poe and “The Body Snatcher” by Robert Louis Stevenson. You can’t really go wrong with Poe, he was a true master of horror fiction, certainly the best during his time, on top of being one of the first in history. Stevenson’s story as well was quality, but from the author of “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”, one of my favourite short stories ever, I expected no less.
Perhaps, rather than gothic literature, I will stick to gothic art, gothic architecture, gothic rock and gothic metal instead - all of which I personally find a lot more accessible.
The only redeeming stories to me were “Berenice” by Edgar Allan Poe and “The Body Snatcher” by Robert Louis Stevenson. You can’t really go wrong with Poe, he was a true master of horror fiction, certainly the best during his time, on top of being one of the first in history. Stevenson’s story as well was quality, but from the author of “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”, one of my favourite short stories ever, I expected no less.
Perhaps, rather than gothic literature, I will stick to gothic art, gothic architecture, gothic rock and gothic metal instead - all of which I personally find a lot more accessible.
July 23, 2019
This book has it's up's and down's. Personally I found few interesting stories: Berenice (*⚠ possible spoiler: with vampire that looses it's teeths), Strange Event in the Life of Shalken the Painter, The spectre bride, The Old Nurse's Story and The Yellow Wallpaper. The last one was really crazy, written so well that I was wondering what was going on in one of mansion's rooms. If you like to feel some chill the above mentioned stories will give you one.
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Całkiem ciekawy zbiór opowiadań. Kilka naprawdę serwuje niezły dreszczyk a przy okazji bardzo wciąga, taka na przykład "Żółta tapeta" - przez większość opowiadania udzieliła mi się "paranoja" bohaterki na punkcie tapety w sypialni i tak jak ona chciałam się jej pozbyć. Z kolei "Historia starej niani" przypominała mi trochę "Opowieść wigilijną" choć w wersji upiornej. Wreszcie "Berenika" gdzie wampir przedstawiony jest w dotychczas nieznany mi sposób. Jeśli ktoś potrzebuje dreszczyka z pewnością znajdzie tu coś dla siebie.
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Całkiem ciekawy zbiór opowiadań. Kilka naprawdę serwuje niezły dreszczyk a przy okazji bardzo wciąga, taka na przykład "Żółta tapeta" - przez większość opowiadania udzieliła mi się "paranoja" bohaterki na punkcie tapety w sypialni i tak jak ona chciałam się jej pozbyć. Z kolei "Historia starej niani" przypominała mi trochę "Opowieść wigilijną" choć w wersji upiornej. Wreszcie "Berenika" gdzie wampir przedstawiony jest w dotychczas nieznany mi sposób. Jeśli ktoś potrzebuje dreszczyka z pewnością znajdzie tu coś dla siebie.
November 6, 2019
A wonderful collection of gothic fiction, from short stories to novellas.
Bought this book on my trip to Transilvania, in the city of Sibiu, so it will be always special to me.
It captures the birth of the gothic fiction, a romanticist story from 1773, to the pre First World War modernistic story.
Gothic fiction belongs to romanticism while horror fiction is its child and it was born in the late nineteenth century with Sheridan and Stoker.
This collection depicts that.
Every bat should read this book.
Bought this book on my trip to Transilvania, in the city of Sibiu, so it will be always special to me.
It captures the birth of the gothic fiction, a romanticist story from 1773, to the pre First World War modernistic story.
Gothic fiction belongs to romanticism while horror fiction is its child and it was born in the late nineteenth century with Sheridan and Stoker.
This collection depicts that.
Every bat should read this book.
June 9, 2023
I read this when I thought I was having my academic comeback and it did help with understanding gothic tropes so good for her. Each story was like 4 pages long so made for a quick read but did get kinda repetitive after a while, very much same same but different vibes. Extra shout out to whoever took it out before me in the library and annotated it defo made it loads more interesting
March 27, 2019
Disappointing. There were only a few good stories, the most part was just not for me. The stories are from 1800's that means the writing and the storytelling style is complicated, dragging and slow. My favorite ones are: The Old Nursery's Story, The Yellow Wallpaper, The Lame Priest.
February 10, 2025
My first DNF 😭 Don't feel too bad as they are short stories. Read a few, some were okay. Some were not interesting. They're all a bit old, with settings that aren't my thing, in text that's too small. All in all, gothic poetry is not for me. DNF/5
June 13, 2025
My favourite was Gaskell's story about the ghost child in the snow 👀
I just love classic gothic horror. I'm at home with this book and read it again and again. A great complication of gothic fiction, some written by the masters of the craft.
I just love classic gothic horror. I'm at home with this book and read it again and again. A great complication of gothic fiction, some written by the masters of the craft.
May 29, 2022
i should have made this an autumn read but that's on me
February 3, 2023
My favourites in this collection were J. S. Le Fanu's "Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter," M. R. James's "Canon Alberic's Scrapbook," and Mary Wilkins Freeman's "Luella Miller."
November 9, 2022
The old english language made it a bit difficult for me to get through this book because I had to slow down my reading speed immensely (english is also my 2. language).
But besides that there was some good interesting stories in this book.
I skipped the introduction part to avoid spoilers. Tried to read it after I finished the stories, but it was a bit boring because of several novels/stories, I didn't know about, being mentioned. I liked reading about the history behind gothic literature but like I said, too many references for my liking. I'm sure it's amazing if you are writing a paper about it or if you are just a huge gothic lit nerd.
It was really nice reading "The yellow wallpaper" again, love that one.
But besides that there was some good interesting stories in this book.
I skipped the introduction part to avoid spoilers. Tried to read it after I finished the stories, but it was a bit boring because of several novels/stories, I didn't know about, being mentioned. I liked reading about the history behind gothic literature but like I said, too many references for my liking. I'm sure it's amazing if you are writing a paper about it or if you are just a huge gothic lit nerd.
It was really nice reading "The yellow wallpaper" again, love that one.
November 29, 2019
Κριτική στα Ελληνικά πιο κάτω...
This collection features:
Sir Bertrand: A Fragment by Anna Letitia Aikin (1773)
Captive of the Banditti by Nathan Drake and An Anonymous Hand (1801)
Extracts from Gosschen's Diary: No 1 by Anonymous (1818)
The Parricide's Tale by Charles Robert Maturin (1820)
The Spectre Bride by Anonymous (1822)
The Tapestried Chamber by Sir Walter Scott (1829)
Berenice by Edgar Allan Poe (1835)
A Madman's Manuscript by Charles Dickens (1836)
Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter by J.S. Le Fanu (1839)
Ethan Brand by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)
The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell (1852)
The Body-Snatcher by R.L. Stevenson (1885)
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)
The Death of Halpin Frayser by Ambrose Bierce (1893)
Canon Alberic's Scrapbook by M. R. James (1894)
No. 252 Rue M. le Prince by Ralph Adams Cram (1895)
The Lame Priest by S. Carleton (1901)
Luella Miller by Mary Wilkins Freeman (1902)
The Bird in the Garden by Richard Middleton (1912)
The Room in the Tower by E. F. Benson (1912)
I appreciate very much Wordsworth Editions' policy of warning in advance that the Introduction may contain spoilers, so it might be advisable to read after finishng the actual stories! And this is what I did!
I enjoyed some of these stories better than others and I was familiar with many of them but not all. I thought that a couple of them didn't fit a collection of Gothic stories, at least according to how I had "Gothic" on my mind. Furthermore, while reading I got an impression that some stories were part of a larger book. As a whole, the book features an intriguing collection and is a pleasant read!
This is one of the few books where I really appreciated the precense of Notes and Introduction! Editor David Blair put things into context and perspective, explaining how and why he cherry-picked these stories, providing historical feedback and clarifying many points I was wondering about. And yes, it turns out that some stories were part of a larger narration, but others were not after all...
A good choice if one is interested on this genre and this era'a literature...
Συλλογή με πολύ ποικιλία και κάποιες ασυνήθιστες επιλογές. Γενικά δεν μου αρέσουν οι εισαγωγές και οι σημειώσεις στα βιβλία, αλλά στο συγκεκριμένο οι επιπλέον σημειώσεις και ανάλυση ήταν πολύ διαφωτιστικές.
Φυσικά την εισαγωγή την διάβασα μόνο αφού τελείωσα τις ιστορίες... Κάτι που εκτιμώ ιδιαίτερα στις συγκεκριμένες εκδόσεις είναι ότι συμβουλεύουν εξ αρχής να κάνει ο αναγνώστης ακριβώς αυτό για να αποφύγει τα spoilers!
Αν σας ενδιαφέρει η λογοτεχνία της εποχής και αυτό που λέμε γενικότερα "Γκόθικ" με την πιο ιστορική του έννοια, σίγουρα το βιβλίο αξίζει τα λεφτά του και με το παραπάνω...
This collection features:
Sir Bertrand: A Fragment by Anna Letitia Aikin (1773)
Captive of the Banditti by Nathan Drake and An Anonymous Hand (1801)
Extracts from Gosschen's Diary: No 1 by Anonymous (1818)
The Parricide's Tale by Charles Robert Maturin (1820)
The Spectre Bride by Anonymous (1822)
The Tapestried Chamber by Sir Walter Scott (1829)
Berenice by Edgar Allan Poe (1835)
A Madman's Manuscript by Charles Dickens (1836)
Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter by J.S. Le Fanu (1839)
Ethan Brand by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)
The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell (1852)
The Body-Snatcher by R.L. Stevenson (1885)
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)
The Death of Halpin Frayser by Ambrose Bierce (1893)
Canon Alberic's Scrapbook by M. R. James (1894)
No. 252 Rue M. le Prince by Ralph Adams Cram (1895)
The Lame Priest by S. Carleton (1901)
Luella Miller by Mary Wilkins Freeman (1902)
The Bird in the Garden by Richard Middleton (1912)
The Room in the Tower by E. F. Benson (1912)
I appreciate very much Wordsworth Editions' policy of warning in advance that the Introduction may contain spoilers, so it might be advisable to read after finishng the actual stories! And this is what I did!
I enjoyed some of these stories better than others and I was familiar with many of them but not all. I thought that a couple of them didn't fit a collection of Gothic stories, at least according to how I had "Gothic" on my mind. Furthermore, while reading I got an impression that some stories were part of a larger book. As a whole, the book features an intriguing collection and is a pleasant read!
This is one of the few books where I really appreciated the precense of Notes and Introduction! Editor David Blair put things into context and perspective, explaining how and why he cherry-picked these stories, providing historical feedback and clarifying many points I was wondering about. And yes, it turns out that some stories were part of a larger narration, but others were not after all...
A good choice if one is interested on this genre and this era'a literature...
Συλλογή με πολύ ποικιλία και κάποιες ασυνήθιστες επιλογές. Γενικά δεν μου αρέσουν οι εισαγωγές και οι σημειώσεις στα βιβλία, αλλά στο συγκεκριμένο οι επιπλέον σημειώσεις και ανάλυση ήταν πολύ διαφωτιστικές.
Φυσικά την εισαγωγή την διάβασα μόνο αφού τελείωσα τις ιστορίες... Κάτι που εκτιμώ ιδιαίτερα στις συγκεκριμένες εκδόσεις είναι ότι συμβουλεύουν εξ αρχής να κάνει ο αναγνώστης ακριβώς αυτό για να αποφύγει τα spoilers!
Αν σας ενδιαφέρει η λογοτεχνία της εποχής και αυτό που λέμε γενικότερα "Γκόθικ" με την πιο ιστορική του έννοια, σίγουρα το βιβλίο αξίζει τα λεφτά του και με το παραπάνω...
February 19, 2008
Personally I didn't really enjoy this book. I had recently read a book of 'thriller' short stories and was hoping to be as enthralled by this book as I was by that one. Unfortunately this was not the case. The book has stories from the 1700's up to the early 1900's. There were a couple of good stories, but the majority just didn't keep my interest at all. I found that the stories were better towards the end of the book, and the final story 'The Room in the Tower' was a great finish, however overall the book just wasn't for me.
Want to read
November 16, 2008I am currently reading 'The Thirteenth Tale' and only now believe in love at first sight. On page 42 Setterfield names seven literary texts, only one of which I am not familiar with: 'The Spectre Bride.' Naturally, I immediately searched it on goodreads, only to find that no such title was listed. Nor was any information to be found on wikipedia. I finally resorted to Amazon, and this anthology was the answer to my question: 'The Spectre Bride' (apparently by an anonymous author) is among its contents. The literary mystery has been solved...and now I can sleep. Thank you Amazon! : )
February 28, 2018
Este recopilatorio de relatos góticos, realizado por David Blair para la (barata) editorial inglesa Wordsworth, me ha parecido sensacional. No tiene edición equivalente en Español y alguna de sus historias jamas se ha traducido a nuestro idioma, me temo.
Es importante puntualizar lo que este libro contiene. Se trata de historias góticas que van desde los comienzos del género, hasta 1912. Parte de ellas (sobre todo las primeras) ni siquiera contienen elementos sobrenaturales. Si alguien busca terror y fantasmas, se encontrará mas a gusto con la segunda mitad del libro, pero se le puede hacer un poco cuesta arriba la primera mitad.
-Sir Bertrand: A Fragment (Anna Letitia Aiken, 1773): Muy corto relato que ejemplifica todas las constantes del gótico mas temprano. Su brevedad se agradece. 2/5
-Captive of the Banditti (Nathan Drake & anonymous hand, 1801): Típica historia de doncellas raptadas, bandidos y herederos de reinos. Representa bien ese tipo de historia, pero es francamente anodina. 2/5
-Extracts from Gosschen’s Diary: No. 1 (Anonymous, 1818): Muy macabro y sensacionalista relato sobre un sacerdote que habla con un reo condenado a muerte por asesinato, dentro de su celda. Tiene bastante fuerza. 3.5/5
-The Parricide’s Tale (Charles Robert Maturin, 1820): Un fragmento de El Monje. Metidos en un pequeño habitáculo, un veterano monje le narra uno de los sucesos mas depravados que vivió a su compañero. Tan sensacionalista como el resto de la novela, con personajes disfrutando de las desgracias ajenas. 3/5
-The Spectre Bride (Anonymous, 1822): No es que sea muy original, pero es una lectura muy amena que se lee casi como si fuese un cuento. 3.5/5
-The Tapestried Chamber (Sir Walter Scott, 1829): Algo decepcionado me ha dejado Scott. Su historia es muy básica y se pasa mas tiempo recalcando lo "hombretón" que es el protagonista, que en dar algo de sentido a su historia de fantasmas. 1.5/5
-Berenice (Edgar Allan Poe, 1835): Una historia temprana de Poe que tiene buena parte de sus temas personales. Sin ser de mis relatos favoritos, es un muy buen relato. 4/5
-A Madman’s Manuscript (Charles Dickens, 1836): Dickens realiza la narración de un hombre que conoce y presume de su locura, y como la oculta a la gente que le rodea. Disminuye un poco su eficacia una explicación de los hechos que incluye al final. 3.5/5
-Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter (J.S. le Fanu, 1839) : Este me lo he saltado, porque lo lei hace relativamente poco tiempo.
-Ethan Brand (Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1850): Muy interesante relato de Hawthorne. No es necesariamente una historia de terror, pero es tremendamente evocador. 4/5
-The Old Nurse’s Story (Elizabeth Gaskell, 1852): Un clásico de las historias de fantasmas, con un climax y una conclusión brillante. 4.5/5
-The Body-Snatcher (Robert Louis Stevenson, 1885): Clásico de Stevenson que ya comenté hace relativamente poco.
-The Yellow Wallpaper (Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1892): Por las lecturas que se pueden hacer de su historia y protagonista, es uno de los relatos mas reivindicables de la época. Me extraña poco la fama que tiene últimamente, ya que da una desasperada e incomprendida visión femenina de la época. 5/5
-The Death of Halpin Frayser (Ambrose Bierce , 1893): Me lo tengo que saltar, porque planeo leerlo en un recopilatorio de Bierce que tengo pendiente.
-Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook (M.R. James , 1894): Otro relato que me tengo que saltar, porque planeo leerlo en un recopilatorio de M.R. James que tengo pendiente. Además, recuerdo leerlo en su día y gustarme bastante.
-No. 252 Rue M. le Prince (Ralph Adams Cram, 1895): Solvente historia sobre una casa maldita, antigua propiedad de una mujer que tenía relación con temas esotéricos y cultos. 3.5/5
-The Lame Priest (S. Carleton , 1901): Uno de los mayores descubrimientos que he hecho últimamente. Magníficamente escrito y narrado, con una ambientación en el invierno de una montaña, absolutamente sensacional (me recuerda a Algernon Blackwood). Dudo que pase mucho tiempo sin releerlo. 5/5
-Luella Miller (Mary Wilkins Freeman , 1902): La historia de una mujer vaga y fatal, que arrastra a la muerte a todo aquel que intenta ayudarla. El hecho de que todo lo narre una mujer que es cualquier cosa menos imparcial, añade un punto de duda muy interesante sobre todo el relato. 4/5
-The Bird in the Garden (Richard Middleton , 1912): Todo un descubrimiento Richard Middleton, autor que desconocía por completo. Entre la poesia, el sueño febril y el cuento macabro, creó algo sensacional. Tengo ganas de leerle mas cosas. 5/5
-The Room in the Tower (E.F. Benson , 1912): Uno de los relatos mas celebres de Benson. Todo funciona como un reloj: la reflexión inicial sobre los sueños, como va construyendo la tensión, el trasfondo, la resolución... uno de los mas completos y redondos del libro. 5/5
Es importante puntualizar lo que este libro contiene. Se trata de historias góticas que van desde los comienzos del género, hasta 1912. Parte de ellas (sobre todo las primeras) ni siquiera contienen elementos sobrenaturales. Si alguien busca terror y fantasmas, se encontrará mas a gusto con la segunda mitad del libro, pero se le puede hacer un poco cuesta arriba la primera mitad.
-Sir Bertrand: A Fragment (Anna Letitia Aiken, 1773): Muy corto relato que ejemplifica todas las constantes del gótico mas temprano. Su brevedad se agradece. 2/5
-Captive of the Banditti (Nathan Drake & anonymous hand, 1801): Típica historia de doncellas raptadas, bandidos y herederos de reinos. Representa bien ese tipo de historia, pero es francamente anodina. 2/5
-Extracts from Gosschen’s Diary: No. 1 (Anonymous, 1818): Muy macabro y sensacionalista relato sobre un sacerdote que habla con un reo condenado a muerte por asesinato, dentro de su celda. Tiene bastante fuerza. 3.5/5
-The Parricide’s Tale (Charles Robert Maturin, 1820): Un fragmento de El Monje. Metidos en un pequeño habitáculo, un veterano monje le narra uno de los sucesos mas depravados que vivió a su compañero. Tan sensacionalista como el resto de la novela, con personajes disfrutando de las desgracias ajenas. 3/5
-The Spectre Bride (Anonymous, 1822): No es que sea muy original, pero es una lectura muy amena que se lee casi como si fuese un cuento. 3.5/5
-The Tapestried Chamber (Sir Walter Scott, 1829): Algo decepcionado me ha dejado Scott. Su historia es muy básica y se pasa mas tiempo recalcando lo "hombretón" que es el protagonista, que en dar algo de sentido a su historia de fantasmas. 1.5/5
-Berenice (Edgar Allan Poe, 1835): Una historia temprana de Poe que tiene buena parte de sus temas personales. Sin ser de mis relatos favoritos, es un muy buen relato. 4/5
-A Madman’s Manuscript (Charles Dickens, 1836): Dickens realiza la narración de un hombre que conoce y presume de su locura, y como la oculta a la gente que le rodea. Disminuye un poco su eficacia una explicación de los hechos que incluye al final. 3.5/5
-Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter (J.S. le Fanu, 1839) : Este me lo he saltado, porque lo lei hace relativamente poco tiempo.
-Ethan Brand (Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1850): Muy interesante relato de Hawthorne. No es necesariamente una historia de terror, pero es tremendamente evocador. 4/5
-The Old Nurse’s Story (Elizabeth Gaskell, 1852): Un clásico de las historias de fantasmas, con un climax y una conclusión brillante. 4.5/5
-The Body-Snatcher (Robert Louis Stevenson, 1885): Clásico de Stevenson que ya comenté hace relativamente poco.
-The Yellow Wallpaper (Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1892): Por las lecturas que se pueden hacer de su historia y protagonista, es uno de los relatos mas reivindicables de la época. Me extraña poco la fama que tiene últimamente, ya que da una desasperada e incomprendida visión femenina de la época. 5/5
-The Death of Halpin Frayser (Ambrose Bierce , 1893): Me lo tengo que saltar, porque planeo leerlo en un recopilatorio de Bierce que tengo pendiente.
-Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook (M.R. James , 1894): Otro relato que me tengo que saltar, porque planeo leerlo en un recopilatorio de M.R. James que tengo pendiente. Además, recuerdo leerlo en su día y gustarme bastante.
-No. 252 Rue M. le Prince (Ralph Adams Cram, 1895): Solvente historia sobre una casa maldita, antigua propiedad de una mujer que tenía relación con temas esotéricos y cultos. 3.5/5
-The Lame Priest (S. Carleton , 1901): Uno de los mayores descubrimientos que he hecho últimamente. Magníficamente escrito y narrado, con una ambientación en el invierno de una montaña, absolutamente sensacional (me recuerda a Algernon Blackwood). Dudo que pase mucho tiempo sin releerlo. 5/5
-Luella Miller (Mary Wilkins Freeman , 1902): La historia de una mujer vaga y fatal, que arrastra a la muerte a todo aquel que intenta ayudarla. El hecho de que todo lo narre una mujer que es cualquier cosa menos imparcial, añade un punto de duda muy interesante sobre todo el relato. 4/5
-The Bird in the Garden (Richard Middleton , 1912): Todo un descubrimiento Richard Middleton, autor que desconocía por completo. Entre la poesia, el sueño febril y el cuento macabro, creó algo sensacional. Tengo ganas de leerle mas cosas. 5/5
-The Room in the Tower (E.F. Benson , 1912): Uno de los relatos mas celebres de Benson. Todo funciona como un reloj: la reflexión inicial sobre los sueños, como va construyendo la tensión, el trasfondo, la resolución... uno de los mas completos y redondos del libro. 5/5
April 27, 2021
Twenty gothic stories. Twelve good ones, three after my own goth story-loving heart, written by my book's top three luminaries of the genre:
1 Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter by Sheridan le Fanu
2 Canon Alberic's Scrapbook by M.R. James
3 The Room in the Tower by E.F. Benson
A close fourth, and the epitome of gothic and good storytelling, would be Elizabeth Gaskell's The Old Nurse's Story--it gets the formula right: an ancient, moody mansion with an unsettling past, moodier inhabitants, and a narrative that reveals enough, but not too much.
Worth a special mention for its captivating, sensitive storytelling despite a premise that's been done one too many times was The Lame Priest. Which, while it ranks as one of my best tales here, to my sentiment does not qualify as a gothic story. Another story which I don't classify as a gothic tale, and one which reminded me of Ursula K. le Guin's The Ones Who Walk with Omelas, was The Bird in the Garden. I'm still trying to calculate the many metaphors packed into that short story.
Robert Louis Stevenson's The Body-Snatcher was very well told, but for that absurd conclusion. I would have preferred a vague, cliffhanger end compared to that ridiculous, if tidy, finish.
A major disappointment was Nathaniel Hawthorne's Ethan Brand, a story which did not fit into my concept of a gothic story. The plot was bland, and the storytelling mediocre. I expected better from the guy who so impressed me with The House of the Seven Gables. As for Edgar Allan Poe, America's most famous import when it comes to gothic fare, his Berenice left me perplexed. Google soon fixed that, but I still wasn't impressed.
Lastly, a lady known for her excellent gothic tales, she's got an entire book of it, is missing here: Isak Dinesen.
1 Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter by Sheridan le Fanu
2 Canon Alberic's Scrapbook by M.R. James
3 The Room in the Tower by E.F. Benson
A close fourth, and the epitome of gothic and good storytelling, would be Elizabeth Gaskell's The Old Nurse's Story--it gets the formula right: an ancient, moody mansion with an unsettling past, moodier inhabitants, and a narrative that reveals enough, but not too much.
Worth a special mention for its captivating, sensitive storytelling despite a premise that's been done one too many times was The Lame Priest. Which, while it ranks as one of my best tales here, to my sentiment does not qualify as a gothic story. Another story which I don't classify as a gothic tale, and one which reminded me of Ursula K. le Guin's The Ones Who Walk with Omelas, was The Bird in the Garden. I'm still trying to calculate the many metaphors packed into that short story.
Robert Louis Stevenson's The Body-Snatcher was very well told, but for that absurd conclusion. I would have preferred a vague, cliffhanger end compared to that ridiculous, if tidy, finish.
A major disappointment was Nathaniel Hawthorne's Ethan Brand, a story which did not fit into my concept of a gothic story. The plot was bland, and the storytelling mediocre. I expected better from the guy who so impressed me with The House of the Seven Gables. As for Edgar Allan Poe, America's most famous import when it comes to gothic fare, his Berenice left me perplexed. Google soon fixed that, but I still wasn't impressed.
Lastly, a lady known for her excellent gothic tales, she's got an entire book of it, is missing here: Isak Dinesen.
November 20, 2024
A varied collection of gothic stories (and it was interesting to see different author's interpretations of "gothic" from the usual creepy estate to the American wilderness).
It's definitely worth reading the introduction AFTER reading the stories if you want some context for the stories, especially if you're unfamiliar with them.
My favorites were:
"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Stetson (hadn't read since college so was interesting to re-read it)
"The Room in the Tower" by E. F. Benson
"Berenice" by Edgar Allan Poe (although I like other Poe stories much more this was still one of the better ones of this collection)
"The Body-Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson
"The Lame Priest" by S. Carleton
I did not like
"Ethan Brand: A Chapter from an Abortive Romance" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell
"The Bird in the Garden" by Richard Middleton
"Extracts from Gosschen's Diary: No. 1" by Anonymous
The others which were decent enough:
"Sir Bertrand: A Fragment" by Anna Letitia Aikin
"Captive of the Banditti" by Nathan Drake and an Anonymous Hand
"The Parricide's Tale" by Charles Robert Maturin
"The Spectre Bride" by Anonymous
"The Tapestried Chamber" by Sir Walter Scott
"The Madman's Manuscript" by Charles Dickens
"Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter" by J. S. le Fanu
"The Death of Halpin Frayser" by Ambrose Bierce
"Canon Alberic's Scrapbook" by M. R. James
"No. 252 Rue M. le Prince [1]" by Ralph Adams Cram
"Luella Miller" by Mary Wilkins Freeman
It's definitely worth reading the introduction AFTER reading the stories if you want some context for the stories, especially if you're unfamiliar with them.
My favorites were:
"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Stetson (hadn't read since college so was interesting to re-read it)
"The Room in the Tower" by E. F. Benson
"Berenice" by Edgar Allan Poe (although I like other Poe stories much more this was still one of the better ones of this collection)
"The Body-Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson
"The Lame Priest" by S. Carleton
I did not like
"Ethan Brand: A Chapter from an Abortive Romance" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell
"The Bird in the Garden" by Richard Middleton
"Extracts from Gosschen's Diary: No. 1" by Anonymous
The others which were decent enough:
"Sir Bertrand: A Fragment" by Anna Letitia Aikin
"Captive of the Banditti" by Nathan Drake and an Anonymous Hand
"The Parricide's Tale" by Charles Robert Maturin
"The Spectre Bride" by Anonymous
"The Tapestried Chamber" by Sir Walter Scott
"The Madman's Manuscript" by Charles Dickens
"Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter" by J. S. le Fanu
"The Death of Halpin Frayser" by Ambrose Bierce
"Canon Alberic's Scrapbook" by M. R. James
"No. 252 Rue M. le Prince [1]" by Ralph Adams Cram
"Luella Miller" by Mary Wilkins Freeman
March 20, 2022
I was definitely expecting other kind of stories.
The first ones were quite hard to get through, mainly because their writing was really complex.
I still really loved a few stories, but overall I was disappointed.
(Out of 5)
Sir Bertrand: A Fragment - 2.5
Captive of the Banditti - 2.5
Extracts from Gosschen’s Diary: No.1 - 4
The Parricide’s Tale - 4
The Spectre Bride - 2
The Tapestried Chamber - 3
Berenice - 3.5
A Madman’s Manuscript - 4
Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter - 4.5
Ethan Brand - 1
The Old Nurse’s Story - 4.5
The Body Snatcher - 3.5
The Yellow Wallpaper - 5
The Death of Halpin Frayser - 2
Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook - 3
No. 252 Rue M. le Prince - 3.5
The Lame Priest - 4
Luella Miller - 4.5
The Bird in the Garden - 2
The Room in the Tower - 4.5
The first ones were quite hard to get through, mainly because their writing was really complex.
I still really loved a few stories, but overall I was disappointed.
(Out of 5)
Sir Bertrand: A Fragment - 2.5
Captive of the Banditti - 2.5
Extracts from Gosschen’s Diary: No.1 - 4
The Parricide’s Tale - 4
The Spectre Bride - 2
The Tapestried Chamber - 3
Berenice - 3.5
A Madman’s Manuscript - 4
Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter - 4.5
Ethan Brand - 1
The Old Nurse’s Story - 4.5
The Body Snatcher - 3.5
The Yellow Wallpaper - 5
The Death of Halpin Frayser - 2
Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook - 3
No. 252 Rue M. le Prince - 3.5
The Lame Priest - 4
Luella Miller - 4.5
The Bird in the Garden - 2
The Room in the Tower - 4.5
May 7, 2022
Read this while I've been in bed sick. I've had it lying around for a while and it was a quick and interesting read. It's a collection of old fashioned gothic short stories. And there's something so beautiful in the way gothic stories are written. They're not really scary, but I didn't expect that either, because gothic stories rarely scare me. But they were beautiful! And there were some from authors like Edgar Allen Poe, Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens included. Which I liked. Overall interesting read. It's not often I read Gothic stories!
Fav short stories were:
The Sceptre Bride
Berenice
A Madman's Manuscript
And of course!!! The Yellow Wallpaper... Which I've already read before, but that has still got to be one of my absolute FAVOURITE. So, I enjoyed rereading it.
Fav short stories were:
The Sceptre Bride
Berenice
A Madman's Manuscript
And of course!!! The Yellow Wallpaper... Which I've already read before, but that has still got to be one of my absolute FAVOURITE. So, I enjoyed rereading it.
December 20, 2025
Don't be surprised when this little book of old stories keeps you up at night...
An excellent compilation. Some of the stories are truly frightening.
I think we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that old things can't be scary... my, oh my, will this book prove you wrong!
Highlights for me, in no particular order, included:
- The Parricide's Tale (Charles Robert Maturin)
- Ethan Brand (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
- The Body-Snatcher (Robert Louis Stevenson)
- The Yellow Wallpaper (Charlotte Perkins Gilman)
- The Death of Halpin Frayser (Ambrose Bierce)
- Luella Miller (Mary Wilkins Freeman)
- The Bird in the Garden (Richard Middleton)
- The Room in the Tower (E. F. Benson)
An excellent compilation. Some of the stories are truly frightening.
I think we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that old things can't be scary... my, oh my, will this book prove you wrong!
Highlights for me, in no particular order, included:
- The Parricide's Tale (Charles Robert Maturin)
- Ethan Brand (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
- The Body-Snatcher (Robert Louis Stevenson)
- The Yellow Wallpaper (Charlotte Perkins Gilman)
- The Death of Halpin Frayser (Ambrose Bierce)
- Luella Miller (Mary Wilkins Freeman)
- The Bird in the Garden (Richard Middleton)
- The Room in the Tower (E. F. Benson)
January 23, 2021
I was slow to read this one because I didn't find the majority of the stories all that compelling. I had read only before "Berenice" by Poe, but it's not of my favourites from his work. The stories I found exciting were: The Yellow Wallpaper, The Body Snatcher, The Bird in the Garden, and The Room in the Tower. I'll definitely check out other works from these authors. There were a couple of other stories that caught my attention, although not as brilliant as the ones I mentioned previously, like The Spectre Bride, The Tapestried Chamber, and The Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter.
November 21, 2018
I enjoyed so much in these short stories that I dreamed about them or maybe they came to my dreams. First of all, I am puzzled with the low rating of this book. I mean, these stories are written during 18th and 19th centuries and of course that they are written in different style. This Victorian language is perfect for such types of stories. More over, those who didn't understand a story, one can find explanations of it in the introduction part as well as some guidelines for further research on Gothic stories. For me, this collection of short stories is worth of re-reading.
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