Status Updates From Julia Roseingrave

That takes care of the novella called Julia Roseingrave; it grew on me as it went along, and I ended up loving it. This edition has short stories tucked in after the main event, and now I’m really curious about what else Bowen can do.

The Unfortunate Fursey was the next book on my August TBR list. The alternate selected as a potential replacement, depending on the flip of a coin, was Julia Roseingrave…and Julia Roseingrave won the toss. That one hurt a little, because I was really excited about Unfortunate Fursey; but Fursey can now become an alternate choice that might win a future coin toss, and win its way back into August! Is this all silly…?

So far, her short story collection Black Magic has eluded me over years of hunting for it, and I have yet to buckle down and order it. That day will come, since it’s on a list of recommended Horror books I have picked from, for decades. Meanwhile, this is suddenly easy to obtain, so at least I’m getting to the author, with an intriguing-looking alternative.

"Sheep's Head and Babylon" Atmospheric tale of an olde Scottish theologian's demise. Again a tad predictable but evocative.

"Hurry! Hurry!" One of her historical rather than supernatural tales--political in nature. Tho' most of it seemed to lead to a predictable ending there was a slight twist at the end that partially redeemed it. Pas mal.

"Dark Ann" A romantic ghost-ish tale. I love its point: dreams are both better and more real than puny reality and all its dumb conformity.

"The Scoured Silk" Wonderful horror gem. Bowen has a great gift for framing a tale--she gives just the right information in just the right order to build suspense. She;'s a literary Hitchcock.