Product Description
Stories by a visionary master of supernatural fiction

The second volume of the only annotated edition of M. R. James’s complete writings currently available, this book brings together tales from James’s final two volumes, A Thin Ghost and Others and A Warning to the Curious. I n these stories, James continues his transformation of the ghost story from its nineteenth-century heritage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

S.T. Joshi Slumming Herein
The stories of Mr. James are above reproach; unique in English literature for being subtle and creepy at the same time and shaped by James' knowledge of medieval history, English history, and the occult. The question for the reader is whether they want to pony up $20 for the Penguin annotated editions of James' tales, as the James repertoire is in the public domain and you could read many of these stories for free on the internet and / or get a $6 copy of the "Collected Ghost Stories" from Wordsworth Press and get 30 out of 33 of the stories featured in the two combined Penguin volumes. So the question then is are Joshi's notes and intros worth about $14?

S.T. Joshi is an immensely gifted editor and critic. His studies of the "Weird Tale" are modern classics in the field, and the immense work he has put into his Lovecraft bio and his annotated Lovecraft volumes are a paradigm. There is no doubt that if Mr. Joshi put the full focus of his attention on working with James' material that he could have easily justified the purchase price for these books. Unfortunately, Joshi, for whatever reasons, just went through the motions here and produced a fairly pedestrian work of annotation and criticism to accompany the text.

Joshi's annotated Lovecraft or annotated Blackwood (also available from Penguin) are superb works of annotation - each story has copious notes explaining themes and background of the work at hand. In approaching James though, Joshi appears dutiful at best or even bored. Many tales here have less than half a dozen bland notes, and many of the notes are nothing more than scutwork, translations and nutshell bios of historical figure mentioned.

This would be fine if James needed no annotation. (But then why buy these books at all?) The true issue is that James' work would indeed benefit from some first grade notes. For instance "The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral" is a story involving an ambitious clergyman who schemes to murder his inconvenient predecessor who is holding him from a promotion. The career of the sinister cleric has many subtle details that point up James' low opinion of him based on his theology and clerical administration policies.

For a modern reader who is not fully aware of Episcopalian intra-denominational quarrels in the late 19th Century, knowing this info will add a new level of depth and interest to the story. Instead, Joshi tells us none of this and simply translates a few Latin phrases and fleshes out a few Biblical citations, something the ordinary reader with internet access could do on their own with a $6 copy of the stories.In comparison, Joshi's notes in his annotated Lovecraft for "Herbert West Reanimator" (one of the slightest and most pulpy of fictions in the HPL body of work) are far more detailed, engaging, and affectionate.

Now you might say "well who cares about Episcopalian church governance squabbles of the 19th Century?" and indeed the Barchester story works very well even if the reader knows none of the "extrinsic" detail. But yet the entire point of an annotated edition is to add maximum depth and detail to a story for those interested in pursuing such a level of analysis. To provide a minimalist annotation defeats the entire purpose of the endeavor, as the reader may be better served by dispensing with the slight commentary offered and simply reading the work in question cheaply or for free while doing their own cursory research as needed for historical figures, translations, etc.

The problem may be that Joshi is well-known for his postulate that a Christian perspective is incompatible with effective horror writing. Joshi is a rather strident atheist and feels that atheism and similar godless perspective make for the most creative and interesting horror. I see his point, but yet the existence of effective horror by pious men like Hawthorne and Montague Rhodes James acts as a counterpoint to Joshi's thesis. This is not to say that Joshi sets out to sabotage James with lame notes - rather it perhaps shows why Joshi viewed this particular exercise as a bore and a task rather than a pleasure.

I do not wish to psychoanalyze the editor too much; my theory above may be entirely wrong. However, the heart of the matter is that if we compare Joshi's notes and analyses with James to that on the stories of the pantheistic Blackwood, the existensialist Lovecraft, or the atheist Ligotti, we see that he has done a much better job than here. Maybe this is due to the fact that he finds these others more personally simpatico, or perhaps he simply finds detailed textual analysis of James to be uninteresting.

In any case, the ultimate answer to the question of whether a reader should purchase these two volumes of James' ghost stories is probably not. The much cheaper Wordsworth edition (though less aesthetically pleasing) will offer all the pleasures of the original text (or 90% of them anyway), the somewhat cheaper Oxford World Classics Edition though offering only 20 or so tales has a far better intro and notes by Michael Cox, and for the ultimate discount, most of these tales are in the public domain and can be tracked down and read for free over the internet. Joshi, though ordinarily adding enough value to an annotated edition to justify a higher price, has fallen down on the job here and given us a bare-bones minimal effort annotation effort.

The greatest ghost stories ever written
For several years when she was growing up my daughter and I made a habit of from time to time gathering all the candles we can muster, lighting them, turn off the electrical lights and reading one of the stories in this collection.

What Conan Doyle is to the detective story, James is to the ghost story. These are not horror stories. No gore is to be found, no monsters, no savagery. One can find a subtle horror, a persistent sense that there are things in this world that we have either forgotten or never discovered.

If one has ever engaged in any historical research on the occult (which I have undertaken as an extreme nonbeliever), one will come across several ancient books and manuscripts in the field that were edited by M. R. James. He was not merely the writer of perfect ghost stories; he was an authority in the field of occult beliefs and practices. This concrete grounding accounts for much of the realistic feel to the researches of many of the characters in his stories.

so so
There are some scary elements to these stories.but they are told in a breezy disinterested manner.the intro warns the reader that this isnt MR James best stuff. I would have to agree.

Great Victorian Ghost Stories
If you like the style of Victorian ghost stories, in the best English tradition, you'll greatly enjoy this collection of stories by M.R. James, and it's companion volume, Vol. 1.In most of the stories the horror is oblique, but present and able to deliver delicious shivers on dark stormy nights (or on bright, sunny afternoons, for that matter).If you like Arthur Conan Doyle's ghost stories, you'll definitely enjoy this collection. ... Read more

Product Description
The only annotated edition of M. R. James’s writings currently available, Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories contains the entire first two volumes of James’s ghost stories, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary and More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. These volumes are both the culmination of the nineteenth-century ghost story tradition and the inspiration for much of the best twentieth-century work in this genre. Included in this collection are such landmark tales as "Count Magnus," set in the wilds of Sweden; "Number 13," a distinctive tale about a haunted hotel room; "Casting the Runes," a richly complex tale of sorcery that served as the basis for the classic horror film Curse of the Demon; and "Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad," one of the most frightening tales in literature. The appendix includes several rare texts, including "A Night in King’s College Chapel," James’s first known ghost story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Horror Defined and Refined
M.R. James' "Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories" is not a simple anthology of classic English ghost stories of the 19th century, but rather a well-researched and annotated compilation of some of most thoughtful stories of the supernatural ever written.Given the changes in language, custom, and style that have elapsed since James penned these tales, the annotation is critical in fully enjoying these great stories, while at the same time providing interesting historical context and appropriate anecdotes.While most all of the stories are similar in tone, "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" is probably the best known - a haunting tale with frightening imagery that set the baseline for the more visceral horror fiction of the 20th century.And then there's the spooky "The Ash-Tree," and "The Mezzotint" - a theme that has been repeated in contemporary literature and film.

On that note, however, a word of caution: these stories are not the gory, gaudy, "slasher" fright stories of Stephen King or other contemporary writers.Instead, the Victorian version of a ghost story was expectedly more reserved and less sensational, relying on nuance and imagination - with healthy does of ambiguity - than today's works of terror that leave little to the imagination.This is by no means a criticism of modern horror - but if you're expecting Peter Straub's "Ghost Story" or King's "Salem's Lot," you may find the prose and settings a bit boring and the pace at points tedious.Notwithstanding, the ghost story fan will want to read this as fascinating insight into the origins of the genre - insight that is not without spine-tingling moments and a more "civilized" version of terror.Think of the brilliance of Hitchcock, for example, in his ability to produce the mind-numbing fear of "Psycho" in spite of the motion picture rating constraints of the day.M.R. James produces some of these same effects through prose and plotting - a neat collection of entertaining stories that will keep you up late into the night - frightened or otherwise.

Stories Awesome: Annotation Lame!
The stories of Mr. James are above reproach; unique in English literature for being subtle and creepy at the same time and shaped by James' knowledge of medieval history, English history, and the occult. The question for the reader is whether they want to pony up [...] for the Penguin annotated editions of James' tales, as the James repertoire is in the public domain and you could read many of these stories for free on the internet and / or get a [...] copy of the "Collected Ghost Stories" from Wordsworth Press and get 30 out of 33 of the stories featured in the two combined Penguin volumes. So the question then is are Joshi's notes and intros worth about [...]?

S.T. Joshi is an immensely gifted editor and critic. His studies of the "Weird Tale" are modern classics in the field, and the immense work he has put into his Lovecraft bio and his annotated Lovecraft volumes are a paradigm. There is no doubt that if Mr. Joshi put the full focus of his attention on working with James' material that he could have easily justified the purchase price for these books. Unfortunately, Joshi, for whatever reasons, just went through the motions here and produced a fairly pedestrian work of annotation and criticism to accompany the text.

Joshi's annotated Lovecraft or annotated Blackwood (also available from Penguin) are superb works of annotation - each story has copious notes explaining themes and background of the work at hand. In approaching James though, Joshi appears dutiful at best or even bored. Many tales here have less than half a dozen bland notes, and many of the notes are nothing more than scutwork, translations and nutshell bios of historical figure mentioned.

This would be fine if James needed no annotation. (But then why buy these books at all?) The true issue is that James' work would indeed benefit from some first grade notes. For instance "The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral" is a story involving an ambitious clergyman who schemes to murder his inconvenient predecessor who is holding him from a promotion. The career of the sinister cleric has many subtle details that point up James' low opinion of him based on his theology and clerical administration policies.

For a modern reader who is not fully aware of Episcopalian intra-denominational quarrels in the late 19th Century, knowing this info will add a new level of depth and interest to the story. Instead, Joshi tells us none of this and simply translates a few Latin phrases and fleshes out a few Biblical citations, something the ordinary reader with internet access could do on their own with a [...] copy of the stories.In comparison, Joshi's notes in his annotated Lovecraft for "Herbert West Reanimator" (one of the slightest and most pulpy of fictions in the HPL body of work) are far more detailed, engaging, and affectionate.

Now you might say "well who cares about Episcopalian church governance squabbles of the 19th Century?" and indeed the Barchester story works very well even if the reader knows none of the "extrinsic" detail. But yet the entire point of an annotated edition is to add maximum depth and detail to a story for those interested in pursuing such a level of analysis. To provide a minimalist annotation defeats the entire purpose of the endeavor, as the reader may be better served by dispensing with the slight commentary offered and simply reading the work in question cheaply or for free while doing their own cursory research as needed for historical figures, translations, etc.

The problem may be that Joshi is well-known for his postulate that a Christian perspective is incompatible with effective horror writing. Joshi is a rather strident atheist and feels that atheism and similar godless perspective make for the most creative and interesting horror. I see his point, but yet the existence of effective horror by pious men like Hawthorne and Montague Rhodes James acts as a counterpoint to Joshi's thesis. This is not to say that Joshi sets out to sabotage James with lame notes - rather it perhaps shows why Joshi viewed this particular exercise as a bore and a task rather than a pleasure.

I do not wish to psychoanalyze the editor too much; my theory above may be entirely wrong. However, the heart of the matter is that if we compare Joshi's notes and analyses on the stories of the pantheistic Blackwood, the existensialist Lovecraft, or the atheist Ligotti, we see that he has done a much better job than here. Maybe this is due to the fact that he finds these others more personally simpatico, or perhaps he simply finds detailed textual analysis of James to be uninteresting.

In any case, the ultimate answer to the question of whether a reader should purchase these two volumes of James' ghost stories is probably not. The much cheaper Wordsworth edition (though less aesthetically pleasing) will offer all the pleasures of the original text (or 90% of them anyway), the somewhat cheaper Oxford World Classics Edition though offering only 20 or so tales has a far better intro and notes by Michael Cox, and for the ultimate discount, most of these tales are in the public domain and can be tracked down and read for free over the internet. Joshi, though ordinarily adding enough value to an annotated edition to justify a higher price, has fallen down on the job here and given us a bare-bones minimal effort annotation effort.

Can anyone who has this audiobook please list the titles of the stories?
This is the kind of information which would really help in a decision to buy audiobooks, but Amazon isn't always very good at listing it.Thank you.

The greatest ghost stories ever published
For several years when she was growing up my daughter and I made a habit of from time to time gathering all the candles we can muster, lighting them, turn off the electrical lights and reading one of the stories in this collection.

What Conan Doyle is to the detective story, James is to the ghost story. These are not horror stories. No gore is to be found, no monsters, no savagery. One can find a subtle horror, a persistent sense that there are things in this world that we have either forgotten or never discovered.

If one has ever engaged in any historical research on the occult (which I have undertaken as an extreme nonbeliever), one will come across several ancient books and manuscripts in the field that were edited by M. R. James. He was not merely the writer of perfect ghost stories; he was an authority in the field of occult beliefs and practices. This concrete grounding accounts for much of the realistic feel to the researches of many of the characters in his stories.

Academic and Exciting Ghost Stories
M.R. James' scholarship in the areas of medieval manuscripts and church history manifest themselves in appreciable ways throughout his many stories. The stories range from definitively supernatural (Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book) to those that really allow you to question the reality of the events described ("'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You My Lad'"). James has a wonderful grasp of just how much background story is necessary to create story and character depth, while at the same time establishing a mood conducive to truly spooky and chilling revelations.

Jame's training and knowledge allow him to tap into real history and geography, as well as invent things which seem utterly plausible - the Penguin notes are helpful in circumventing extensive research to determine whether a place is real or not, and what historical relevance there might be for the story. However, those not interested in this may grow tired of the notes and those pursuing studies will find the recommended reading of far more pertinence.

This is a nice, portable introduction to M.R. James' ghost stories and is highly recommended to those that are interested in the gothic and to anyone who enjoys a good short story. ... Read more

Product Description
This selection of twenty-one short stories by M.R. James--a first-class writer of supernatural fiction--represents his best work, including "Count Magnus," "The Rose Garden," "The Uncommon Prayer-book," "Rats," "The Malice of Inanimate Objects," and "A Vignette," as well as the title story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Some of the very best of MR James
I simply had to have this book.I have started on a creative writing career hoping to specialise in supernatural fiction.So who better to read than the acknowedged doyen of the genre?MR James was an absolute master of the craft.Many years ago the BBC dramatised one of his short stories every Christmas Eve and continued the practice for several years.Even as a mature adult these plays used to scare me witless!Michael Hordern's wonderful depiction of paralysis in sheer terror at the end of "Whistle and I'll come to you my lad", is indelibly engraved in my memory.But the television can only depict one man's interpretaion.Believe me, the imagination does so much more.So the stories are infinitely more enthralling.This volume contains all the greats: the nightmarish Count Magnus, Whistle.., Number 13, the haunting Mezzotint and perhaps the most chilling ghost story ever written, A Warning to the Curious.The thing about MR James was that he wrote so well and with such a sensitivity for how to make the supernatural thriller "work".Apart from the inevitably dated settings, it is entirely possible to imagine the events he relates as a plausible part of one's own daily experience!This volume contains a very useful essay (Explanatory Notes)by the author on the elements of the most effective ghost stories.The valuable insights offered therein are alone worth the price.This volume contains a representative sample of his best known work and I am compelled to recommend it in the highest terms.But a warning to "the curious": this is potent story telling.The reader who having once picked it up, will not be the same when they put it down again; if they can (heh, heh, heh,heh).

The Mood of the Macabre
M.R. James is the quintessential, literary ghost story writer. His stories begin with such dark innocence, the reader wanders along, enjoying the prose, while the atmosphere thickens with the macabre. He is very Victorian in his approach, his paragraphs are skillyfully crafted. The only trouble the novice reader will encounter is adapting to his scholarly attention to detail. His prose is magnificent but heavy. The thrill is in the patient reading of his stories. Think of reading M.R. James in terms of drinking port... you sip port, you linger with it, you appreciate its aromas, its texture. You wouldn't think of knocking back a beautiful glass of port? No...Pick this book up, indulge yourself slowly with these stories and soon enough, ghostly memories will fill your imagination. The moods he casts heightens the pleasures of both the mind and the spirit.

Horror, Lite
More than at any other time since the era of the gladiators, entertainment in America today seems obsessed with murder, mayhem and gore. The Chainsaw Disembowelment Scene has been used in so many movies that it's almost a cliché, and I'm so jaded with seeing cadavers that I refuse to turn-on my TV.

How different are these stories by M. R. James. There are no monsters such as in H. P. Lovecraft, and the spectres which do appear never get to perform any injury - it's always a close call.

The focus here is on suspense. Not, though, that there are any surprises. We know that the strange old tome will yield its dreadful secret; that room 13 of the inn will be infested with demons; that the druid slide-whistle will summon some ghastly phantasm.

The pleasure of reading the work of M. R. James lies in his pretty writing - the lost art of the English language in its perfected form. Reading these stories is analogous to listening to a great musician perform florid music which is always in a minor key.

Write a Review, and I'll Come to You, My Lad.
O whistle, an' I'll come to you, my lad;
O whistle, an' I'll come to you, my lad;
Tho' father and mither should baith gae mad,
O whistle, an' I'll come to you, my lad.
(Burns.)

Over the last Twenty years I've purchased many books and got rid of many (After reading them then donating them to charity shops), but this is the only one I've repurchased.
I could never get the scenarios and characters out of my head, the way M R James succinctly describes a scene or a, "terrifying agent of supernatural malice" have resided in my head as much as I would have liked them to leave.
If lots of Gore is your thing you may be disappointed by these stories, but for those of us who like a well written story told with panache and subtlety, then these are for us.
~~~~
For several years in the early 70's when the BBC made "A Ghost Story for Christmas" it was always the M R James stories that disturbed me the most. But even though I was disturbed by them I was always too fascinated to switch the TV off, and whilst the BBC interpretations were good they never quite captured the atmosphere of the written page.
Most of the "Heroes" (For want of a better word) of these stories are intellectuals from the dusty halls of some Academy or other, who are afflicted by intellectual pride or the even graver sin (In M R James stories)of curiosity! They investigate things that should be left well alone.
~~~~
My personal favourites are "The Mezzotint", and "Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to you, my Lad".
The endings of a few of these stories are not completely resolved, and it's because of that, they stay in the mind longer.
It has always amused me that some of the most creepy and ungodly stories ever written in the English language were written by this most devout Christian of men.
For maximum effect to be read late on a stormy night, and by candlelight!

Spooky as all get up
I bought this book in Paris. It was the cheapest most interesting book in English, so I grabbed it for the flight. It's one of the best book buys I've ever had.
This stuff is genuinely spooky. There are images here
that will stick with you for a long time, and this guy puts in a lot of interesting historical details that make
the stories seem all the more plausible. Can't
recommend this book enough. ... Read more

Product Description
This selection of twenty-one short stories by M.R. James--a first-class writer of supernatural fiction--represents his best work, including "Count Magnus," "The Rose Garden," "The Uncommon Prayer-book," "Rats," "The Malice of Inanimate Objects," and "A Vignette," as well as the title story. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Just Not that Scary
M.R. James was a well-regarded writer of ghost stories in England around the turn of the last century, but I did not find these tales especially frightening. For one thing, they all (there are a number of stories here, all quite short) follow the same pattern-- an "antiquary" of some kind (a collector of rare books, an archeologist, a student of medieval architecture) finds a rare something (a medieval book, an ancient artifact, a creepy old church) and it turns out to be haunted. What is worse, is that the ghosts rarely *do* anything very scary-- for the most part, they appear, frighten the protagonist, and vanish with the dawn, leaving the discoverer unscathed. (One of these stories, "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad," has acquired a reputation as a classic ghost story, but I found it interchangeable with all the others in the book.) A horror story should horrify, and these don't (or not very much).

If you like classic horror fiction, I would recommend Arthur Machen or Oliver Onions (not to mention Poe or Lovecraft) over M.R. James. Sorry if I offend any of his fans.

Content over Convenience
I love M.R. James!His work is fairly hard to find these days, so getting two full volumes of his stories for FREE is definitely exciting.My five-star rating of this book though, is geared toward the work itself-- this Kindle edition isn't very convenient...there is no interactive table of contents, so I went in and highlighted the title of each story and now use the "my notes and markings" menu as a table of contents.Pain in the butt, but works just fine.Despite all this, I would encourage anyone who likes a good spooky story to pick up this title and its second volume, which has my favorite, "O, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad". ... Read more

Product Description
The Five Jars
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary Part 2
Old Testament Legends
A Thin Ghost and Others
The Wanderings and Homes of Manuscripts
... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic; Juvenile Fiction / Health ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Finally Got to Read It After Waiting Over 30 Years
I can't comment on the illustrations in the original edition because Ihave only the Ash Tree Press edition.According to the introduction, themain character is obviously meant to be M.R. James himself.I believe it. The same introduction suggests that "After Dark on the PlayingFields" from THE COLLECTED GHOST STORIES OF M.R. JAMES is related tothis story.(I reread that story after reading this book and agree thatit's possible.) This book is not the same as those famous ghost storiesbecause it was meant for children.That doesn't mean that it doesn't haveits chilling moments.Our hero has some close calls I certainly wouldprefer to avoid.The five jars of the title contain magic ointmentswhich endow our narrator with special abilities that should be familiar tofairy tale fans.Evil creatures try to prevent him from using all of thedifferent bottles and so making them his own.Unfortunately, you can't usemore than one a night. As he uses the ointments, the middle-aged herois more and more able to interact with animals and the invisible world. (Cat lovers will be amused to learn what cats are REALLY saying.)Eventhough his abilities are limited at first, they're enough to help our herorecognize that he's under attack.The discerning reader may have a shudderor two at the implications of the way so many of the evil spirits (orwhatever they were) were able to assume a normal and friendly appearance. The bat ball attack was pretty good (even though, unlike Mr. James, I'mfond of bats).This story manages to combine charm with a touch ofscariness.The introduction suggested that the reason it hasn't stayed inprint the way his ghost stories have is because this story would have beenconsidered TOO scary by parental standards when it was written.Well,times have changed.Today's children have routine access to much scarierstuff. If you love M.R. James' work, you'll want this book. Considering what THE FIVE JARS costs when you can find a used copy online,readers who aren't James fanatics would do well to badger for a nice modernpaperback edition.(I hope there will be one.My nice reason is so othersmay enjoy this story.My selfish reason is that I want it to have theoriginal illustrations so I can see more than a scanned copy of "TheBat Ball".I can't afford the Arnold edition.) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Another Great Horror Anthology by Penguin

M. R. James is a name no one seems to know anymore outside the circle of die-hard horror and ghost story fans.But, his impact on modern genre writers has been enormous and freely acknowledged.

Modern readers of James' work may well find him rather stuffy and dusty.His short stories are campfire fare, and written in an older narrative style some may find off-putting.This would be, however, giving no credit to the man's genius at crafting well-written and simple to follow "chillers" complete with all of the tropes horror and suspense fans love - old graveyards, rats in the walls, sinister Gothic atmospheres, mists and glooms - many of which are, in fact, his unique contributions to his field.I am pleased to see that, in the last twenty years or so, James has undergone something of a "Renaissance," making his name a little more well known than it once was.It is a solid reputation richly merited.

And, like all Penguin anthologies, the editors have remained faithful to their writer.The book has solid construction and a scholarly, well-turned introduction.It's the "best of James," and that covers a great deal of "footsteps in the dark" territory.

Recommended without reservation.A fine book by Penguin in the ongoing effort to re-discover an influential master of horror and ghost stories who needs a new and appreciative audience that will enjoy the satisfying cases of the "shivers" M. R. James generously provides.

Tales To Be Told by the Fire
M.R. (for Montague Rhodes) James was a scholar, an antiquarian, and a ghost story writer. A fair number of his stories were written for Christmas productions of various kinds. One ("Wailing Well") was written for the Eton Boy Scouts and read at their campfire in 1927. How many writers nowadays do _that_? Still another ("The Haunted Doll House") was originally written as a miniature book that was placed in a doll house presented to Queen Mary in 1924.

The style of James's stories is always polished (if a bit old-fashioned), and his plots are always understated and low-key: "You will naturally suppose that a skeleton-- say that of Mag. Nicolas Francken-- was discovered. That was not so" (62). Yet frequently, by the end of the story, you find that James has managed to convey a sense of dread and evil.

There was a concrete quality to James's writing that gave his stories a feeling of realism. He knew about French Gothic cathedrals, cyphers hidden on stained glass windows, various _things_ that lurk in ancient wells, the evil imbedded in 600 year old ash trees, and the dangers of silver whistles.

Perhaps one of the best stories to start with is "'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'". It is probably James's best known and most frequently reprinted ghost story. One character suggests that the haunt might only have frightened the living had it had the chance. But you cannot be sure, can you? Equally good are "The Haunted Doll House," which has a deceptively innocuous title; "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas," with a puzzle that leads to a horror; "Casting the Runes," an account of a writer, an editor, and the devil; and "Count Magnus," which dramatises how travel books and talking to oneself can lead to terrible consequences. Not quite as good but still well worth reading are "The Ash Tree," "A School Story," and "The Rose Garden." Some of the later stories like "There Was a Man Dwelt by a Churchyard" and "Rats" are very minor and obvious tales.

Different critics have different opinions about the status of M.R. James as a writer of the classical supernatural tale. I do not rank James in the same league as Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Henry James, Edith Wharton, or Robert Aickman. But I would readily put him alongside Ambrose Bierce, Algernon Blackwood, Oliver Onions, and Russell Kirk. Certainly that is pretty good company.

I recommend this book with a few qualifications. It is best read in small doses, a few stories at a time. If you tackle a lot of the stories all at once, they may blur together. James wrote his stories slowly and carefully, and they should be savored in the same manner.

ghost story master
james didn't stretch his stories too far, and he didn't have to. he knew how much could be done with subtle changes. the stories here are written traditionally, but somehow varies. excelolent at details, with an excellent writing style. the stories develops nicely, never flawed.

The ultimate ghost story collection
To my mind, this is the ultimate ghost story collection by the ultimate ghost story writer. Every story in this book is a masterpiece of M.R. James' art -- these are classics of their genre. If you like British Edwardian ghost stories, track this book down and read it -- it's the perfect companion for a dark night by the fire. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good mildly spooky tales
This book contains 7 stories by M.R. James
- A School Story
- The Rose Garden
- The Tractate Middoth
- Casting the Runes
- The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral
- Martin's Close
- Mr Humphreys and his Inheritance

The first two tales I found forgettable.The third and fifth mildly creepy.I loved the others.The style is to subtly hint at the supernatural rather than bury you in it.Just enough to make you wonder if it might not be true.For me Martin's Close represented true horror since people actually have been convicted and put to death on such evidence.

Refined but potent terror
The ghost stories of M.R. James (MRJ) are widely considered to be the best supernatural literature ever written."Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, Part 2: More Ghost Stories" was his second collection of short stories to be published (1911) and includes seven tales of the supernatural.

However, you might want to spend a bit more money and buy the "The Penguin Complete Ghost Stories of M.R. James."If you completely succumb to the refined but potent horror of this author's writings, only "A Pleasing Terror" (Ash Tree Press 2001) will then do.The latter book contains all of MRJ's supernatural literature, including story fragments that were never completed, biographies, bibliographies, commentary, and his fantasy novelette, "The Five Jars."

'More Ghost Stories' consists of the following stories, plus a brief preface by the author:

"A School Story"--MRJ was a dean at King's College, Cambridge and he supposedly wrote this story to entertain the King's College Choir.I believe it is one of his shortest complete stories and it contains several ideas for further tales of the supernatural which were never followed up by MRJ himself.In this tale two middle-aged men are reminiscing about ghosts at boys' schools, and one relates a story of a schoolboy's revenge on a murderous master.

"The Rose Garden"--Features one of MRJ's less sympathetic female characters.The overbearing Mrs. Anstruther gets her supernatural comeuppance when she insists upon the removal of an old oak post in the rose garden.

"The Tractate Middoth"--The young Mr. Garrett is asked to find a copy of the "Tractate Middoth" in a "certain famous library" and stumbles upon a cobwebby mystery.Find yourself a quiet, unpopulated corner in the stacks of an old library and see if you can read this story without looking behind you.This is MRJ at his antiquarian best.

"Casting the Runes"--One of MRJ's most collected stories along with "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad."The villain of tale is sometimes assumed to be based on the self-styled 'Great Beast,' occultist Aleister Crowley.He and MRJ might have crossed paths at Cambridge University although there seems to be no proof that the scholarly Dean ever met the so-called 'wickedest man in the world.'At any rate, this is a tale of a man who unwittingly angers a sorcerer.

"The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral"--This story begins with the obituary of the Venerable John Benwell Haynes, Archdeacon of Sowerbridge and Rector of Pickhill and Candley.He succeeded to his position upon the rather mysterious demise of Archdeacon Pulteney in 1810, but does not find much enjoyment in his new job.In fact, the archideacon's stall with its carvings of a cat, the King of Hell, and Death becomes a particularly haunting spot for the new prelate.

"Martin's Close"--The bit of land referred to in the story's title is "one of the smallest enclosures you are likely to see."It consists of a pond that is hedged all around with no gate or entrance.The tale of its haunting is told primarily through a court record from the time of Lord Chief Justice Jeffreys, he of the infamous 'Bloody Assize' that followed the Monmouth Rebellion.In spite of this rather awkward structure, it is a very frightening tale of supernatural revenge.

"Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance"--Once installed as the new master of his deceased uncle's estate, Mr. Humphreys discovers the plan to an overgrown maze on his property. He decides to investigate the old landscaping feature, which was erected by one of his most notorious ancestors.Mr. Humphreys also discovers a set of stone blocks that were once part of the maze.He reconstructs the inscription on them to read: "Penetrans Ad Interior Mortis." ... Read more

Product Description
M. R. James is best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature. One of James' most important achievements was to redefine the ghost story for the new century by dispensing with many of the formal gothic trappings of his predecessors, and replacing them with more realistic contemporary settings.
According to James, a story must "put the reader into the position of saying to himself: 'If I'm not careful, something of this kind may happen to me!'" ... Read more

Product Description
This is the second collection of chilling ghost stories by M.R. James. "A Warning to the Curious" features a young man who excavates an ancient crown - but soon wishes he had let it stay buried. In "The Mezzotint" an engraving of a manor house reveals more than first meets the eye, while in "The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral", an archdeacon's journal reveals the strange circumstances that led to his death. The final story, "A Neighbour's Landmark", tells of a gentleman whose curiosity is piqued by a strange rhyme, leading him to take a walk through Betton Woods...Read by BAFTA and Emmy-award winning actor Sir Derek Jacobi ("Cadfael", "Gosford Park", "Doctor Who"), and with eerie, evocative music, these four haunting stories will thrill anyone who loves to be terrified. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

IT'S THE WAY HE TELLS THEM
Here is a thoroughly civilised piece of Hallowe'en entertainment. One of England's finest actors regales us with four of the famous ghost stories of England's finest ghost story writer. The two discs comprise A Warning to the Curious, The Mezzotint, The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral and A Neighbour's Landmark. The available choice of audiobooks containing the M R James stories has surprised me by its variety, but I have not troubled to find out which others, if any, consist of exactly these four tales. Anyone wanting these four and wishing to hear them read as they ought to be read really need look no further.

James is always slightly tongue-in-cheek, delicately parodying the idiom of his own upper-bracket social class around the turn of the 20th century. Derek Jacobi captures this nuance to something like perfection without overdoing it. As the main narrator he stays himself, a product of the acting schools of the later 20th century. A beautiful middle-aged voice is all that is really needed from the reader: James does the rest. You will experience without distractions the special atmosphere and tingle-factor that make James unique, and I found that I admired the actual selection of the four stories, which offer a nice variety in the author's methods. Indeed A Neighbour's Landmark is rather unlike most of James's plots, and I wondered whether it was based on a real historical court case. It has more sense of reportage and less of fantasy than usual, and I'm sure the feeling of reality that it had for me has nothing to do with the fact that the name Reggie Phillipson is one from my own early schooldays.

Otherwise you will find James's usual recipe of pagan demons present in the heart of high Anglican worship, comfortable Cambridge dons and cathedral clergy confronted with what they do not understand, and the unique and special ambience of East Anglia with its flat landscapes and invasive mists. It is all done with a unique delicacy and restraint that makes me, and I'm sure many, shiver far more than strenuous attempts to scare me ever do. The tingle-factor is largely eerie, as of course it ought to be, but the sheer artistry of it has a lot to do with the matter as well. ... Read more

Product Description
Old Testament Legends - being stories out of some of the less-known apochryphal books of the old testament is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by M. R. (Montague Rhodes) James is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of M. R. (Montague Rhodes) James then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sometimes interesting, mostly tedious
M.R. James has collected a additional stories from the Old Testament. None of these is included in the canon books. These are not stories from the Apocrypha but even more stories. In times past, some churches actually treated some of these stories as scripture.

According to M.R. James, some of these are quite ancient and some are newer. The stories are arranged chronologically and feature Adam, Eve, Cain, Abraham, Job, Joseph ,Jeremiah and Solomon. A new, non-Biblical character is Ahiker, advisor to the King of the Chaldeans.

The stories about Adam and Eve mostly concern how they deal with being sent from the Garden of Eden. The story of Job is a re-telling of his book in the Bible, but it is more satisfying than the original.

The story of Solomon is very bizarre. Solomon uses a ring to control demons in order to build the Temple. Abraham gets a lot of attention in these stories and we get to read stories about him as a young man and as an old man.There is a long story about Joseph (the interpreter of dreams) and a young woman that conspires to marry him.

The problem with these stories is the writing. They were written in a style that mimics the King James version, which was the par for the course translation when M.R. James wrote this book. But, it's just makes some of these stories even more difficult.

There is one more issue with this Kindle version. Many times the capital "C" is actually replaced with a capital "G". So we have Gain and Abel and the Gaananites. It's no big deal, especially since I paid nothing for this version, but just be aware of it if you choose to read these stories. ... Read more

Product Description
Selection of the best of M. R. James's famous stories, with pencil drawings by Rosalind Caldecott. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Nice Starter Collection
This is a quite nice hardcover with 15 of M.R.James' supernatural tales; they are most often referred to as "ghost stories", but some of them have creepy elements other than ghosts, as well.If you enjoy older, civilized literature (but by no means "archaic") you will enjoy these tales...I was first steered toward M.R.James by a peculiar fellow named H.P.Lovecraft in his essential "Supernatural Horror In Literature" essay, so that gives one an idea of James' flavour.Quite dry (but not to the point of lifelessness, there is often wry wit or even sentimentality on display) story-telling, with much emphasis on architecture and setting (much like the Master HPL himself).Quite a few out-dated turns of phrase are employed, but nothing completely baffling for the modern reader (in fact, some stories use Latin phrases that are usually actually TRANSLATED for the reader, which is very handy in comparison to those authors who simply assumed we all know Latin).I would say that James is more concise than Lovecraft (but isn't as able to really creep the reader out with such effectiveness), and especially more than Poe.The stories are mostly quite interesting, straying from predictible ghostly formulae, and do produce plenty of shudders and looking-over-of-shoulders.They range from 6 to 18 pages long, with the bulk of these being 10 pages.The stories are selected by Michael Cox (who also provides a rather scholarly THIRTY PAGE intro, complete with some nifty photos).The book features, throughout, nice ethereal sketches and drawings by Rosalind Caldecott.These illustrations are wispy and spectral for the most part, but only a very few actually portray anything supernatural or creepy...mostly buildings and landscapes.They suit the stories well, especially James' penchant for describing settings.But, perhaps here is THE most helpful part of this review, a list of the stories:
1)Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book
2)Lost Hearts
3)The Mezzotint
4)The Ash-Tree
5)Number 13
6)"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad"
7)The Tractate Middoth
8)The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral
9)Martin's Close
10)Mr. Humphreys and His Inheritance
11)The Residence at Whitminster
12)A Neighbour's Landmark
13)A View From a Hill
14)A Warning to the Curious
15)A Vignette
There are a series of (I believe) 3 books, edited by noted and worthy scholar S.T.Joshi that are purported to include all of James' creepy stories (including "Casting the Runes" which was the basis for the excellent film "Night/Curse of the Demon", which is a good indicator of how James' stories are...if you liked that film, you'll like his stories; if you didn't like the film, you may still like the stories!)The collection reviewed here is a nice taster, and will give you an idea of whether or not to collect all his stories.

good reading for the lover of older supernatural fiction
Set from around the 1880s to 1early 20th century, these ghost stories are more subtle in the horror and more polished in the scene set, and the detective work involved in solving the mystery.
Many of them were written to be told as Christmas Eve enterntainments read to gatherings of friends.
The horror usually comes at the end and precisely because of the scene set is what makes the stories memorable in their own way.
Set usually in a country or seaside town, or an abbey or old university or library,often in England, but sometimes in Scandinavia or France, the stories usually involve a rather dull, rather naive scholar-gentleman who picks up some item ( a book or painting etc) such as in Canon's Scrap Book, The Mezzotint and Number 13,which awakens angry and malevolent spirits.
Or else the narrator-protagonist tells of a story he has heard from a secondary source in a place where he is staying weather on work or vacation such as Lost Hearts or Martin's Close.
Sometimes the horror of the discovery of the supernatural being is enough to chill the reader, sometimes the spirits involved, as in the Ash-Tree or Lost Hearts result in the death of the victim of their revenge.
An interesting read which requires some concentration not to lose the plot, good reading for the lover of older supernatural fiction.
Always told in a scholarly and carefully descriptive way.

Meet the Master
I think a good ghost story is very hard to write.M.R. James makes itlook easy.There are others that lay claim to the title of the Father ofghost stories, J. Sheridan LeFanu and L.P. Hartley to name but two.It isJames, however, that will forever hold that title.

His are generallystories that evoke life in the 20 years either side of 1900 romantically. They tend to be stories around Cathedrals or in Scholars houses or in andaround Schools where the schoolboy is sometimes included.

The reason whythese stories are so good is that James judges and recreates exactly thecorrect amount of romance in each story that parallels the romantic notionof the ghost in every person's mind.

If I had a complaint, it would bethat M.R. James' obvious intelligence (He was a professor at CambridgeUniversity for many years) is a little too much for some.It could just bethat the language of the times are different and today some words are nolonger in everyday use or the style of speech has changed.

These are veryminor concerns, however.The upshot is that M.R. James is and always willbe the Master and this complete collection of his works is the perfectcollection of ghost stories, never to be improved upon. ... Read more

Product Description
Noted scholars from a broad range of sub-disciplines in psychology discuss the ways in which the memories of our lives come to influence who we are, our personalities, and our emotional functioning. Other topics covered include how our personalities and self-concepts influence what we remember from our lives, and the notion of memory and the self as interdependent psychological phenomena. ... Read more

Product Description
Available for the first time as complete and unabridged audio books (in two volumes), are all of the published ghost stories of father of the ghost story. Volume Two contains 20 stories including such famous tales as: "Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance"; "The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance"; "The Uncommon Prayer-Book"; "A View from a Hill"; and, "A Warning to the Curious". ... Read more

Product Description
This collection includes a selection of H.P. Lovecrafts finest chilling tales.Lovecrafts most famous monster is Cthulhu, a gargantuan beast which has been lying dormant for millions of years but rises up and forces mankind to recognise its fundamental ignorance, powerlessness and insignificance. Lovecraft is an accomplished master of suspense, releasing information slowly and deliberately through fragmented first-person accounts so that the full impact of the awful truth is reserved until the end. Each of these stories masterfully plays with our fears and conjures up a mounting sense of horror, paranoia and dread. ... Read more

Product Description
Available for the first time as complete and unabridged audio books (in 2 volumes), are all of the published ghost stories of father of the ghost story. Volume Two (9 hours and 20 minutes, 8 CDs) contains 20 stories including such famous tales as: "Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance"; "The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance"; "The Uncommon Prayer-Book"; "A View from a Hill"; and, "A Warning to the Curious". ... Read more

Product Description
The leading book in quality management, MANAGING FOR QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE, 8TH EDITION is built on the strength and experience of the author team. Experience as examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige Award allows both Evans and Lindsay to integrate the framework and essential content of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria throughout. This edition continues to provide a managerially oriented view with a blend of pertinent technical topics. It contains revised, integrated, and more comprehensive coverage of Six Sigma philosophy, concepts, and techniques. New chapters on principles of Six Sigma and design for Six Sigma are included. The new edition also has coverage of most of the Body of Knowledge (BOK) required for ASQ certification as a Certified Quality Manager. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Great Buy
Came with access code and all. Great buy. Would purchase from this seller again. Shipping came earlier then expected. A++

Statistics book
Used in my Management class- this book is must have for quality analysis and control

School
It is a good think we need these books for classes or they would not make any money. Dry, but very useful

quailty not what it said
When I got the book there were green used stickers all over the book on the front, back, binding and over the UPC code with the ISBN number under it.When I removed the sticker to see the ISBN nuimber to give to a class mate I noticed that the entire ISBN and UPC code were cut out of the book!After seeing that I could not sell the text book and just wasted the money that I spent I looked under the rest of the stickers I have chunks of my front back and binding cut out of the cover of my book.I will NEVER buy from this person again and I do not recomend that anyone else does if you are not going to keep your textbooks after your class and dont mind that the book says "good conditioin" but when you get it it has been destroyed with a knife.The book was about quality management but the quality of this book was horrible

Quality
Excellent, gives history, but also present day case studies, and comparisons between different areas such as:

Six Sigma, Lean, ISO, ASQ, History of TQM from DEMING, Crosby, Juran, Taguchi and others

[...] ... Read more

Product Description
This rare classic fantasy was first issued in 1904 as a memorial tribute to the young author/artist James McBryde. It includes an introduction by his friend, M. R. James, providing the background for McBryde's story of three young men who take a vacation-expedition to Denmark to capture a live troll. The original manuscript's whimsical drawings and illegible handwriting are now supplemented with a text translation. ... Read more