Classic Horror Lovers discussion

M.R. James Buddy Read

All of the titles are public domain and you can find free copies all over the internet. I can post links if need be.

"Ghost Stories of an Antiquary"

"Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book"
"Lost Hearts"
"The Mezzotint"
"The Ash-tree"
"Number 13"
"Count Magnus"
"'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'"
"The Treasure of Abbot Thomas"

"More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary"

"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"

"A Thin Ghost and Others"

"The Residence at Whitminster"
"The Diary of Mr Poynter"
"An Episode of Cathedral History"
"The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance"
"Two Doctors"

"A Warning to the Curious"

"The Haunted Dolls' House"
"The Uncommon Prayer-Book"
"A Neighbour's Landmark"
"A View from a Hill"
"A Warning to the Curious"
"An Evening's Entertainment"

I think I would be interested in this, Ken. Since I picked up this collection free from Amazon back in 2011 and haven't touched it, I would love to read the stories together with a group.

I would love to join you, but I'm not 100% sure I have time this month. When did you want to start?

I was thinking of giving a go starting next week. I can put together a schedule of reads. Join us when you can.

Sounds good!

same here. just lmk Ken and I will let u know if I'm able to join :)

Schedule posted above. It is flexible. So, if we need to change it up a bit we can.

Oh, Great! I will definitely try to participate when I can. I love MR James!

Ok, cool. I'm looking forward to finally reading this collection. :)

free on kindle!

I read the first story last night and enjoyed it. Very atmospheric, to be sure. I wanted to learn a little more about it and came across this article. I would recommend reading it after the story as it talks about the story's origins. I thought it was interesting to know that it was partly autobiographical.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/36...

I have been out of town at a conference with WAY too much alcohol flowing to get any reading done. I will read it tonight or tomorrow.

Lost Hearts was pretty good. (view spoiler)[ The image of removing the heart from a child while it's still alive is going to bother me for a while. (hide spoiler)]

Charlene wrote: "I read the first story last night and enjoyed it. Very atmospheric, to be sure. I wanted to learn a little more about it and came across this article. I would recommend reading it after the story a..."

Thanks, Charlene!

Charlene wrote: "Lost Hearts was pretty good. [spoilers removed]"

agreed, Charlene. (view spoiler)[ and the image of the children standing underneath the moon with their hearts ripped out of them will also stay with me. at least they get their revenge and save little Stephen from the same fate. (hide spoiler)]

Lost Hearts-(view spoiler)[I'm surprised by the graphic descriptions....only because I thought this would be more subtle, considering the period in which it was written. It's nothing compared to the gory stuff of today, but had no less of an impact on me. (hide spoiler)]

********************"Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book"********************

I enjoyed this story and actually wished it was longer.

(view spoiler)[It seems the demon was somehow tied to the drawing. The haunting(?), curse(?) seemed to pass from the Canon to the sacristan to Dennistoun but seems to have met with some finality when Dennistoun photographed the drawing and burned it. But, as the story is being told by a third party, not Dennistoun.... (hide spoiler)]

Charlene wrote: "I read the first story last night and enjoyed it. Very atmospheric, to be sure. I wanted to learn a little more about it and came across this article. I would recommend reading it after the story a..."

Nice article!

Glad you enjoyed it!

I'm up to Count Magus already! I'm dying to read the Whistle story because I have heard great things about it.

Charlene wrote: "I'm up to Count Magus already! I'm dying to read the Whistle story because I have heard great things about it."

Post your thoughts on the stories as you are reading them, even if you get ahead. Just remember to use spoiler tags. We'll catch up!

Ok then, will do.

The Ash Tree. (view spoiler)[ This story was messed up! Nasty big spiders and a dead witch in the tree? WTH was up with that? I love the atmospheric scratching on the window at night. (hide spoiler)].

13. (view spoiler)[Really enjoyed this! The freaky arm coming out of the door towards him? The room disappearing and then reappearing. There's two windows and then three? I think the use of the old English really adds to the feel of the story. I also have no problem seeing these scenes in my mind eye. (hide spoiler)]

Count Magnus. (view spoiler)[ I liked the setup of this one, but feel like the ending didn't bring it home. I can't quite figure out why I feel that way. (hide spoiler)]

Charlene wrote:

I read the first story last night and enjoyed it. Very atmospheric, to be sure. I wanted to learn a little more about it and came across this article. I would recommend reading it after the story as it talks about the story's origins. I thought it was interesting to know that it was partly autobiographical.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/36...

Nice article, Charlene. Thanks for posting the link.

I'm by no means an expert in this area, but I couldn't help but think that the author of the article, Robert Lloyd Parry, overstates the connection between Jessopp's story and James' vastly more famous one, "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book". I recall reading the former about 10 years ago in The Phantom Coach and Other Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (R. H. Fawcett, 1999) and it's pretty uninspiring, bland stuff. A review of the Jessopp collection can be found on Rosemary Pardoe's Ghosts & Scholars web site:

Ghosts & Scholars web site

The article closes by mentioning Parry's performances of some of James' stories. The article was written in 2006, but Parry's performances have continued since that time. I've never been fortunate enough to attend one in person (most have been staged in the U.K.), but have heard glowing recommendations from those who have. And if you go to the Nunkie Productions web site, you will find that several of Parry's recitations have been captured on video and are available in DVD format.

Nunkie Productions web site

Discussion of "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book"

(view spoiler)[I sat down a few days ago to re-read the first entry in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. This remains one of my favorite James stories and I've read it so many times that it's probably difficult for me to be completely objective about its pluses and minuses. Like many of the stories in James' first story collection, "Canon" is another Faustian tale in which individuals seek to make ill-advised bargains with powers better left alone. One assumes, although James is tantalizingly inexplicit, that things do not end well for Alberic de Mouléon. And, of course, in James' universe, such bargains have a nasty way of causing collateral damage; hence bad things can happen to comparatively innocent folks like the sacristan and Dennistoun.

James is very good here (as he often is) in slowly ratcheting up a sense of menace. Hence we have the nicely done passages in the cathedral wherein the significance of the unseen laughter is clearly understood by the sacristan, but not, of course, by Dennistoun. And the story finally culminates in the great scene taking place in Dennistoun's room, which starts with him wondering about the true nature of the object laying near his left elbow. (hide spoiler)]

5* (of 5)

Discussion of "Lost Hearts"

James reportedly never thought all that much of "Lost Hearts" and it was only included in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary because the publisher, Edward Arnold, asked for additional stories to fill out the book. I've always felt much the same as James; it's a good enough effort by most standards, but falls a bit short when compared with James' other early stories.

(view spoiler)[It begins well enough, although Abney is so transparent in his intentions toward his young cousin and ward, that it borders on the cartoonish. The passage involving Stephen's "sleepwalking" episode outside of the unused bathroom is perhaps the story's most powerful. In contrast, the denouement -- involving the two spectral children and Mr. Abney's comeuppance -- has never particularly impressed me. And the aftermath, in which Abney's writings and thoughts are explored, is a bit too lengthy and detailed for my taste.

Some additional notes on the text that might be of interest...

1. Abney states in his papers that "similar happy results may be produced by the absorption of the heart of not less than three human beings below the age of the twenty-one years." Although the numeral 21 appears in the original James manuscript for this story, several authorities have assumed that this was an error on the author's part and that he meant instead 12.

2. Aswarby was a real village. And Mr. Abney was thought by some to be based on Thomas Taylor (1758-1835). Like Abney, Taylor was an expert on the writings of early Neo-Platonic, Orphic, and Bacchic thinkers. He was, for example, the first to translate into English the complete works of Plato. According to one footnote to the James story, "in academic circles, a legend, surely apocryphal, persisted to the effect that Taylor had performed at his home a bloody sacrifice to the Ancient Gods." (hide spoiler)]

3.5* (of 5)

Thanks for that additional background.

Oh Whistle...(view spoiler)[ Loved it! This story delivered the goods. The image of that linen face-I can see it perfectly. There was recently an item going around on FB, with pictures of old time Halloween costumes, and many of them had linen faces and head coverings. At the end where Rogers(?) said that it only had the power to frighten, it made me wonder why it had Parkins over the window frame. Earlier Parkins had said he would rather fall out of the window than to have that thing touch him, so I guess it was that and not any strength of this being that him hanging out. (hide spoiler)]

The Treasure of Abbot Thomas. (view spoiler)[ Loved this one too! Dragging out what you thought were bags of gold and then it HUGS you? *shudder* (hide spoiler)]

*******************"Lost Hearts"******************

Another story that I thought was too short!

(view spoiler)[I caught what Canavan noted in regards to the age of the children. Mr. Abney verifies and re-verifies Stephen's age at less than 12 years. The letter on the table stated that the absorption of the hearts was to be from human beings under the age of 21. Must have been an oversight by James.

Also, (just a little geekdom here), James missed the spring equinox dates. He lists the dates the children are murdered (or to be murdered, as is the case for Stephen) as 3/24/1792, 3/23/1805 and 3/24/1812. The actual equinoxes were 3/19/1792, 3/21/1805 and 3/20/1812. Even allowing for a Julian calendar, he is still off. I wonder if he had another pagan date in mind or just missed the dates? (http://ns1763.ca/equinox/vern1788-221...) (hide spoiler)]

An English language note here and a silly thought: The use of the word "inmate" changed over time. In the time in which this story was written, it means "a person who dwells with others in the same house". It wasn't until 1834 that it took on its current meaning of
"a person who is confined in a prison, hospital, etc.". Was this early political correctness? Prisoners and mental patients were now roommates in THAT "house" down the street. (http://dictionary.reference.com/brows...)

*******************"The Mezzotint"*******************

Another great story!

(view spoiler)[Why did the picture stop changing? (hide spoiler)]

Discussion of "The Mezzotint".

"The Mezzotint" is certainly one of the more memorable stories in this collection.

(view spoiler)[I would imagine that there exist antecedents that have as a major element the ghostly portrait, but I can't think of an earlier one that is as influential or as well-known as this particular tale. (The most recent story I can think of that riffs on this theme is Stephen King's "The Road Virus Heads North" [1999], which I re-read not too long ago.) For my money the story's best moments center around the description of Gawdy; they boast that sort of trademark imprecision that James was so good at -- "…the black drapery hung over its face so that only hints of that could be seen, and what was visible made the spectators profoundly thankful that they could see no more than a dome-like forehead and a few straggling hairs."

Ken asks: Why did the picture stop changing?

I don't see James as interested in providing the reader with anything approaching a logical analysis for the actions of the mezzotint -- why it chose to reveal its actions when it did or why it just as suddenly stopped. However, I don't see this logical lapse (if that's how one choses to characterize it) as a flaw of the story. I personally don't always like stories that over-explain these types of events. And, going a step a further, I think the fact that the mezzotint stops replaying past event lends the phenomenon a greater sense of mystery and eeriness. If the picture were to continue replaying events on some kind of timetable, it is reduced to being a kind of perfunctory supernatural version of Old Faithful. Just my thoughts; opinion may vary. ;) (hide spoiler)]

4.5* (of 5)

Discussion of "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book".

The original edition of Ghost Stories of an Antiquary was to have been profusely illustrated by Monty's close friend, James McBryde. Sadly, McBryde passed away (surgical complications) after having finished only four illustrations. Edward Arnold, the publisher, suggested another illustrator, but James instead opted to publish with just the four McBryde drawings. I had heard about these illustrations as far back as the 70's, but, having at that time access only to the 1931 Collected Ghost Stories , was never able to actually see them. (This was, of course, way back in the pre-internet era before access to such images was more readily available.) Having finally been given the opportunity to see them some 20 years later, I confess that I was a little disappointed, but they remain interesting from a historical standpoint. Here is one of two McBryde that did for the book's first story, "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book". (view spoiler)[Two points are perhaps noteworthy. First, the position of the demon relative to Dennistoun is at odds with the description James gives in the book. And two, several have noted the similarity between Dennistoun (as he appears in the illustration) and Monty.

(hide spoiler)]

Canavan wrote: "Discussion of "The Mezzotint".

"The Mezzotint" is certainly one of the more memorable stories in this collection.

I would imagine that there exist antecedents that have as a major element the gh..."

(view spoiler)[That's kind of what I thought about the picture changing. There really is no indication as to when the picture started to change or even if the characters in the story witnessed the entire episode. As far as we know, that scene had been playing out for years and the characters, just by chance, managed to capture the grand finale. (hide spoiler)]

Canavan wrote: "Discussion of "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book".

The original edition of Ghost Stories of an Antiquary was to have been profusely illustrated by Monty's close friend, James McBryde. Sadly, McBryde pass..."

I had to go back and review the books that I've read recently because the description of the demon in the picture sounded very familiar. I think Brad Strickland must have been influenced by James when writing The Tower at the End of the World.

Ken wrote:

I had to go back and review the books that I've read recently because the description of the demon in the picture sounded very familiar. I think Brad Strickland must have been influenced by James when writing The Tower at the End of the World.

Thanks for posting this, Ken. Interesting to me for a number of reasons. First of all, I was completely unaware that someone had picked up the torch from John Bellairs and was continuing the Barnavelt series. Second, your supposition that Strickland is drawing elements from James is not an unreasonable one; Bellairs had acknowledged James as a source in his own fiction. On a side note, it's interesting to see that Schindler's cover illustration for The Tower at the End of the World is done more or less in the style of Edward Gorey; Gorey did the cover art for the original Barnavelt books by Bellairs.

Canavan wrote: "Ken wrote:

I had to go back and review the books that I've read recently because the description of the demon in the picture sounded very familiar. I think Brad Strickland must have been influence..."

Strickland doesn't do Bellairs justice. The first couple of stories that he worked on were mostly just finishing up what Bellairs had started. Those were good. The only one that I have read so far that was completely a Strickland production was lacking.

Discussion of "The Ash-Tree".

This story is, in all honesty, my least favorite of those in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary , although my lukewarm response may be more a product of my own biases than a comment on the author's talents. (view spoiler)[The story is set in the 17th and 18th centuries and, for that reason, relies in part on epistolary accounts that make use of archaic English — I usually find this tactic distracting. Second, I'm often uncomfortable with the subgenre that deals with the persecution of so-called witches that occurred in early modern Europe. James is a little weasely about the historical existence of witchcraft in the story's opening paragraphs, but the way events play out one is left with the clear idea than Mrs. Mothersole pretty much had it coming. Finally, the story derives its impact from the spiders that inhabit the ash tree. James, by all accounts, had a pronounced phobia when it came to spiders. (One can even see this reflected in Dennistoun's description of the demon in the earlier story we read, "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book": "Imagine one of the awful bird-catching spiders of South America translated into human form…") If one shares James' fear, all is well and good, but as for myself — meh — I've never been all that bothered by spiders and when I see one indoors my inclination is to leave it alone. (hide spoiler)]

3* (of 5)

We seem to be zipping through these stories at a fairly quick pace. I'm going to try and re-read (and comment on) "Number 13" and "Count Magnus" by Sunday.

I'll finish this weekend too. I am really enjoying these.

Discussion of "Number 13".

(view spoiler)[This is yet another story of Faustian arrangements gone amiss, although — as with "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book" — the details of the agreement are never made clear to the reader. When I first read this one years ago, I wasn't all that impressed, but it has grown on me with repeated readings. Charlene mentions the emerging arm as the story's high point. That climactic scene is certainly memorable and I think it's quite effective; but, for whatever reason, the passage that I find most troubling is the one in which Anderson first describes his barely-seen neighbor in 13 and comments on (without understanding, of course, the import of his observations) the flickering red light thrown upon the wall opposite the Golden Lion. (hide spoiler)]

4.5* (of 5)

Discussion of "Count Magnus".

"Count Magnus" is perhaps my penultimate favorite of the stories in James' first collection, but that may in part be because it was the very first James story I ever read, stumbling across it many years ago in an old anthology, Sleep No More (Farrar & Rinehart, 1944), edited by August Derleth and illustrated by Lee Brown Coye.

(view spoiler)[I think James does an excellent job in providing the reader with background on Magnus; I especially enjoy the landlord's story about the night visit to the forest. James is frequently admired by critics for his "quiet" brand of horror, but one shouldn't forget that — although much of the horror occurs "off stage" — some of the events (such as getting one's face sucked off) are pretty darned gruesome.

Charlene, in her earlier comment on the story, noted that she felt let down by the ending. I've never felt that way myself; in fact, I think the last few pages include some of this story's best stuff. I like, for example, the description of the barge trip back to England, during which Mr. Wraxell attempts to determine whether or not he is being pursued. This is the sort of thing that I always thought James did so well — describing a menace that is just on the periphery of one's ability to sense it. Similarly, we have the "crossroads" scene, which seems to be one favored by illustrators of this story. I found on-line no fewer than three renditions. Here is the scene as envisaged by the aforementioned Coye:



The story's only real blemish (in my opinion, of course) comes during the final paragraph, when the narrator momentarily lapses into a kind of Cockney slang (presumably paraphrasing an inhabitant of Belchamp St. Paul), which has the effect of briefly pulling me out the story. (hide spoiler)]

5* (of 5)

Discussion of " 'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad' ".

First of all — a nifty title for the story; maybe the only story title James came up with that showed a little panache.

(view spoiler)[I don't have much to say about this particular story. I could probably do without James' little golfing jokes (which he seems to like, but which I find distracting), but I otherwise quite like the first three-quarters of the story. Parkins' description of the fleeing man and his pursuer is especially well done. Where I run into a bit of trouble is with the tale's closing pages; in most of James' stories, the supernatural entities present a tangible threat to those who get in their way. That's not quite the case with " 'Oh, Whistle' ". Yes, Parkins might have fallen out of the window, but the narrator makes it fairly clear that entity called by the whistle achieved its effects solely by eliciting fear. I suppose at the end of the day I just don't find an animated sheet as effective as I do the demon in "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book" or the thin arm in "Number 13". This is not to say I find " 'Oh, Whistle' " to be a bad story — it's just not one I appreciate quite as much as some of the others in this collection.

I mentioned before James McBryde's illustrations for the first edition of Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. Before he died, he produced two for the present story. The best known (by far) of the pair shows Parkins cowering before the possessed sheet. In fact, the illustration is the very one used to represent this Goodreads group. Here it is:

(hide spoiler)]

4* (of 5)

One more story to go in the first collection!

Discussion of " 'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad' ".

James' story has been adapted for the small screen twice by the BBC (both times under the truncated title Whistle and I'll Come to You). It was first adapted in 1968 (directed by Jonathan Miller and starring Michael Hordern); the second appeared in 2010 and starred John Hurt. I have seen neither, but purists generally seem to prefer the earlier work. (The Hurt version apparently takes more liberties with the text.)

The 1968 version can currently be found on YouTube.

YouTube link to 1968 version of "Oh, Whistle"

The 2010 version is supposedly available on Hulu.

*******************""The Ash Tree"********************

This was another decent story. But, I felt it was marred by the long stretch of colloquial speech in the middle of it. It was more of a distraction than anything else.

(view spoiler)[Great story for arachnophobes! (hide spoiler)]

It's driving me crazy that spoilers don't show on the GR app.
I didn't know there was a film adaptation. I've been enjoying everyone's comments

Charlene wrote:

It's driving me crazy that spoilers don't show on the GR app.
I didn't know there was a film adaptation. I've been enjoying everyone's comments

We're on the same page, Charlene. Of all of the app's shortcomings, its inability to let the user view material hidden by spoiler tags is the one that most bugs me.

*******************"Number 13"********************

A nice little triskaidekaphobic tale!

(view spoiler)[I really liked the room disappearing and re-appearing during the night, taking up the space that it had probably previously occupied.

I did LOL at James' "but I digress moment" - "Fifty-six blows of square-headed iron maces were traced on Erik's skull when his tomb was opened in the seventeenth century. But I am not writing a guide-book."

I found the ending a little bit confusing when James mentions the book he owns with the woodcut frontispiece and the mention of Daniel Salthenius. Not really sure what his point was with the mention of either.

I would like to know more about Mag Nicolas Francken. (hide spoiler)]

Discussion of "Number 13".

Ken wrote (in part):

(view spoiler)[I found the ending a little bit confusing when James mentions the book he owns with the woodcut frontispiece and the mention of Daniel Salthenius. Not really sure what his point was with the mention of either.

I agree that the passage in which the narrator compares his own astrological work to the document found under the floorboards of Number 13 doesn't read very smoothly. Because the description of the astrological work (with its frontispiece and fly-leaves) is so detailed and particular, there is I think the temptation is to try and divine some hidden or deeper meaning to what is probably a straightforward analogy (i.e., just as the narrator has never been able to divine the text on the fly-leaves of his own book, so neither Anderson nor Jensen were able to translate what was presumably Nicholas Francken's manuscript). According to Jamesian scholar Michael Cox, Beham was "one of two brothers from Nuremburg, painters and engravers, and followers of Dürer. No identification has been made of the book alluded to here."

The Salthenius reference seems (to me anyway) a bit more clear. Daniel Salthenius was an actual historical person who, as noted by the narrator, "sold himself to Satan". According to Cox, "MRJ visited Sweden in August 1901 and wrote to his parents from Uppsula: 'I also saw two contracts with the devil written (and signed in blood) in 1718 by Daniel Salthenius who was condemned to death for writing them. He escaped and died professor of divinity [Hebrew in the story] at Konigsburg.' " When the narrator laughingly alludes to Salthenius' youthful indiscretion, the former is playing the role of modern cynic who, even if he professes to be a Christian, doesn't take all that seriously the notion that someone could actually make a pact with the devil. Anderson's experience with Nicholas Francken (whose pact was presumably more "successful" than the one written by Salthenius) lead him to take such matters far more seriously. (hide spoiler)]