Reviews

Martin's Close
This not my favorite, it was a bit lacking in scares, and general storyline - felt like it needed more fleshing out. It did mention saving the story to tell to his cook over Christmas - I am a bit intrigued that English custom has Christmas time as a time for ghost stories.

The remaining stories in this volume are also in Casting the Runes and Other Ghost Stories you can check out what I thought of the following by clicking on the above link.
A School Story
The Rose Garden
The Tractate Middoth
Casting the Runes
The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral
Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance

jeremyjfloyd's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

octavia_cade's review against another edition

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3.0

Another short collection of ghost stories by James, and a follow-up to the first volume Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. I didn't enjoy this as much as the first book, but it was still an enjoyable read. I'm not sure if the lesser liking comes from lesser stories, though - my suspicion is that, well-written as they are, James' stories tend to blur together. They're all very similar, and while I noticed that similarity in the first volume, it was short enough - being only eight stories - that the weight of them together did not pall. Having read the seven stories here, so hard on the heels of that first book, they've begun to stodge together. I think, too, that some of the stories in this volume especially are much longer than they need to be. That said, I did still like it, even if I didn't get the reliable shudder that "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" gives me from any of the stories here. I think "The Tractate Middoth" is my favourite of this batch, followed by "The Rose Garden."

mondoweirdo's review against another edition

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4.0

I think MR James might be my new favorite Victorian spookster. All these shorts were delightful and fun, and MR James' sense of humor creeps through in unexpected fun places.

charshorrorcorner's review against another edition

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4.0

This collection was a lot of fun. Even though some of the stories were very wordy compared to more contemporary tales, it was easy to get past that because of the vivid pictures the words painted.
There were a couple of stories that I thought were just okay, but there were also some real atmospheric knockouts.
I think my favorite in this collection was "Mister Humphreys and His Inheritance", but I could see that possibly changing upon a re-read. These tales were a good time for fans of classic horror.
Recommended!

lisabee's review against another edition

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4.0

Old school dread. Loverly! Long drawn out stories, often being told by a narrator to another. Old fashioned creepy stuff. Things you disturb follow you home. Paintings whose contents change. Rooms that are and are not there.

For lovers of historical fiction, this is the real thing :)

chelsea_rae's review against another edition

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3.0

i started each story with "oh this isn't bad" and ended every one with "i've made a terrible mistake." these are great, atmospheric, traditional ghost stories - i read a few each night before bed.

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