Reviews
Haunted Houses: Classic Tales of Doors That Should Never Be Opened by D.K. Publishing, John Landis
alba_marie's review
2.0
{2 stars}
I love ghost stories and gothic tales, and I read a lot of classics. But this anthology didn't do it for me at all. Maybe I'm in the wrong mood for ghosts, maybe haunted houses aren't my thing, or maybe he just didn't do a great job at collecting stories.
Most of the writers here are big names - MR James, Guy de Maupassant, HP Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, Algernon Blackwood, Edgar Allen Poe. I've read a few of the stories and something by almost every author here. But... I was SO bored. I just wanted it over! I kept going because I knew that each story was by a different author, so I thought maybe the next one would be better!
For me, there were two standouts: The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde, and The Judge's House by Bram Stoker. Both are re-reads but it's been over a decade since I read them in school. The Canterville Ghost, written by one of my all-time fave authors (I did a class on him in uni and read everything he ever wrote...), is actually a spoof of the ghost story in which the ghost is more scared of the occupants than the other way around! I really enjoyed this one and couldn't wait to see where it went. The ending was still a bit sad, but overall it was probably the best story in the collection.
Interestingly, Bram Stoker's was the other standout. I'm not a a huge Stoker fan - I love vampire/Dracula/Vlad Tepes stories but to me Stoker's original is very meh. But this story, the Judge's House, I once again felt that it was engaging and properly horrific. Maybe that's because I really don't like rats, while meeting a ghost might actually be cool, but with this story, I felt both scared and glued to the page. (The ending was also sad).
The first honourable mention was Guy de Maupassant's The Horla, mostly for the change in locale to northern France and Mont St Michele - one of my favourite places! The story wasn't really a haunted house though - more like a vampire or monster story.
The second honourable mention was Edward Bulwar Lytton's The Haunted and the Haunters which had a really good start and middle though the end was a bit meh. I felt genuinely nervous while the MC was staying overnight in the house, and (rightly it seems) worried about the dog, but the ending didn't really satisfy me.
The rest were so meh. They all run together for the most part. I have read better Lovecraft, Blackwood and James for sure! (Oh I should say that I skipped the Turn of the Screw. because I read this story last Halloween). The couple at the end were just too short to work for me. The famous Yellow Wallpaper was a massive disappointment.
Overall - I think it's better to read the stories that interest you individually instead of relying on an editor like this to put together the best tales.
If you do want a good ghost story anthology, check out Peter Haining's Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories.
I love ghost stories and gothic tales, and I read a lot of classics. But this anthology didn't do it for me at all. Maybe I'm in the wrong mood for ghosts, maybe haunted houses aren't my thing, or maybe he just didn't do a great job at collecting stories.
Most of the writers here are big names - MR James, Guy de Maupassant, HP Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, Algernon Blackwood, Edgar Allen Poe. I've read a few of the stories and something by almost every author here. But... I was SO bored. I just wanted it over! I kept going because I knew that each story was by a different author, so I thought maybe the next one would be better!
For me, there were two standouts: The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde, and The Judge's House by Bram Stoker. Both are re-reads but it's been over a decade since I read them in school. The Canterville Ghost, written by one of my all-time fave authors (I did a class on him in uni and read everything he ever wrote...), is actually a spoof of the ghost story in which the ghost is more scared of the occupants than the other way around! I really enjoyed this one and couldn't wait to see where it went. The ending was still a bit sad, but overall it was probably the best story in the collection.
Interestingly, Bram Stoker's was the other standout. I'm not a a huge Stoker fan - I love vampire/Dracula/Vlad Tepes stories but to me Stoker's original is very meh. But this story, the Judge's House, I once again felt that it was engaging and properly horrific. Maybe that's because I really don't like rats, while meeting a ghost might actually be cool, but with this story, I felt both scared and glued to the page. (The ending was also sad).
The first honourable mention was Guy de Maupassant's The Horla, mostly for the change in locale to northern France and Mont St Michele - one of my favourite places! The story wasn't really a haunted house though - more like a vampire or monster story.
The second honourable mention was Edward Bulwar Lytton's The Haunted and the Haunters which had a really good start and middle though the end was a bit meh. I felt genuinely nervous while the MC was staying overnight in the house, and (rightly it seems) worried about the dog, but the ending didn't really satisfy me.
The rest were so meh. They all run together for the most part. I have read better Lovecraft, Blackwood and James for sure! (Oh I should say that I skipped the Turn of the Screw. because I read this story last Halloween). The couple at the end were just too short to work for me. The famous Yellow Wallpaper was a massive disappointment.
Overall - I think it's better to read the stories that interest you individually instead of relying on an editor like this to put together the best tales.
If you do want a good ghost story anthology, check out Peter Haining's Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories.
bluebonnetreads's review
5.0
Another one I grew up with and loved. Utterly fascinating if you wonder about things like how people lived or their houses.
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