Customer Reviews

The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories (Oxford Books of Prose)

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The horror genre is cluttered with hackwork, and imitations of hackwork--H.P. Lovecraft seems to have spawned a particularly virulent strain of the latter. However one of its subgenres, i.e. the ghost story seems to attract a better quality of writer--perhaps because a truly frightening tale of the returned dead is so difficult to write.

(Believe me, I've tried and after almost half a century of trying, have sold exactly one ghost story).

L. P. Hartley, who wrote "The Travelling Grave" and other great stories of the supernatural, described the ghost story as "certainly the most exacting form of literary art, and perhaps the only one in which there is almost no intermediate step between success and failure. Either it comes off or it is a flop."

Cox and Gilbert have collected mostly successes (and one or two flops) in "The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories" and its companion volume, "The Oxford Book of Victorian Ghost Stories." If you suffer from what Virginia Woolf called "the strange human craving for the pleasure of feeling afraid," both of these volumes will satisfy. Each contains a good mix of familiar and lesser-known ghost stories.

Here is a sampling from 'English Ghost Stories':

"The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs -- A horrible variant on 'Be careful what you wish for. It might just come true.' This is a sad, frightening story--maybe 'the' perfect tale of the supernatural.

"The Confession of Charles Linkworth" by E.F. Benson -- A telephone call from a hanged man.

"Man-Size in Marble" by E. Nesbit -- An overly sweet Victorian marriage comes to a tragic end on All Saints' Eve.

"The True History of Anthony Ffryar" -- When a fatal epidemic sweeps through Cambridge, a scholar witnesses an unusual Mass for the Dead: "'Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine,' chanted the hooded four; and one candle went out..."

"Smee" by A.M. Burrage -- A Christmas Eve game of hide-and-seek has one too many players.

"Bosworth Summit Pound" by L.T.C. Rolt -- A haunted English canal tunnel: "Not only was the narrow cavern of crumbling brickwork as cold and dark as a vault after the warmth and brilliance of the May sunshine, but water streamed from the roof and descended in cascades from the chimneys of the ventilation shafts. He had the utmost difficulty in keeping a straight course, for the damp atmosphere exhaled an evil-smelling mist which obscured the farther end of the tunnel..."

"Hand in Glove" by Elizabeth Bowen -- A young woman on the hunt for a titled husband is in desperate need of a clean pair of gloves.

"Bad Company" by Walter De La Mare -- A haunting encounter on the Underground.

"The Judge's House" by Bram Stoker -- A likeable young man seeks solitude to study for a mathematics exam.

This anthology, superbly edited and introduced by Michael Cox and R.A. Gilbert, is a great way to begin your library of supernatural fiction. Even the connoisseur will find some rare gems. From the first of the chronologically arranged stories, "The Tapestry Room" by Sir Walter Scott, you'll be intrigued by the incredible variety. Whether you enjoy the swooning Romanticism of Vernon Lee's "A Wicked Voice," the dry restraint of M.R. James "Oh, Whistle," or the naturalistic American dialogue of Mary Wilkins-Freeman's "The Lost Ghost," you'll find stories that will linger in your mind. Almost every story is of high literary quality as well as great entertainment. The anthology also shows how differently good writers can handle the stringent requirements of good supernatural tales. These tales are on the surface escapist fiction, but on closer study prove to address themes of life after death, guilt, fear, love, the effect of inner states on outward perception, and the struggles of the individual within society. Not every story will appeal to every reader, because there's such a wide range of styles. But I think every reader will find many to savor time and again.

This superb book of classic ghost stories will literally make the hair rise on your arms. These tales are written by some of the world's best literary geniuses (Sir Walter Scott to name one). If you enjoy being spooked without the blood and gore of today's B rated horror book writers, you're guaranteed to love this classic collection!

This is a great anthology for anyone new to classic ghost literature (or even someone who isn't that new). It's a mixed bag of authors, with a smattering of stories by the obligatory writers as well as a number that are harder to find. It's important to note that these are _classic_ ghost stories - they depend largely on atmosphere and subtlety for their effect, and are often better on the second reading than on the first (and the third is just about perfect).

This book provides some great ways to learn more about the genre. There is a nice recap of and commentary on the history of the English ghost story included at the beginning, as well as some biographical details and criticism of the big names. The most helpful part to me, though, was the great bibliography in the back - it's a fantastic tool for finding more great stories that just wouldn't fit in the anthology. Overall, a great book for a beginning classic ghost story reader.

Having owned this book for many years, it is a treasured part of my library, and is worth at least one re-reading a year. A fantastic collection of English prose, with the emphasis of stories in the 1880s, which marked the highlight of ghostly literature, in my opinion. Those that prefer insightful and introspective literature dealing with the supernatural will feel right at home, but those of a contemporary ilk that require shock and gore over substance are advised to look elsewhere. Highly recommended, both for the editor's choices, and also the incredibly horrific "Smee"; one story that I have re-read dozens of times. The horror gradually creeps up on you in this fine collection....

This is an excellent collection of ghost stories spanning from the 19th century to more modern times. Each and every story is highly enjoyable and frightening in the classic way which I find lacking in most ghost story books. I couldn't get enough!

This is a wonderful collection of ghost stories. Included are some of the classics of the genre. For instance, The "Monkey's Paw" (son is killed in an accident at work, parent wishes on creepy monkey's paw charm for son to come back to life, so please don't open the front door!) has been adapted a number of times for TV and film.

My personal favorite is probably "Smee," the quintessential between-the-wars British country house ghost story. Perhaps a scary little teleplay with Jeremy Irons, Hugh Grant and Judy Davis?

_The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories_ includes a few old favorites but--more importantly, I believe--also includes quite a few tales that are less frequently anthologized. If, like me, you love a good book of ghost stories but seem to find the same dozen or so stories in every anthology on the market, you will be pleasantly surprised by the breadth of stories that Cox has chosen to include.

Cox's introduction lends a scholarly air to the volume and prefaces the collection well. However, a brief commentary (say, a paragraph or two) at the beginning or end of each story would have been nice. Also, the paperback cover is not the sturdiest, but light enough to carry (and, I'll admit, to read in the bathtub, a difficult task with a larger, heavier hardback volume of this size).

All in all, an excellent collection! I highly recommend it.

It's difficult to find a comprehensive story anthology that will please everyone, and this book is no different in that regard. While all of the stories in "The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories" are written well, some are just better than others while a few truly shine.

Some of the real gems in here are:

"The Upper Berth" by F. Marion Crawford
"Squire Toby's Will" by J. Sheridan Le Fanu (one of my favorites)
"The Judge's House" by Bram Stoker
"The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs (a classic)
"Smee" by A.M. Burrage
"The Cicerones" by Robert Aickman (kind of creepy)

More often than not, however, you'll get a ghost story that makes for a good read, but doesn't really do much in the way of atmosphere, or doesn't impart a high creepiness factor. In this day and age, having been exposed to lots of movies and stories, some of the stories just don't come off as powerful or scary. Some examples would be "The Tapestried Chamber" by Sir Walter Scott and "The Roll-Call of the Reef" by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. Maybe in their day--when people were lighting candles in dark houses and there were far fewer people around--these such stories might have packed more punch.

Then there's a story like "A Story of Don Juan" by V.S. Pritchett, which is a ghost story that is intended to be more clever and comical than scary. Good story, but it might not be what you're looking for.

All in all, a good mix. Just don't expect every story to rivet you or make you jump out of your seat.

This is a wonderful chronicle of a great literary tradition. The best story here might also be the shortest: W.F. Harvey's "The Clock" is about four pages long but I can think of no other tale that has so effectively creeped me out. I've re-read it several times--alone is preferable--and it still shivers the skin. Cheers to Mr. Cox and Mr. Gilbert for assembling an inspired collection.