52 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best anthology of literary ghost stories I've ever read., August 20, 1999
This review is from: Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories (Paperback)
And I've read most ghost story anthologies in print. However, I don't agree that the recommended reading level should be young adult and I can't help but wonder if this classification was made hastily because Dahl is best known as a writer of children's books. Most of these stories may be too dense, too subtle for readers used to graphic horror. Readers who are used to so-called "told for the truth" ghost tales will see how much more chilling and "true" a literary ghost story, well-told can be. "Suddenly something dark and shapeless with its arm seeming to hold a black vesture over its head, flitted, all sharp angles like a bat down the narrow ill-lighted street, the sound of its passage audible to none." --from Robert Aickman's "Ringing the Changes," my favorite story in the collection. For readers who like this kind of literary heft in their ghost stories, I also recommend THE GHOST STORIES OF EDITH WHARTON and VICTORIAN GHOST STORIES BY NOTED WOMEN WRITERS.
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36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good Collection!, August 22, 2006
This review is from: Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories (Paperback)
Contents:
***Introduction by Roald Dahl......11
***W.S by L.P. Hartley......21
***Harry by Rosemary Timperley......33
***The Corner Shop by Cynthia Asquith......47
***In the Tube by E.F. Benson......63
***Christmas Meeting by Rosemary Timperley......78
***Elias and the Draug by Jonas Lie......81
***Playmates by A.M. Burrage......90
***Ringing the Changes by Robert Aickman......115
***The Telephone by Mary Treadgold......146
***The Ghost of a Hand by J. Sheridan Le Fanu......154
***The Sweeper by A.M. Burrage (Ex-Private X)......162
***Afterward by Edith Wharton......179
***On the Brighton Road by Richard Middleton......210
***The Upper Birth by F. Marion Crawford......214
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A great collection of very interesting ghost stories to be read and then re-read again and again!
It seems to me a better recommended reading age would be something like 13 yrs and above.
Originally, I thought that this was a book of stories all written by Roald Dahl himself... that was the impression I got from the title.
Anyway, I recommend this to you!
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great And Little Known Horror Gem, July 15, 2000
This review is from: Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories (Paperback)
A ghost story should first and foremost be about atmosphere, and this collection of subtle, beautifully written ghost stories is a must-have. The stories range from the classic Victorian style to more bizarre stories such as the brilliant "Ringing the Changes." In addition, Dahl has selected works that are not usually included in the horror cannon. There is no Poe, no "Monkey's Paw." Instead, Dahl chose to emphasize more subtle and lesser-known works. And his introduction about the importance of women writers is also not to be missed. This is a brilliant anthology.
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