Seven Strange & Ghostly Tales [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Brian Jacques (Author, Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1996

Contents: The fate of Thomas P. Kanne -- Jamie and the vampires -- Allie Alma -- The lies of Henry Mawdsley -- Bridgey -- The sad history of Gilly Bodkin -- R.S.B. Limited.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Listening Library (1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080727612X
• ISBN-13: 978-0807276129
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,380,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A well-known radio personality in his native Liverpool--as well as an actor, stand-up comic, and playwright--Brian Jacques (1939-2011) was the host of "Jakestown" on BBC Radio Merseyside. Ever the performer, Jacques was well-known for applying his acting and entertainment background to his lively presentations to legions of young fans at schools across the United States and England. Brian Jacques was born in Liverpool, England on June 15th, 1939. Along with forty percent of the population of Liverpool, his ancestral roots are in Ireland, County Cork to be exact. He grew up in the area around the Liverpool docks. His interest in adventure stories began at an early age with reading the books of: Daniel Defoe, Sir Henry Rider Haggard, Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Thomas Malory, Robert Michael Ballantyne, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Kenneth Grahame. He attended St. John's School, an inner city school that had its playground on the roof. On his first day at St. John's, at the age of ten, he had an experience that marked his potential as a writer. When given an assignment of writing a story about animals, he wrote about the bird that cleaned a crocodile's teeth. The teacher could not, and would not, believe that a ten year old could write that well. When young Brian refused to falsely say that he had copied the story, he was caned as "a liar". He had always loved to write, but it was only then, that he realized that he had a talent for writing. "My favourite teacher was Mr. Austin Thomas. He looked like Lee Marvin. Big Man. A Captain in World War II. He came to school on a big bush bike with the haversack on back. He was a man's man. Always fair. I was fourteen at the time when Mr. Thomas introduced the class to poetry and Greek literature. (Because of him, I saved seven shillings and sixpence to buy The Iliad and The Odyssey at this dusty used book shop.)" This interest in poetry extended to Wordsworth, Tennyson, and Goldsmith. It was also at St. John's that Brian met a teacher, Alan Durband (who also taught two Beatles, Paul McCartney and George Harrison), who, more than thirty years later would bring about a major change in his life. After Brian finished school at fifteen, he set out to find adventure as a merchant seaman. He travelled to many far away ports, including New York, Valparaiso, San Francisco, and Yokohama. Tiring of the lonely life of a sailor, he returned to Liverpool where he worked as a railway fireman, a longshoreman, a long-distance truck driver, a bus driver, a boxer, a bobby (Police Constable 216D), a postmaster, and a stand-up comic. Jacques passed away in February of 2011 at the age of 71.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars B.J.'s Ghost stories are a hidden gem, February 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales (Paperback)

Brian Jacques is best known for his Redwall series, but surprisingly enough, Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales is an undescovered gem. This book is intended for kids 9-14, but unlike Goosebumps or other stories for the age range, this book has rich writing bursting with original ideas. Take, for example, a story where a boy fools the Devil himself. Read this book, you won't be dissapointed

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More interesting than scary, September 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Seven Strange & Ghostly Tales (Mass Market Paperback)

If you're looking for something to keep you awake all night in fright, look elsewhere. This is not a shock and scream book. However, if you're looking for suspenseful stories that are well-written, thought provoking, and can double as cautionary tales, this is the collection for you. The poetry before each story and the word play within in are good enough to merit special note. This is a book people of any age can enjoy.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stories!, June 8, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Seven Strange & Ghostly Tales (Paperback)

Brian Jacques is a great author, he can make stories that have been told several times before seem new and original. This collection of stories is quite interesting, funny and descriptive, and hey, a little eerie. You can see how they are similar to Redwall books, also written by him, with sort of the same type of diolouge, and the poetry is QUITE similar. This is a good book for reading while on a vacation away from home.