Buy Used
Used - Good See details
$4.06 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
A Warning to the Curious: Ghost Stories
  
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

A Warning to the Curious: Ghost Stories [Paperback]

M. R. James (Author), Ruth Rendell (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Paperback --  
Unknown Binding --  

Product Details

  • Paperback: 257 pages
  • Publisher: David R Godine Pub (May 1995)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 087923816X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0879238162
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,135,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A haunted crown and a stolen prayer book, July 4, 2004
"A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories" (1925) is a very satisfying volume of M. R. James's (MRJ's) supernatural stories. However, it only contains six of his short stories. Instead of purchasing this volume, you might want to consider one of his more complete collections. Ash-Tree Press's "A Pleasing Terror" (2001), contains the complete and heavily annotated supernatural writings of MRJ, and no true Monty fan should be without it.

The next best collection, "Casting the Runes and Other Stories" edited by Michael Cox, contains most of MRJ's supernatural stories and is quite a bit cheaper than "A Pleasing Terror."

The following stories are included in "A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories":

"The Haunted Doll's House"--This story was written for the library of the Queen's Doll's House, and somewhat resembles MRJ's "The Mezzotint" from the earlier "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary." Mr. Dillet buys an unusual doll house in the Strawberry Gothic fashion from an acquaintance, and sets it up in his bedroom. "It was quite six feet long, including the Chapel or Oratory...and the stable on the right." The house is completely furnished and has several inhabitants, including "a gentleman and lady in blue satin and brocade, respectively...and a white haired old gentleman in a long linen night-dress and cap." When the house seems to come alive, it tells a ghastly tale of murder and revenge from beyond the grave.

"The Uncommon Prayer-book"-- Mr. Davidson strikes up a conversation with an old gentleman on a train and is invited to view a disused Chapel. MRJ engulfs his reader in quaint British dialects in this story of a prayer book that would not stay shut.

"A Neighbour's Landmark"-- A gentleman spends a wet August afternoon in his host's library and discovers an old pamphlet with two lines from a country song, "That which walks in Betton Wood/ Knows why it walks or why it cries." When the weather clears, he explores the part of his friend's property that used to be called 'Betton Wood.'

"A View from a Hill"--A pair of field-glasses made by an old and rather unlikeable watch-maker reveal peculiar landscape features, including a gibbet and something hanging from it. The young man who spots the gibbet decides to pay a visit to it, even though his friend assures him that it no longer exists.

"A Warning to the Curious"--A young man discovers the hiding place of an ancient crown of East Anglia and is haunted by his finding. As in many of MRJ's stories, curiosity is severely punished.

"An Evening's Entertainment"--A rather tongue-in-cheek tale as told by MRJ through the auspices of an old grandmother, who is trying to persuade her young grandchildren to stay away from the "little lane that goes up past Collin's cottage." There is a gigantic figure of a man cut into a hill next to the lane, and once the body of a young man was found hanging from an oak nearby. His breast was quite bare and "the bone of it was split through from the top downwards with an axe!" After Grandma's gruesome goings-on, the children are afraid to be sent to bed without a light.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Curiosity will be severely punished, July 20, 2004
This review is from: A Warning to the Curious: Ghost Stories (Paperback)
"A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories" (1925) is a very satisfying volume of M. R. James's (MRJ's) supernatural stories. However, it only contains six of his short stories. Instead of purchasing this volume, you might want to consider one of his more complete collections. Ash-Tree Press's "A Pleasing Terror" (2001), contains the complete and heavily annotated supernatural writings of MRJ, and no true Monty fan should be without it.

The next best collection, "Casting the Runes and Other Stories" edited by Michael Cox, contains most of MRJ's supernatural stories and is quite a bit cheaper than "A Pleasing Terror."

The following stories are included in "A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories":

"The Haunted Doll's House"--This story was written for the library of the Queen's Doll's House, and somewhat resembles MRJ's "The Mezzotint" from the earlier "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary." Mr. Dillet buys an unusual doll house in the Strawberry Gothic fashion from an acquaintance, and sets it up in his bedroom. "It was quite six feet long, including the Chapel or Oratory...and the stable on the right." The house is completely furnished and has several inhabitants, including "a gentleman and lady in blue satin and brocade, respectively...and a white haired old gentleman in a long linen night-dress and cap." When the house seems to come alive, it tells a ghastly tale of murder and revenge from beyond the grave.

"The Uncommon Prayer-book"-- Mr. Davidson strikes up a conversation with an old gentleman on a train and is invited to view a disused Chapel. MRJ engulfs his reader in quaint British dialects in this story of a prayer book that would not stay shut.

"A Neighbour's Landmark"-- A gentleman spends a wet August afternoon in his host's library and discovers an old pamphlet with two lines from a country song, "That which walks in Betton Wood/ Knows why it walks or why it cries." When the weather clears, he explores the part of his friend's property that used to be called 'Betton Wood.'

"A View from a Hill"--A pair of field-glasses made by an old and rather unlikeable watch-maker reveal peculiar landscape features, including a gibbet and something hanging from it. The young man who spots the gibbet decides to pay a visit to it, even though his friend assures him that it no longer exists.

"A Warning to the Curious"--A young man discovers the hiding place of an ancient crown of East Anglia and is haunted by his finding. As in many of MRJ's stories, curiosity is severely punished.

"An Evening's Entertainment"--A rather tongue-in-cheek tale as told by MRJ through the auspices of an old grandmother, who is trying to persuade her young grandchildren to stay away from the "little lane that goes up past Collin's cottage." There is a gigantic figure of a man cut into a hill next to the lane, and once the body of a young man was found hanging from an oak nearby. His breast was quite bare and "the bone of it was split through from the top downwards with an axe!" After Grandma's gruesome goings-on, the children are afraid to be sent to bed without a light.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 

Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   


Listmania!


Create a Listmania! list

So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:







i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...