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M. R. James

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary Paperback – Illustrated, November 24, 2011

by M. R. James (Author)

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In the twentieth-century literature of the supernatural, the single most important book, in the opinion of most scholars and enthusiasts, is Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, by Montague Rhodes James. First printed in 1904, it is the landmark book that established the modern horror story. It has been reprinted more times than any other book in this field, and it contains several of the best ghost stories in the English language.
The antiquary here is M. R. James, Provost of Eton, one of the most formidable scholars that England has ever produced, who has drawn upon an unmatched knowledge of the hidden byways of the past to form a series of inimitable stories. Among them are such favorites as "Number Thirteen," "Canon Alberic's Scrap-book," and "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad." Common to all of them is the breath of "the evil that dieth not but lieth in wait."
This edition reprints for the first time in recent years the four original illustrations that James McBride prepared while James was working on this, his first collection.

Print length

176 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Dover Publications
Publication date

November 24, 2011
Dimensions

5.34 x 0.36 x 8.38 inches
ISBN-10

0486227588
ISBN-13

978-0486227580
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From the Publisher

Classic Fiction Books

If there is a list of the 100 greatest fiction books of all time, you'll find them all at Dover! We offer low-priced editions of classic books by Mark Twain, Jane Austen, Henry James, Joseph Conrad, Leo Tolstoy, Willa Cather, G. K. Chesterton, and other legends. You'll find classic American literature and other important works from around the world, including Jane Eyre, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer and so much more.

A ghost story may be any piece of fiction, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts belief in them. The "ghost" may appear of its own accord or be summoned by magic.

While these are often explicitly meant to be scary, they have been written to serve all sorts of purposes, from comedy to morality tales. Ghosts often appear in the narrative as sentinels or prophets of things to come.


Best Ghost and Horror Stories Superb selection of 14 spine-tingling stories by author of Dracula. "The Dualists" (probably Stoker's most horrifying story), "The Squaw," "The Burial of the Rats," 11 more. Introduction by Richard Dalby. (Cat #: 0486297160)	Best Ghost Stories of Algernon Blackwood Thirteen stories, including "The Willows" — acclaimed by Lovecraft as the finest supernatural story ever written — "The Wendigo," "Ancient Sorceries," and others. Includes an introduction by E. F. Bleiler. (Cat #:0486229777)	Classic Ghost Stories by Wilkie Collins, M. R. James, Charles Dickens and Others Eleven thrilling tales, featuring works by the finest masters of the genre: Mary E. Wilkins, Robert Louis Stevenson, Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, Henry James, J. S. LeFanu, Ralph Cram, Mrs. Henry Wood, and more. (Cat #: 0486404307)


Ghost Stories of an Antiquary Eight classics by great Edwardian scholar and storyteller. "Number Thirteen," "The Mezzotint," "Canon Alberic's Scrap-book," more. Renowned for their wit, erudition and suspense. New introduction by E. F. Bleiler. 4 plates by James McBride. (Cat #: 0486227588)	Great Ghost Stories Ten classics by masters of the macabre: Bram Stoker's "The Judge's House," "The Moonlit Road" by Ambrose Bierce, M. R. James's "The Rose Garden," Charles Dickens, and seven others. (Cat #: 0486272702)	The Moonlit Road and Other Ghost and Horror Stories Twelve engrossing, suspenseful tales by a master storyteller include "The Eyes of the Panther," "A Watcher by the Dead," "The Man and the Snake," "Moxon's Master," "The Boarded Window," and seven others. (Cat #: 0486400565)

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dover Publications; Revised ed. edition (November 24, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0486227588
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0486227580
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.34 x 0.36 x 8.38 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,116,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #725 in British & Irish Horror
- #8,980 in Ghost Mysteries
- #43,471 in Short Stories (Books)

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Kindle Customer

Suffers from age, but not bad

Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2019

Verified Purchase

My main complaint with all of the stories contained herein is that they end too abruptly. I am, of course, familiar with the dramatic literary concept of "Always leave your reader wanting more." What seems to have been intended as a desire to not tell too much, however, strikes me as having gone a trifle too far. The last story in the collection suffers from this the least, but it still ends without what I would consider a satisfactory conclusion. In several cases, this truncated feeling actually make the story LESS spooky.

Another complaint is that I think the collection might have been more interesting, and certainly creepier, if there were more of a frame story. Given the author's introductory comments, I rather expected the stories to flow one into the next. It was disappointing that they don't. Such segues would also help the endings, I think.

Finally, there's all the Latin. I disagree with the comment my dad often made, that "Latin is a dead language, let it rest in peace." I also recognise that this is an old book dating from a time ( and place) where Latin was more commonly studied. However, to a modern "ignorant American" reader, the preponderance of actual foreign passages is tedious, even where translations are provided.

Helpful

JZS

Mild Victorian Horror stories

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2015

Verified Purchase

While probably not interesting to many fans of modern horror stories, "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary" is an appealing example of late Victorian horror fiction. These stories aren't excessively gruesome like so much of today's horror writing but build tension based on our fear of the unknown. These are like the stories told around the campfire or sitting in the dark during a slumber party (remember the hook hand and lover's lane? :)) but with literate, Victorian adults as the protagonists.

M. R. James has a very similar style to his contemporary Algernon Blackwood but I think I would give James the edge. There is more humor in his writing and I found his syntax to be a little more to my taste. One line I especially enjoyed:
"...tea was taken to the accompaniment of a discussion which golfing persons can imagine for themselves, but which the conscientious writer has no right to inflict upon any non-golfing persons."

My favorite description of the works of Edgar Allan Poe is "operatic"- theatrical, melodramatic, romantic style. Not a bad thing- Poe is my favorite. If I continue that analogy and equate modern horror stories to heavy metal, I would consider James to be like Jazz- adult with complexity but without the emotion of Poe or the nerve jangling tension of modern horror.

I didn't find any serious formatting problems with this free kindle version. Some paragraphs were aligned "short" but not something that disrupted the flow. This is actually "Part One" of "Ghost Stories" and I've already picked up Ghost Stories of an Antiquary Part 2: More Ghost Stories which is also free. Enjoyable reading that isn't going to give me nightmares :)

7 people found this helpful

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K. A. Y.

Great sample of some of M.R. James earlier work!

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2018

Verified Purchase

GHOST STORIES OF AN ANTIQUARY, contains some of the earlier tales of author M.R. James. This particular selection is available for free download on public domain.

I'll admit, I'm a bit biased when it comes to M.R. James' tales--I own his complete works, and have re-read it several times. While this collection doesn't include all of his better known stories, it does give the reader a good sampling of that eerie, creeping horror--usually without all the gore--that James is better known for. These are the kind of stories that affect you more, in my humble opinion, and often the ones that you don't forget over time.

A great start to some of M.R. James' work.

Highly recommended!

3 people found this helpful

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Alan Dale DanielTop Contributor: Drawing

The Best Ghost Stories

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2016

Verified Purchase

If you like staying up into the dark of the night reading short ghost stories you've found the book written just for you. Sustained by outstanding writing and closely nuanced characters each story pulls the reader along with suspense and mystery. Because the characters are built around the idea of someone researching ancient text and finding in them clues to strange events the stories turn naturally to the bone chilling, damp, and dark houses and places such texts are maintained. So, right off the bat, the reader is sunk into a well of mysterious words and cryptic clues pointing to a dark present connected to a deep and foggy past.

The author, M. R. James, is well known to ghost story fanatics, but if you are unfamiliar with his work you are in for a wonderful treat. The writing style alone is enough to strum the strings of a reader's heart. To say he can turn the screw of excitement with expert hands is an understatement.

One may complain about the stories' endings. Often somewhat vague and tantalizing, they leave one's mind asking questions and yearning for more. Isn't that what a great ghost story should do? To those who demand an absolute ending with all the strings tightly tied up the stories contained herein may prove disappointing. But, open your mind a bit, let the lush words and phrases wash over your thinking, and allow the author his due in his way of ending his tales and you will soon find yourself enjoying every bit of it.

Great writing and truly ghostly stories. Highly recommended.

AD2

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Eric Faragher

The James Method

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2020

Verified Purchase

M R James is for me an acquired taste. I first read a Penguin paperback of collected stories when I was young and wasn’t impressed. I think it was the slowness of the development, as I saw it at the time. The impatience of youth wants to get to “the meat” of the thing at once. With re-reading in later life, I’ve come to appreciate the steady pace and I’ve come to see that the “slowness” I perceived at first, was made up of text that is full of tiny suggestions, hints and clues as to what is to come. And this is a necessary technique, required if the “meat” is to render its savour to the fullest. James climbs inside his reader’s skull and caresses the psyche in an extremely subtle way, which, if you will allow him, involves you in the creation of the story. You are drawn into a settled and comfortable world of staid gentlemen and scholars, a cosy world of droll humour and secure predictability. He lulls you into a tranquil, undisturbed dream, only slightly troubled by the half-made discovery, the vague suspicion that something uncanny (and often wicked) this way comes. James hides his rocks under cushions. When he has you thoroughly involved and at your most somnambulant, it is only then that the inexplicable suddenly rears its head, usually byway of a few powerful images that change the dream to nightmare. By that stage, of course, your own imagination supplies far more graphic impact than a thousand words of description could.

Of course, the modern reader may demand an explanation of the inexplicable. This is to approach James in a fundamentally flawed way, a way unconducive to enjoyment of his work. James writes ghost stories. In his tales, the existence of ghosts is not to be doubted, and it’s also beyond dispute that ghosts cannot always be explained, or fully explained. The mystery of their manifestations is part of their appeal to James and he assumes a similar understanding in his reader. If you are unable to suspend your modern disbelief as regards the existence of such entities, you really waste your own time in reading such tales. You must, in other words, be willing to allow yourself to be possessed by James. Only if you are willing to allow James to convince you for a few seconds that something utterly impossible could gain a momentary indisputable reality, will you perceive his skill and enjoy the shiver of horror that the upsetting of all our preconceptions can bring. If you are willing, then the shiver that comes is far more profound than any gory mayhem, for this is a universal terror, the darkness that undermines the known and hints at the mystery that can never be known or understood or comprehended. It is the deep and abiding shout against the darkness.

2 people found this helpful

Fabulous free download. Perfect for Halloween/Christmas.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2014

Verified Purchase

Amazing collection of ghosts stories from M. R. James and the perfect treat for Halloween or Christmas storytelling. There's something more 'chilling' about a ghost story when it's read out loud. That's the real tradition and it's how to get the best from these stories.

Contents;

Part 1. Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
Canon Alberic's Scrap-book
Lost Hearts
The Mezzotint
The Ash-tree
Number 13
Count Magnus
'Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'
The Treasure of Abbot Thomas

Part 2. More Ghost Stories
A School Story
The Rose Garden
The Tractate Middoth
Casting the Runes
The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral
Martin's Close
Mr Humphres and his Inheritance

An amazing free download and well formatted for Kindle.

Happy to recommend.

12 people found this helpful

M. Dowden

Spook Time

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 22, 2017

Verified Purchase

Montague Rhodes James still remains one of the best writers of ghost stories to have ever lived, and his tales are set in more modern settings than was really the norm for the period, however as he was an antiquarian such interests do come to the fore in many of his stories.

Alas, there is no active table of contents to this book which is a bit of a pain, but it is still very much worth reading. This edition is based on that of the first publication of this collection in 1904, although the tales included here had either been published in literary magazines before, or been read to friends when they met over Christmas for example. This is one thing that many people do not seem to realise these days. Ghost stories were not really for Halloween as most people seem to think, but were traditionally read over Christmas and the winter period. After all the longer nights, and at times bad weather conditions made a useful adjunct to the atmosphere created.

Here then we have the tales Canon Alberic’s Scrap-book, Lost Hearts, The Mezzotint, The Ash-tree, Number 13, Count Magnus, ‘Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My lad’, and lastly The Treasure of Abbot Thomas. Of course, Number 13, and Oh, Whistle………., are the most famous here, which anyone who is at all interested in ghost stories will have already read before.

All these tales are great little reads, and you can really appreciate the talents of M R James as you read these. Personally I always love to read these when I am alone, and with my favourite tipple, and I expect many others are the same. Also, if you want to play a game you can think of how many stories have been influenced by these, as there are a number of them.

4 people found this helpful

Nekrotikk

Briliant Ghost Stories.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2019

Verified Purchase

M. R. James was a master of his craft so his ghost stories have influenced many authors and filmmakers. Each of his short stories evokes the most vivid images even though James tends to limit his descriptions, allowing the imagination of the reader to run wild. A lot has changed since James these stories, but the ghosts can still scare. Imagine putting the book down and seeing a shape close by, not too dissimilar to the one you'd just read about... Did and entity from the mind of M. R. James find its way into this world..? Or perhaps, after all, it was nothing more than a shadow.

I love M. R. James and tend to read his ghost stories every year around Halloween.

Ben Kelly

My personal favorite story of James' from the first eight stories is ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 19, 2015

Verified Purchase

Complete, unabridged readings of the first (and arguably the best) M.R James collection of ghost stories? How could I possibly resist?! :D
The readings are clear; precise and bring the stories to cold; clammy; sticky; moldy; chilling life. My personal favorite story of James' from the first eight stories is "Lost Hearts," a story about a young orphaned boy who is adopted by his eccentric uncle, and begins to become disturbed by sights of two other children - children who match the description of ones whom his uncle had previously taken into his care and then they disappeared without trace...
Another personal highlight is "Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad," possibly James' most famous and darkest tale, about a conservative professor from Cambridge who goes on holiday to the east coast, with a view to spend the time playing golf and exploring some antiquarian sights, and digs a little too far into the past - just far enough for one of the old things to come and get him...
This collection is perfect after-dark listening material. Purchase it and see for yourselves.

3 people found this helpful

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