That Which Was So Fair - A Ghost Story


Book Description

The Fen country in the autumn of 1850 is dank and drab. A young woman, Catherine Greencliffe, comes from the other end of England to care for a small child who has been abandoned by his mother. On the surface all seems well but she soon becomes prey to mysterious compulsions and visions. She comes to realise that Southwell Hall holds a secret that she is not invited to share and at last makes a dreadful discovery.




Stop What You’re Doing and Read...After Dark: Ghost Stories & Dracula


Book Description

To mark the publication of Stop What You're Doing and Read This!, a collection of essays celebrating reading, Vintage Classics are releasing 12 limited edition themed ebook 'bundles', to tempt readers to discover and rediscover great books. M.R. JAMES' GHOST STORIES SELECTED AND INTRODUCED BY RUTH RENDELL M. R. James wrote his ghost stories to entertain friends on Christmas Eve, and they went on to both transform and modernise a genre. James harnesses the power of suggestion to move from a recognisable world to one that is indefinably strange, and then unforgettably terrifying. Sheets, pictures, carvings, a dolls house, a lonely beach, a branch tapping on a window - ordinary things take on more than a tinge of dread in the hands of the original master of suspense. DRACULA 'The door is shut, and the chains rattle; there is a grinding of the key in the lock; I hear the creaking of lock and bolt...I shall not remain alone with them. I may find a way from this dreadful place, away from this cursed spot, from this cursed land, where the devil and his children still walk with earthly feet!' Young lawyer Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania on business for a mysterious Count. Months later in England, beautiful Lucy Westenra falls ill and dies, inexplicably, as if from a severe loss of blood. Lucy's friends, including Jonathan's fiancée Mina and the intrepid doctor Van Helsing, must begin a desperate battle against a powerful, ancient evil, in Bram Stoker's definitive gothic tale.




Ghost Story


Book Description

#1 New York Times bestselling author Peter Straub’s classic tale of horror, secrets, and the dangerous ghosts of the past... What was the worst thing you’ve ever done? In the sleepy town of Milburn, New York, four old men gather to tell each other stories—some true, some made-up, all of them frightening. A simple pastime to divert themselves from their quiet lives. But one story is coming back to haunt them and their small town. A tale of something they did long ago. A wicked mistake. A horrifying accident. And they are about to learn that no one can bury the past forever...




Horror Literature through History [2 volumes]


Book Description

This two-volume set offers comprehensive coverage of horror literature that spans its deep history, dominant themes, significant works, and major authors, such as Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and Anne Rice, as well as lesser-known horror writers. Many of today's horror story fans—who appreciate horror through movies, television, video games, graphic novels, and other forms—probably don't realize that horror literature is not only one of the most popular types of literature but one of the oldest. People have always been mesmerized by stories that speak to their deepest fears. Horror Literature through History shows 21st-century horror fans the literary sources of their favorite entertainment and the rich intrinsic value of horror literature in its own right. Through profiles of major authors, critical analyses of important works, and overview essays focused on horror during particular periods as well as on related issues such as religion, apocalypticism, social criticism, and gender, readers will discover the fascinating early roots and evolution of horror writings as well as the reciprocal influence of horror literature and horror cinema. This unique two-volume reference set provides wide coverage that is current and compelling to modern readers—who are of course also eager consumers of entertainment. In the first section, overview essays on horror during different historical periods situate works of horror literature within the social, cultural, historical, and intellectual currents of their respective eras, creating a seamless narrative of the genre's evolution from ancient times to the present. The second section demonstrates how otherwise unrelated works of horror have influenced each other, how horror subgenres have evolved, and how a broad range of topics within horror—such as ghosts, vampires, religion, and gender roles—have been handled across time. The set also provides alphabetically arranged reference entries on authors, works, and specialized topics that enable readers to zero in on information and concepts presented in the other sections.




A Warning to the Curious, and Other Ghost Stories


Book Description

This book has an introduction by Ruth Rendell, herself a writer of Mystery and detective stories. This mystery story centers around the accidental finding of a significant historical object; one of the lost crowns of Anglia.




The Big Christmas Basket: 200+ Christmas Novels, Stories, Poems & Carols (Illustrated)


Book Description

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way... Christmas is here, and so are we with our biggest ever Christmas basket. There's something for everyone - novels, short stories, poems, and carols - for a cozy and wonderful holiday enjoyment. So grab a cup of coffee and soak into the spirit of festive cheer with our "The Big Christmas Basket": Novels: Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (L. Frank Baum) Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) The Wonderful Wizard of OZ (L. Frank Baum) Little Lord Fauntleroy (Frances Hodgson Burnett) Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montgomery) Black Beauty (Anna Sewell) Christmas-Tree Land (M.L. Molesworth) Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame) Peter Pan and Wendy (J. M. Barrie) Oliver Twist Pollyanna (Eleanor H. Porter) At the Back of the North Wind (George MacDonald) A Versailles Christmas-Tide (A. S. Boyd) The Man Who Forgot Christmas (Max Brand)... Short Stories: A Merry Christmas & Other Christmas Stories (Louisa May Alcott) The Gift of the Magi (O. Henry) Papa Panov's Special Christmas (Leo Tolstoy) Doctor Marigold's Prescriptions (Charles Dickens) The Tailor of Gloucester (Beatrix Potter) The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter) The Christmas Guest (Selma Lagerlöf) At Christmas Time (Anton Chekhov) Little Gretchen and the Wooden Shoe Toinette and the Elves (Susan Coolidge) The Heavenly Christmas Tree (Dostoevsky) The Princess and the Goblin The Nutcracker and the Mouse King The Little Match Girl Little Jean (Francois Coppe) How the Fir Tree Became the Christmas Tree The Magi in the West and Their Search for the Christ The Little Shepherd... Poems & Carols: Silent Night The Three Kings (H. W. Longfellow) Christmas Bells (Longfellow) Christmas at Sea (Stevenson) Christmas in the Olden Time (Walter Scott) Old Santa Claus (Clement Clarke Moore) The Twelve Days of Christmas Minstrels (Wordsworth) Ring Out, Wild Bells (Tennyson) Hymn on the Morning of Christ's Nativity (John Milton) A Christmas Carol (Coleridge)...




The Anthology of Ghost Stories of M. R. James (tales of horror and mystery). Illustrated


Book Description

The Collected Ghost Stories of M. R. James is an omnibus collection of ghost stories. Many of these stories are time-tested classics. Montague Rhodes James is best remembered for his ghost stories, which some consider among the best in the genre. He redefined the ghost story for the new century by abandoning many of the formal Gothic clichés of his predecessors and using more realistic contemporary settings. However, his protagonists and plots tend to reflect his own antiquarian interests. Accordingly, he is known as the originator of the "antiquarian ghost story". H. P. Lovecraft was an admirer of James's work, extolling the stories as the peak of the ghost story form in his essay "Supernatural Horror in Literature". CANON ALBERIC’S SCRAP-BOOK LOST HEARTS THE MEZZOTINT THE ASH-TREE NUMBER 13 COUNT MAGNUS THE TREASURE OF ABBOT THOMAS A SCHOOL STORY THE ROSE GARDEN THE STALLS OF BARCHESTER CATHEDRAL THE DIARY OF MR. POYNTER AN EPISODE OF CATHEDRAL HISTORY THE STORY OF A DISAPPEARANCE AND AN APPEARANCE AN EVENING’S ENTERTAINMENT A WARNING TO THE CURIOUS A NEIGHBOUR’S LANDMARK THE UNCOMMON PRAYER-BOOK THE HAUNTED DOLLS’ HOUSE WAILING WELL THERE WAS A MAN DWELT BY A CHURCHYARD RATS AFTER DARK IN THE PLAYING FIELDS THE EXPERIMENT THE MALICE OF INANIMATE OBJECTS A VIGNETTE







70+ SUPERNATURAL TALES OF GOTHIC HORROR: Uncle Silas, Carmilla, In a Glass Darkly, Madam Crowl's Ghost, The House by the Churchyard, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, A Thin Ghost and Many More


Book Description

In '70+ SupernATural Tales of Gothic Horror,' readers are presented with an expansive and meticulously curated collection that spans the eerie landscapes of Gothic horror through its most compelling tales. This anthology encapsulates the haunting beauty and psychological depth characteristic of the genre, offering a rich diversity of narrative styles and thematic explorations. From the claustrophobic dread of 'Carmilla' to the unsettling mysteries of 'The House by the Churchyard,' the collection showcases the genre's ability to reflect on societal anxieties and personal fears. The selected works, while varying in setting and subject, collectively underscore the timeless allure of the supernatural within the Gothic tradition. The contributing authors, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and M. R. James, are esteemed figures within the Gothic horror realm, whose writings have significantly shaped its evolution. Le Fanu, with his nuanced depictions of psychological terror, and James, a master of the classic ghost story, bring together here a range of narratives that are both individually distinct and collectively harmonious in their exploration of the macabre and the uncanny. Their contributions not only embody pivotal moments in the genre's history but also reflect broader cultural and literary movements of their times, making this anthology a seminal collection for both enthusiasts and scholars alike. This anthology is not just a compendium of tales meant to unsettle and entertain; it is a doorway into the depths of Gothic horror at its finest. It encourages readers to immerse themselves in the multitude of voices, styles, and eerie landscapes that have come to define the genre. Whether you are a seasoned aficionado of supernatural fiction or a newcomer eager to explore the shadows of the Gothic imagination, '70+ Supernatural Tales of Gothic Horror' offers an unparalleled journey into the heart of darkness that is both enlightening and deeply compelling. The collection promises not only an exploration of fears and fantasies but also a reflection on the human condition through the lens of the supernatural.




The Canterville Ghost


Book Description

»The Canterville Ghost« is a short story by Oscar Wilde, originally published in 1891. OSCAR WILDE, born in 1854 in Dublin, died in 1900 in Paris, was an Irish prose writer, playwright, essayist, and poet. Wilde's significance as a symbol for persecuted homosexuals around the world is immeasurable. Wilde himself was sentenced to prison and hard labour, his works were boycotted, theatrical productions were shut down, and he was publicly vilified. The Picture of Dorian Gray [1890] is his most famous work.