Product Description

The only annotated edition of M. R. James’s writings currently available, Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories contains the entire first two volumes of James’s ghost stories, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary and More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. These volumes are both the culmination of the nineteenth-century ghost story tradition and the inspiration for much of the best twentieth-century work in this genre. Included in this collection are such landmark tales as "Count Magnus," set in the wilds of Sweden; "Number 13," a distinctive tale about a haunted hotel room; "Casting the Runes," a richly complex tale of sorcery that served as the basis for the classic horror film Curse of the Demon; and "Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad," one of the most frightening tales in literature. The appendix includes several rare texts, including "A Night in King’s College Chapel," James’s first known ghost story.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #99879 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780143039396
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Montague Rhodes James (1862–1936) is one of the originators and most influential writers of supernatural fiction. Among his many honors was the Order of Merit, bestowed upon him by King George V in 1930.

S. T. Joshi is a widely published writer, biographer, and editor. He has edited three Penguin Classics editions of H. P. Lovecraft’s horror tales, as well as Algernon Blackwood’s Ancient Sorceries and Other Strange Stories and Lord Dunsany’s In the Land of Time and Other Fantasy Tales.

Customer Reviews

Not as Comprehensive as the Oxford World Classics _Casting The Runes_
I realize that no one will probably put out a book to rival the amazing and beautiful _A Pleasing Terror_ put out by Ash-Tree Press several years ago, but Amazon's description of _Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories : The Complete Ghost Stories of M. R. James, Volume 1_ (Penguin Classics) made it out to sound much better than it actually is, since it was listed at being 400 pages long, but is in reality a far slimmer tome of 288 pages. Very disappointing.

The book does have a nice sized font, but suffers from a thin cover (albeit with a great cover illustration), and a bit floppy overall.

The 15 stories included are among the best ghost stories ever written. But with so many book containing the works of M. R. James, I try to be a bit more discerning. This edition is brief and of decent publishing standards.


The Contents:
Introduction by S. T. Joshi
Suggestions for Further Reading
A Note on the Text

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
A School Story
The Rose Garden
The Tractate Middoth
Casting the Runes
The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral
Martin's Close
Mr. Humphreys and His Inheritance

Appendix
Ghost Stories
A Night in King's College Chapel
Preface to Ghost-Stories of an Antiquary
Preface to More Ghost-Stories of an Antiquary

Explanatory Notes


If you want more (More, you say?) M. R. James ghost stories in one volume, you may opt instead for _Casting the Runes and Other Ghost Stories_ (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback) ISBN: 0192837737.

It's cheaper, and includes all the stories listed above, as well as:

The Diary of Mr Poynter
An Episode of Cathedral History
The Uncommon Prayer-book
A Neighbour's Landmark
A Warning to the Curious
Rats
The Experiment
The Malice of Inanimate Objects
A Vignette

(And it also has the excellent John Atkinson Grimshaw painting on the cover entitled "Where the Pale Moonbeams Linger").

Academic and Exciting Ghost Stories
M.R. James' scholarship in the areas of medieval manuscripts and church history manifest themselves in appreciable ways throughout his many stories. The stories range from definitively supernatural (Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book) to those that really allow you to question the reality of the events described ("'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You My Lad'"). James has a wonderful grasp of just how much background story is necessary to create story and character depth, while at the same time establishing a mood conducive to truly spooky and chilling revelations.

Jame's training and knowledge allow him to tap into real history and geography, as well as invent things which seem utterly plausible - the Penguin notes are helpful in circumventing extensive research to determine whether a place is real or not, and what historical relevance there might be for the story. However, those not interested in this may grow tired of the notes and those pursuing studies will find the recommended reading of far more pertinence.

This is a nice, portable introduction to M.R. James' ghost stories and is highly recommended to those that are interested in the gothic and to anyone who enjoys a good short story.

Good edition -- just not enough of James' stories
I fully concur with Mr. Zajac's observation that Penguin shortchanges the reader with this edition of M.R. James' stories of the supernatural. I also agree that the far better edition to purchase is the Oxford World Classics edition. In addition, one can buy an imported (British) complete stories but I wouldn't recommend it as it is an inferior version, in terms of paper quality and overall durability. It is, in a word, a cheap mass market paperback. I noticed, however, that Penguin calls this "The Complete Stories of M.R. James, vol.1," from which I infer that there is the intention to issue another volume. This will address Zajac's point but there is really no reason why Penguin could not compile all his stories in one big volume. After all, it was done by the same publisher in the 1980s. My guess is that Penguin felt it could milk the book-buying public for more money by releasing his collected works in several volumes.

As for the content, I have no qualms with Joshi's erudite annotations. He has, as with the Penguin Lovecraft, Dunsany, and Blackwood volumes, done his usual masterful job. The notes are worth the rating alone if you're of a scholarly bent. If you aren't a fan of footnotes then you probably shouldn't be reading M.R. James to begin with. Better to stick with Dean Koontz or Stephen King.