M.R. James: The Complete Ghost Stories Collection
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Narrated by:
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Jonathan Keeble
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By:
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M. R. James
The ghost stories of M.R. James are a masterclass in crafting suspense and psychological horror and are justly celebrated for their eerie atmosphere and chilling supernatural encounters. James redefined the genre by replacing many of the formal Gothic trappings of his predecessors with more realistic contemporary settings, and pioneered the "antiquarian ghost story," where ancient manuscripts, relics, or artifacts unleash malevolent forces (Casting the Runes, The Mezzotint). This full and unabridged collection contains the five volumes of ghost stories James published in his lifetime, superbly read by award-winning narrator Jonathan Keeble.
The titles included in this collection, in order of appearance, are:
- 'Canon Alberics 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 Humphrys and His Inheritance'
- 'The Residence at Whitminister'
- 'The Diary of Mr Poynter'
- 'An Episode of Cathedral History'
- 'The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance'
- 'Two Doctors'
- 'An Evening's Entertainment'
- 'A Warning to the Curious'
- 'A View from a Hill'
- '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'
- 'The Fenstanton Witch'
- 'Appendix'
Montague Rhodes James (1862–1936) was a distinguished English medievalist scholar and academic, serving as Provost of King's College, Cambridge, and later Eton College. His ghost stories, widely regarded as the finest in the English language, have been widely influential on modern horror and many - including Oh, Whistle and I’ll Come For You, My Lad, The Tractate Middoth, A View from a Hill and Casting the Runes (aka Night of the Demon) - have been adapted for the screen.
This audiobook is fully indexed. Once downloaded, each book and chapter will be listed so you can easily navigate to the individual sections.
Fantastic!
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Couldn’t tear myself away
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These iconic stories are the stuff of nightmares. M. R. James had his own criteria regarding how he felt a ghost story should be told, and he never disappointed in delivering something that still retains the true horror it did, when he originally wrote these tales.
If you are familiar with his work - and you may well be, even if you haven't read them, as many of these stories have been adapted as faithfully reworked dramas, usually shown on television on Christmas eve - you'll also delight, as I did, in hearing them so beautifully lived, here. I say 'lived' rather than simply 'read', as Jonathan Keeble is a fine actor, and his versatility with voice work is so enjoyable to listen to. Characters take on their full depth, so making the story come alive... often terrifyingly so!
Despite the fact I listened to these tales through the hottest summer evenings we've known in several years, (a chapter or two of Audible at bedtime is very much part of my daily routine!) these wonderful, often terrifying stories were as chilling and atmospheric as they originally must have been, as witnessed by them being shared by M. R. James himself. I often muse about what I would like to do, if I could time travel. Where would I go, and what would I most want to experience? Well, being amongst the select few gathered around a festive College fireside, to hear the author himself first share these stories, would be high on my list.
I won't even attempt to describe the stories themselves. If you know M. R. James' work, you don't need to read my thoughts on these tales, here, especially as you could be listening to the stories for yourself! But if you're new to these tales, be prepared to suffer some sleepless nights. These timeless classics really do get deep within your imagination, and will linger there, long after you have stopped listening. Shadows take on new, sinister lives of their own, and the previously innocent late night sounds of an empty house, begin to sound anything but innocent. If I am forced to try and sum up these stories, especially the way they are delivered here in one word, I'll simply say 'Sublime!'.
Fans of genuinely chilling horror are in for an absolute treat. I'm sure I'll be returning to this collection many times - especially around the dark winter nights, during the traditionally best time for sharing ghost stories, and tales of terror. I have several candidates from this wonderful collection for Christmas eve, already!
Superb narrator for these Classic tales!
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Jonathan Keeble has a lovely voice
Wonderful
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if you are listening to these stories for the first time, I would definitely recommend starting here.
wonderful stories and classic narration
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