Best of the Ghostly tales
THE TURN OF THE SCREW (1898) by Henry James
This novella wouldn’t satisfy Cox and Grant due to its length (and possibly its Gothic overtones) but it chills both supernaturally and psychologically: the possession of her charges brings about the unravelling of a young governess’s sanity as she tries to protect them from malevolent forces beyond the grave. James doesn’t quite nail the female voice, but the terror engendered by the juxtapositioning of innocence and malevolence makes for a deeply disturbing read.
THE OLD NURSE’S STORY (1852) by Elizabeth Gaskell
Sororal rivalry and infanticide lie at the heart of this short story. Again, it is a governess’s determination to protect the child in her care that gives the story its force. Though I would find it difficult to ignore a broken organ being played in a locked-up wing every evening the way the household does.
IN A GLASS DARKLY (1872) by Sheridan Le Fanu
MR James himself was a great fan of Le Fanu, praising many of his stories, such as Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter (1839), a demon lover tale. This compilation of five stories includes Green Tea (the tale of a man haunted by a monkey) and Carmilla (young lesbian vampires). If only for the distinctly schlocky themes, this compendium is worth a furrow.
THE SIGNAL-MAN (1866) by Charles Dickens
A masterful tale of an apparition by a railway tunnel that foretells tragedy, this was written the year after the author was involved in the Staplehurst boat train accident. Almost as creepy as the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.
CANON ALBERIC’S SCRAP-BOOK; THE MEZZOTINT; OH, WHISTLE, AND I’LL COME TO YOU, MY LAD (1910) by MR James
These appear in James’s first collection, Ghost Stories of
an Antiquary, and are among his finest. Lloyd Parry says the first is his favourite: “It has everything that there is to enjoy in an MR James ghost story – the vivid setting; the steady accumulation of unease, culminating in a moment of perfectly described dread; an unforgettable monster; fascinating detail; and plenty of humour, too.” The second is
the story of an engraving of a house that changes when it’s not looked at to reveal a skeletal
monstrosity, while the third warns of the consequences of
blowing a cursed whistle.
A WARNING TO THE CURIOUS (1925) by MR James
This cautionary tale of investigating treasures that are not one’s own was described as “bleak” by Cox and Gilbert. An amateur archaeologist digs up an old crown said to protect the coast from invaders. Thereafter, he’s conscious of never being alone.