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'i Was Conscious Of A Most Horrible Smell Of Mould, And Of A Cold Kind Of Face Pressed Against My Own...' Considered By Many To Be The Most Terrifying Writer In English, M. R. James Was An Eminent Scholar Who Spent His Entire Adult Life In The Academic Surroundings Of Eton And Cambridge. His Classic Supernatural Tales Draw On The Terrors Of The Everyday, In Which Documents And Objects Unleash Terrible Forces, Often In Closed Rooms And Night-time Settings Where Imagination Runs Riot. Lonely Country Houses, Remote Inns, Ancient Churches Or The Manuscript Collections Of Great Libraries Provide Settings For Unbearable Menace, From Creatures Seeking Retribution And Harm. These Stories Have Lost None Of Their Power To Unsettle And Disturb. This Edition Presents All Of James's Published Ghost Stories, Including The Unforgettable 'oh, Whistle And I'll Come To You, My Lad' And 'casting The Runes', And An Appendix Of James's Writings On The Ghost Story. Darryl Jones's Introduction And Notes Provide A Fascinating Insight Into James's Background And His Mastery Of The Genre He Made His Own. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.
An unassuming scholar or antiquarian inadvertently disturbs an ancient, malevolent force, triggering a series of increasingly harrowing supernatural encounters. The protagonist typically seeks knowledge or historical artifacts, only to find that their intellectual curiosity has breached the boundary between the mundane world and a realm of ancient, vengeful entities. These narratives often utilize a frame story structure, where the horror is revealed through discovered manuscripts, letters, or oral accounts. The physical world is depicted with meticulous detail, grounding the reader in academic or rural settings before the intrusion of the uncanny creates a sense of profound, claustrophobic dread.
Readers frequently highlight the author's ability to transform ordinary objects and quiet settings into sources of intense, lingering unease. Discussion often centers on the clinical, detached prose style which contrasts sharply with the horrific nature of the events described. Critics note that the stories rely on the reader's own imagination to fill in the gaps, making the unseen threats feel more potent than explicit descriptions. Many appreciate the intellectual rigor applied to the supernatural elements, which distinguishes these tales from more sensationalist horror fiction. The collection is widely regarded as a definitive example of the genre, maintaining its effectiveness across generations of readers.
Page Count:
512
Publication Date:
2011-01-01
Publisher:
Oup Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191618519
ISBN-13:
9780191618512