Collected Ghost Stories

The ghost stories of M.R. James, considered by many to be the most terrifying in English, have lost none of their power to unsettle and disturb. They draw on the terrors of the everyday, often in closed rooms and night-time settings where the imagination runs riot. Lonely country houses, remote inns, and ancient churches provide settings for unbearable menace, from creatures seeking retribution and harm. This book 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," plus three uncollected tales. Darryl Jones's lively introduction explores James's conservative, donnish background and the character traits that contributed to the extraordinary power of his tales, and his notes illuminate James's antiquarian, classical, and literary references as well as providing interesting publishing history details. An Appendix reprints the prefaces and introductions to James's individual story collections together with three short articles by James about the ghost story. A marvelous gift idea, boasting an attractive design and a ribbon marker, this is the only hardcover edition of James's tales in print.

Darryl Jones's other publications include Horror: A Thematic History in Fiction and Film (London: Arnold; New York: OUP, 2002).

Introduction