One of a huge haul of books donated by a lady off Freegle (freecycle).

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Picked up at the Unconvention for a re-read.

Well, the show went on, and the stories kept on becoming a little more terrifying each time, and the children were mesmerized into complete silence. At last he produced a series which represented a little boy passing through his own park--Lufford, I mean--in the evening. Every child in the room could recognize the place from the pictures. And this poor boy was followed, and at last pursued and overtaken, and either torn to pieces or somehow made away with, by a horrible hopping creature in white, which you saw first dodging about among the trees, and gradually it appeared more and more plainly. Mr Farrer said it gave him one of the worst nightmares he ever remembered, and what it must have meant to the children doesn't bear thinking of.

M.R. James wrote his ghost stories between the 1890s and 1930s and most of them were initially told to colleagues and students at King's College Cambridge and Eton. A typical story would take place in an ancient building or on the desolate east coast of England, with a horror from the past being awoken when the unlucky protagonist unwittingly disturbs its rest. I really didn't like reading about a man reaching under his pillow only to touch a wet hairy mouth! Not a good story to read just before going to bed.

I was wondering why the white hopping thing in "Casting the Runes" seemed familiar even though that isn't one of the stories I have read before, but I think that is is because one of the model-makers in "The Bat Tattoo" by Rusell Hoban made a clockwork model showing that scene.

For my November Secret Santa partner. I hope you enjoy it!

I've heard that M.R James was the master ghost story writer so am very pleased to have this wishlist book, especially as it's the beginning of long winter nights. I don't believe you can really read ghost stories in the daylight or summer. (Although if they really scare me I might just have to do that...)

Thank you very much for this super wishlist book.

Nice to see that this came originally from the lovely Heaven-Ali too :-)

I've been interested in reading some of MR James ghost stories for ages; he is so often cited as being the master of, and an inspiration for newer writers of the genre. I also watched the TV version of 'Oh, Whistle and I'll come to you my Lad' recently.
I find the language fascinating given the stories were written and published so long ago. You can clearly see what was considered (new?) slang by the Cambridge Professor's use of inverted commas. 'Turn up' as in arrived, is so commonly used nowadays that the inverted commas startled me.
My favourites, of the stories I read, are Oh, Whistle and I'll come to you my Lad, Casting the Runes and A View from a Hill.
Great stories but I do still love Susan Hill's longer tales best, particularly The Woman in Black.

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I loved the writing, not a word is wasted or necessary. I've read every story.

I loved the writing, not a word is wasted or unnecessary. I've read every story.

Back with me. It will come to the Dublin Convention if I can fit it in my case!

If this is your introduction to Bookcrossing, welcome!

Please make as many, or few, comments about the book as you wish. The book is now yours to do with as you choose. Keep it, pass it on, but please leave the label, so we can keep in touch with what's happened to it.

If you would like to know what happens to the book if you decide to pass it on, then do join BookCrossing. It's free, private and it's great fun!

And if you do choose to join, I hope you'll consider using me Cinderess as your referring member.

*********************************************************************************************************************

Hah! This book is now back in Brum after I picked it up from the book buffet table at the Dublin Convention.

Thank you for visiting the website. If this is your introduction to Bookcrossing, welcome.
Please make as few or as many comments about the book as you wish. The book is now yours to do with as you choose.
Keep it, pass it on, but please leave the label, so it can keep in touch with us.
If you would like to know what happens to the book after you have passed it on, then do join - it's free, private and fun.