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Ghost Stories

Classic Tales of Horror and Suspense

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
A masterful collection of ghost stories that have been overlooked by contemporary readers—including tales by celebrated authors such as Charles Dickens, Sir Walter Scott, Mark Twain, and Edith Wharton—presented with insightful annotations by acclaimed horror anthologists Leslie S. Klinger and Lisa Morton.
The ghost story has long been a staple of world literature, but many of the genre's greatest tales have been forgotten, overshadowed in many cases by their authors' bestselling work in other genres. In this spine-tingling anthology, little known stories from literary titans like Charles Dickens and Edith Wharton are collected alongside overlooked works from masters of horror fiction like Edgar Allan Poe and M. R. James.

Acclaimed anthologists Leslie S. Klinger (The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes) and Lisa Morton (Ghosts: A Haunted History) set these stories in historical context and trace the literary significance of ghosts in fiction over almost two hundred years—from a traditional English ballad first printed in 1724 up to the science fiction–tinged tales of the early twentieth century.

In bringing these masterful tales back from the dead, Ghost Stories will enlighten and frighten both longtime fans as well as new readers of the genre.

Including stories by:

Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James, M. R. James, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Walter Scott, Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, and more.
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from February 25, 2019
      Rising smoothly above the acres of anthologies of 19th- and early-20th-century weird and supernatural fiction, author Morton and anthologist Klinger combine brilliant stories by obscure writers (such as Elizabeth Stuart Phelps’s unflinching “Since I Died”) with obscure stories by famous writers (such as Henry James’s “The Real Right Thing,” in which a dead author may not wish anyone to write his biography) to create an outstanding work that serves equally as scholarship and entertainment. The stories chosen form a multifaceted depiction of the ghost story over time, with special attention paid to elements such as political ghosts, explicitly Spiritualist pieces, and, in one fascinating case, two writers tackling identical subject matter a generation apart: Olivia Howard Dunbar’s “The Shell of Sense” is decidedly, and brilliantly, in dialogue with Phelps’s story. There are frightening pieces, funny pieces, heart-wrenching pieces, and outright propaganda, and the few stories that have been frequently anthologized elsewhere justify their presence through their contributions to the book’s thematic discussion. This is a work of art, a pleasure to read, and a serious and welcome contribution to the study of the ghost story in English.

    • Library Journal

      April 1, 2019

      Editors Morton and Klinger collect chilling suspense tales from the 18th to early 20th centuries. There are stories of haunted towns and people told from the perspectives of the ghosts themselves and the people interacting with them. The editors provide historical context by including information before every story, including the original publication date and other notable works by the author. They also feature footnotes to further assist in the understanding of words and concepts unrecognizable in contemporary language. From the poetic writing of Elizabeth Stuart Phelps to the more straightforward prose of Wilkie Collins, there is something here to please any reader. Stories from well-known authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens will draw readers in to discover tales from those less well-known. VERDICT This collection is sure to delight and terrify horror fans and classics enthusiasts.--Natalie Browning, Longwood Univ. Lib., Farmville, VA

      Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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Languages

  • English

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