Ghost Stories of an Antiquary

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Many of James's tales were read contemporaneously as Christmas Eve entertainments, an idea that was taken up by the BBC in 2000 when they filmed Christopher Lee reading James's stories in King's College, Cambridge, as the author himself had done years before. Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, Volume 2 comprises graphic adaptations of four spine-chilling stories by M.

In Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to you, My Lad, the object is an ancient bronze whistle that terrifies Professor Parkins to near insanity. Although Arnold suggested another illustrator, James, a close friend of McBryde's, was adamant that he could not be replaced.The tales are all good, but my favourites were 'Canon Alberic's Scrap-book', 'Lost Hearts', 'The Mezzotint', and 'Count Magnus'. I found myself thinking of both Lovecraft (in James’ use of made-up manuscripts and a reliance on protagonists of a learned bent whose curiosity proves to be their bane) and Clark Ashton-Smith (though with prose that was a little less flowery) though I think James is a much better stylist than the former and a little less given to the more extreme flights of fancy of the latter. The frontispiece and three plates are finely illustrated by James Bride who, whilst illustrating this book, died. With a contemporary ink inscription to the front free endpaper, dated December 25th 1911, and a Blackwell's bookseller's label to the front pastedown. To be sure, there was the occasional radio broadcast (and wouldn’t we just love to hear Valentine Dyall telling the tale of A Neighbour’s Landmark?

R. James, is well known to ghost story fanatics, but if you are unfamiliar with his work you are in for a wonderful treat. You are drawn into a settled and comfortable world of staid gentlemen and scholars, a cosy world of droll humour and secure predictability.Registered office: WSM Services Limited, Connect House, 133-137 Alexandra Road, Wimbledon, LONDON SW19 7JY. James’ ghost stories do not follow the same style as ones that preceeded them and that led to him being known as the founder of the antiquarian ghost story.