One more week of the new year gone and another book read. This one is actually the first of a whole series of books that I am going to collect: The Fontana Book of Great Ghost stories. I have only 6 of them and will have to find the missing ones and how any exactly there are. The highest number I have is 15 but I think I may have seen a number 17 or 18 on a website somewhere. I got the ones I have all in in one go from little bookshop in Hemel Hempstead. They were only £1 each.... an absolute bargain! I have not seen any anywhere else since so will probably have to get the missing links on the web but I always keep my eyes open for the little fellas when I am out and about. You never know where you can pick up a good ghost story book!
#### SPOILER ALERT ####
The Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories - selected by Robert Aickman
I believe this is the first one in the series and if it is ant indicator for what the rest of the series is going to be like, I am in for a treat.
I have to note that I skipped the Old Nurse's Story as I have read it quite often now. It seems to feature in a lot of anthologies and kind of loses the surprise factor if you read it often. Another thing I skipped was the introduction... as per usual.
The Travelling Grave - L.P. Hartley
Some friends have a little get together and a little game a hide and seek goes a bit awry. The host has a weird hobby that ends up making short shrift of him... literally.
Stay away from box shaped things in strange houses is what I learnt form this one.
It is kind of a fun little story but seems a bit disjointed. I think his idea was to let the various bits of the story intertwine naturally but for me that did not quite work as I find myself thinking.. "how did we get here?" and "where did he come from?".
The Ghost Ship - Richard Middleton
The village of Fairfield seems to be a popular haunt of ghosts. So much so that people do not even flinch at the site of them and get upset when they leave. There is a storm that throws up a ghost ship and disturbs life in this ghostly idyll. Apparently it is all the fault of some very lovely Rum.
Squire Toby's Will - J. Sheridan Le Fanu
This one is a dark tale. The men are dark of character and their environment seems dark and ominous. A mean old man leaves his two sons to fight it out over his estate. The one cheats the other out of his rightful inheritance but does not get to enjoy it much. The addition of the dog is a little gem.
The Voice in the Night - William Hope Hodgson
We have a ship being approached by a castaway from a nearby island. The tale he has to tell is grim and frightening. Do not eat anything grey if you ever get stranded on a deserted island!
This one had me dreaming of it once I read it! Not sure what it was about it that struck me so. Perhaps it is the desperation of the man who approaches the main vessel looking for food. He is doomed and he knows it. He has in a way doomed himself and knows he must stay away from civilisation never to return.
Three Miles Up - Elizabeth Jane Howard
Two man and a narrow boat, a gentle trip down England's canals. What could possibly go wrong? Strangely enough everything until they pick up a mysterious woman. Then everything becomes smooth sailing. Well...almost everything. they keep not finding that illusive village 3 miles up the canal.
Lovely little tale that meanders along like the river they are boating along on. You do not see the danger until it is too late.
The Rocking-horse Winner - D.H. Lawrence
Boys and their toys. In this story one young boy makes a killing by literally hanging on to his little rocking horse for dear life. Shame his mum does not appreciate it.
The Wendigo - Algernon Blackwood
Some sturdy men looking to hunt some big game. Add to the mix the overwhelming nature of the vast American wilderness and insanity.. or near insanity. Although the environment is so vast this store feels closed up and narrow the wilderness almost seems to choke the characters. It creeps in to the places they thought were safe and takes one of them away. Not much is actually sees and much is suggested and although the abductee returns he is never quite himself again.
The Crown Derby Plate - Marjorie Bowen
Some people would do anything to get hold of a good, collectable plate.
A lovely little story out a woman who goes begging for a plate to complete her set and gets a bit more in the bargain. Gave me a good little chuckle at the end!
The Trains - Robert Aickman
This one feels more modern as it is about two young girls hiking across England. They end up somewhat lost in a eerie valley and end up in accepting the comfort of a stranger with a "man"-servant who goes a bit postal. The host is not all that he seems either and the girls end up perpetuating the myth surrounding the house.
Seaton's Aunt - Walter de la Mare
I did not quite get why this one was included in this collection. I could not really find any ghosts in it although they are mentioned, as are strange noises. The titled Aunt is a nasty, selfish, pedantic piece of work but certainly no ghost. The story is basically one guy (Seaton) trying to be friends with another and the other resisting the intimacy of this friendship.... yet he goes to stay several times. Had he just been less polite the lives of both men would probably have been the better for it.
Title: The Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories
Author/Selected by: Robert Aickman
256 pages
Fontana/Collins
ISBN nr 0-00-613124-7
Books to be read: 99
No comments:
Post a Comment