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39th out of 69 books
—
32 voters
Tales of Terror from the Black Ship (Tales of Terror)
When Ethan and Cathy fall ill during a storm, their father must leave them to fetch the doctor. . .but they are not alone for long. A sailor comes begging for shelter. So, the children agree to let himsit out thethroes of the storm as theylisten to his grisly tales. But something about the man puts Ethan on edge, and he is anxious for the storm to blow over, their father t...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
August 19th 2008
by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
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I was drawn to this book by the wonderful Gorey-esque drawings on the cover and once I picked it up, I could not put it down. As the title clearly says, these are tales of terror from the black ship. The stories are told within the framework of a severe storm, an inn perched on the top of a sea cliff, and two ill children left alone who open the door to a stranger. That these children have a penchant for frightening stories is somehow not surprising, nor is the stranger's apparently endless supp...more
May 09, 2013
Kayleigh Marie
added it
After reading ‘Uncle Montegue’s Tales of Terror’ by Chris Priestley,I was really excited to see ‘Tales of Terror from the Black Ship’ in my local library! I checked it out straightaway read it immediately!
‘Tales of Terror from the Black Ship’ follows sibling Cathy and Ethan. When the siblings fall ill during a terrible storm their father is forced to leave them and find a doctor. They live in an inn by the sea, and it is not long before a storm drenched sailor comes knocking at the door seeking...more
‘Tales of Terror from the Black Ship’ follows sibling Cathy and Ethan. When the siblings fall ill during a terrible storm their father is forced to leave them and find a doctor. They live in an inn by the sea, and it is not long before a storm drenched sailor comes knocking at the door seeking...more
Last week the Cornish coast was lashed by storms.
I was tucked up at home with a book, with waves outside crashing against the sea wall and being forced up over the promenade and the road. Our garden was soaked by the spray and the downstairs windows got a salt water rinse.
It’s a marvellous sight when you’re inside, secure in the knowledge that your home has withstood a multitude of storms over a hundred years and more.
And in the pages of my book two children looked out on a similar storm.
Ethan a...more
I was tucked up at home with a book, with waves outside crashing against the sea wall and being forced up over the promenade and the road. Our garden was soaked by the spray and the downstairs windows got a salt water rinse.
It’s a marvellous sight when you’re inside, secure in the knowledge that your home has withstood a multitude of storms over a hundred years and more.
And in the pages of my book two children looked out on a similar storm.
Ethan a...more
I will never look at snails the same way again. –Thank You Chris Priestly for adding another neurosis, and Thank You Carl V. for the book recommendation.
I am not one who boasts a fearlessness when opening a book of scary stories meant for children. I’ve learned my lesson, but I didn’t think Priestly’s Tales of Terror from the Black Ship was going to get me, especially after the mysterious Thackeray’s first tale. Sticking with the read I was eventually rewarded by becoming both grossed out and pr...more
I am not one who boasts a fearlessness when opening a book of scary stories meant for children. I’ve learned my lesson, but I didn’t think Priestly’s Tales of Terror from the Black Ship was going to get me, especially after the mysterious Thackeray’s first tale. Sticking with the read I was eventually rewarded by becoming both grossed out and pr...more
Once again Chris Priestley presents us with a selection of ghostly tales covering a variety of sea-related monsters and frights linked together by an intriguing tale of two sick children waiting for their father to return with the doctor. I enjoyed the previous tale – Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror (reviewed here), but I definitely preferred these selection of tales. The ongoing theme of nautical terror was a strong link between stories – after all what is scarier than being trapped on a ship...more
Fans of Priestley’s Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror will swallow whole his second novel. This narrative frame story, set in 19th century England, siblings Ethan and Cathy are home alone at their family’s inn during a terrible storm. A sailor knocks on their door seeking shelter and they reluctantly agree to let him in. He is Thackery, a young sailor who shares their passion for gruesome stories. Thackery then tells a series of creepy tales that center around the ever mysterious ocean and includ...more
Ethan and Cathy weren't supposed to let anyone in on that stormy night, alas they do and the stranger waits out the storm by telling creepy stories of the seafaring kind.
Being the second part of a series of books by Chris Priestley for young readers, but absolutely enjoyable at every age, this book focuses solely on stories that take place out at sea or nothing further than a harbor. The narrative is both engrossing and intricately written, and once again it shows how much the author loves story...more
Being the second part of a series of books by Chris Priestley for young readers, but absolutely enjoyable at every age, this book focuses solely on stories that take place out at sea or nothing further than a harbor. The narrative is both engrossing and intricately written, and once again it shows how much the author loves story...more
I'm generally not one for scary stories, but the cover drew me in. It has a vicious-looking monkey on the spine, and every time I was shelving in the teenage section I would notice it. (You might say it jumped out at me, ha ha. But figuratively, not literally, because that really would be creepy.)
The set-up was very traditional -- two children alone in a storm, stranger knocks at the door, they let him in and he repays them by telling them horror stories all night. But the actual stories felt fr...more
The set-up was very traditional -- two children alone in a storm, stranger knocks at the door, they let him in and he repays them by telling them horror stories all night. But the actual stories felt fr...more
If you're about to skip this book because it's meant for kids - don't. Its stories are quite simple, granted, but one could hardly call them naive and evade being laughed at.
At the same time, I wouldn't call any of them in any way scary - except, maybe, the one about the monkey and the one about the settlers' journey, but 'sligtly unnerving' and 'not quite predictable' would be the better terms.
But it's worth reading for the simple fact that Chris Priestley is an amazing storyteller in all the...more
At the same time, I wouldn't call any of them in any way scary - except, maybe, the one about the monkey and the one about the settlers' journey, but 'sligtly unnerving' and 'not quite predictable' would be the better terms.
But it's worth reading for the simple fact that Chris Priestley is an amazing storyteller in all the...more
Ok how to describe this book - well i would say its gothic suspense (would not say horror that is too harsh and in the case of this book too blunt a label) for beginners, Yes the book is a YA title and is one of a number of such titles aimed at the younger reader to instil fear and suspense in them - i guess it does not take a genius to realise what has happened and where the underlying story is going (it is told a series of tales related by a weary traveller - yes we have come across these sort...more
I saw this book on someone's blog at the beginning of the month. I don't think they were reviewing it, just listing good Halloween books. I decided to find some of them and read them for Halloween. I found this one in the library catalog and checked it out.
Though this is considered a children's book, I wouldn't read it to a child any younger than 8-years-old. Even then, I would edit some of the language. Aside from the occasional bad language, I thought it was great. It was exactly what I was ho...more
Though this is considered a children's book, I wouldn't read it to a child any younger than 8-years-old. Even then, I would edit some of the language. Aside from the occasional bad language, I thought it was great. It was exactly what I was ho...more
Ich hab jetzt endlich das Hörbuch ausgeliehen!
1 like · like · see review
The Old Inn clings to a clifftop above a storm-lashed sea. Ethan and Cathy are ill and their father has gone to fetch a doctor. A visitor comes begging for shelter and the three of them sit out the storm with the visitor telling grisly and terrifying tales of the sea.
This is an odd book with an interesting twist at the end. It's well told and well written with the oddest illustrations to go with the stories. The stories are filled with tension and suspense and you just know that something isn't...more
This is an odd book with an interesting twist at the end. It's well told and well written with the oddest illustrations to go with the stories. The stories are filled with tension and suspense and you just know that something isn't...more
This book, I'll admit, disappointed me when it came to the scariness of it. It is nowhere near as scary as the other two Tales of Terror books, the stories just failed to send a shiver running down my spine.
That said, the stories were good quality, and the connection between them all was very interesting. The draw for me with these books is not only the horror but the mystery too, and there was plenty of that.
**SPOILERS** (I guess)
I liked how Uncle M. made an appearance at the end, that was ve...more
That said, the stories were good quality, and the connection between them all was very interesting. The draw for me with these books is not only the horror but the mystery too, and there was plenty of that.
**SPOILERS** (I guess)
I liked how Uncle M. made an appearance at the end, that was ve...more
This book is really a collection of horror stories with a framing story for the begining and end. The stories told don't have much too to do with the opening or the end. Although the last one is clue of what is going on. With no real central narrative it is hard to get pulled into reading the whole long dull book.
This is why I ended up skip reading the book and so I gave it no stars. I read the opening, the first two stories, the last one and the end. The language in this is book is much too hig...more
This is why I ended up skip reading the book and so I gave it no stars. I read the opening, the first two stories, the last one and the end. The language in this is book is much too hig...more
As an introduction to the horror genre, I think this book really hits the target! Plenty of atmosphere and more than its fair share of guts and gore make this an unsettling, if predictable, read. The short stories are held together by the overarching narrative, although I did find those sections slightly repetative. The twist at the end may come as a surprise to less experienced readers, but overall the book has a faintly reassuring quality in the style of some of the more gruesome fairy tales.
P...more
P...more
This book reminded me of a few other similar books out there, and I would give it 3.5 stars if I could. Mostly it reminded me of "The Series of Unfortunate Events" series, but it seems pretty clear that this was not written specifically as a series. There's an underlying story which ties together a collection of short sea-based horror stories. These are definitely darker than the Lemony Snicket series, but would probably be considered older juvenile fiction or young adult fiction. I am definitel...more
Wie beim ersten Teil ist dies eine Mischung aus Gesamtgeschichte und eingefassten Kurzgeschichten. Nur, dass es sich diesmal um Seemanns-Gruselgeschichten handelt. Ich finde, dass sehr spannend ;)
Diesmal geht es um Cathy und Ethan, Geschwister die nachts auf die Rückkehr ihres Vaters warten und eigentlich niemanden ins Haus lassen sollen. Bis plötzlich Mr. Thackeray vor der Tür steht. Ethan ist stutzig, lässt ihn aber trotz des heftigen Sturms und Regens ins Haus und Mr. Thackery erzählt die See...more
Diesmal geht es um Cathy und Ethan, Geschwister die nachts auf die Rückkehr ihres Vaters warten und eigentlich niemanden ins Haus lassen sollen. Bis plötzlich Mr. Thackeray vor der Tür steht. Ethan ist stutzig, lässt ihn aber trotz des heftigen Sturms und Regens ins Haus und Mr. Thackery erzählt die See...more
Summary: Young Ethan and his sister Cathy pass a stormy night listening to scary tales from an eccentric mariner visiting the inn of their father. As the evening progresses, the children begin to suspect something more sinister about the visitor.
Things I Liked: The illustrations. The Mariner's stories, which were both creepy and entertaining. I appreciated Priestly's large and varied vocabulary as well as the obvious care and attention he pays to the re-writing process.
Things I didn't Like: The...more
Things I Liked: The illustrations. The Mariner's stories, which were both creepy and entertaining. I appreciated Priestly's large and varied vocabulary as well as the obvious care and attention he pays to the re-writing process.
Things I didn't Like: The...more
Though I began this book thinking I'd know what to expect from the last one, it still caught me off-guard, much to my delight. The same familiar uneasy feel you get as you finish each story still stays with you, the setting of an empty in on a stormy night the perfect atmosphere once again for such tales. Although a bit more of a sad backstory among the stories, I was certainly not let down by Tales of Terror from the Black Ship. I will try everything in my power to get the next edition of Tales...more
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This book of macabre tales connected with the sea reminds me of the short stories of William Hope Hodgson. Priestley writes in a Victorian, gothic style, and the eerie black and white drawings by David Roberts, reminiscent of those of Edward Gorey, add to that atmosphere. Cathy and Ethan are sick at the seaside inn where they live, waiting during a fearsome storm for their father to return with the doctor. A knock on the door brings a young sailor seeking shelter from the wind and rain--Thackera...more
The story develops when a mystery sailor visits the childrens inn, when their father has left to get them help whilst they are ill. The sailor tells them stories to pass the time and this leads to an interesting twist at the end. i really did enjoy this book and the tales which an through it. Even though the book is especially written for children, I think adults will enjoy this to. A real sense of fun throughout. Well written and well told. Looking forward to reading the other books.
Siblings Ethan and Cathy are ill so their father braves a strong storm to find the town doctor. Meanwhile, Ethan and Cathy recover, but the storm rages and their father is late returning. A knock is heard at the door of the tavern and they allow in Thackeray, a sailor caught in the gale, who has a knack for telling scary stories. Ethan and Cathy enjoy the stories (although Ethan is wary of the stranger), while little by little Thackeray reveals pieces of his story.
The stories are page-turners.
Gr...more
The stories are page-turners.
Gr...more
The horror stories were pretty good and scary by themselves, though as an adult reader, I wanted them to be longer with greater use of descriptions and details. The narrator, a young boy by the name of Ethan, was aggravating. He states the same emotions and reactions over and over and over and at every new chapter, there he is with the same restatement of the same emotions.
But as far as scary stories go, I found these to be appropriately scary!
But as far as scary stories go, I found these to be appropriately scary!
1 like · like · see review
This is the sequel to the wonderful 'Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror' which I read last year. Being a bit of a scaredy cat, this book, which is really a childrens book (age range 9-12 approx), is about as scary as I go without needing to leave the light on at night.
It's a collection of short stories told to two children on a dark stormy night by a stranger who needs shelter from the raging storm outside.
As in the previous book, some tales are scarier than others .... 'The Scrimshaw Imp', 'Irezu...more
It's a collection of short stories told to two children on a dark stormy night by a stranger who needs shelter from the raging storm outside.
As in the previous book, some tales are scarier than others .... 'The Scrimshaw Imp', 'Irezu...more
Pirates! Smugglers! Tempests! Ghost ships! Sea Monsters!––Well small sea monsters at least.
These supernatural yarns from the storm-tossed imagination of Chris Priestley, call to mind the works of Poe, Melville, Conan Doyle, et al.
The stories are drawn together by a thrilling and sinister sub-plot that keeps the reader turning the pages till the tales reach their grim harbor.
These supernatural yarns from the storm-tossed imagination of Chris Priestley, call to mind the works of Poe, Melville, Conan Doyle, et al.
The stories are drawn together by a thrilling and sinister sub-plot that keeps the reader turning the pages till the tales reach their grim harbor.
Picking up this book from the shelves, I didn't think it would have been as eerie as it is. I underestimated the horror for it's enfantine cover illustration. The stories were a build up, each story getting creepier than the previous. I was initially drawn by the illustration but was even happier with the purchase since the story was very enjoyable.
Alla faccia del libro per ragazzini. Le terrificanti storie del Vascello Nero spaventa e disturba come dovrebbe fare un libro per adulti. I vari racconti e il filo che li unisce cos�� splendidamente sono convincenti e, soprattutto, non ammorbati da stucchevoli finali in difesa delle giovani (e stupide, come crede qualcuno) menti.
Another good little collection of supernatural and/or ghost stories, with a central narrative linking them all together by means of a creepy storyteller. I enjoyed these, but not as much as the other Chris Priestley stories I've read, perhaps because I'm growing more accustomed to the style. Favourite story: The Boy in the Boat - I can see it making a great short film.
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His father was in the army and so he moved around a lot as a child and lived in Wales. He was an avid reader of American comics as a child, and when he was eight or nine, and living in Gibraltar, he won a prize in a newspaper story-writing competition. He decided then “that my ambition was to write and illustrate my own book”.
He spent his teens in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, before moving to Manchester,...more
More about Chris Priestley...
He spent his teens in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, before moving to Manchester,...more
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Miguel.
Apr 22, 2009 10:34pm