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A Bundle of Nerves
220 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1975
2 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Joan Aiken
333 books602 followersJoan Aiken was a much loved English writer who received the MBE for services to Children's Literature. She was known as a writer of wild fantasy, Gothic novels and short stories.
She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, Conrad Aiken (who won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry), and her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge. She worked for the United Nations Information Office during the second world war, and then as an editor and freelance on Argosy magazine before she started writing full time, mainly children's books and thrillers. For her books she received the Guardian Award (1969) and the Edgar Allan Poe Award (1972).
Her most popular series, the "Wolves Chronicles" which began with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, was set in an elaborate alternate period of history in a Britain in which James II was never deposed in the Glorious Revolution,and so supporters of the House of Hanover continually plot to overthrow the Stuart Kings. These books also feature cockney urchin heroine Dido Twite and her adventures and travels all over the world.
Another series of children's books about Arabel and her raven Mortimer are illustrated by Quentin Blake, and have been shown on the BBC as Jackanory and drama series. Others including the much loved Necklace of Raindrops and award winning Kingdom Under the Sea are illustrated by Jan Pieńkowski.
Her many novels for adults include several that continue or complement novels by Jane Austen. These include Mansfield Revisited and Jane Fairfax.
Aiken was a lifelong fan of ghost stories. She set her adult supernatural novel The Haunting of Lamb House at Lamb House in Rye (now a National Trust property). This ghost story recounts in fictional form an alleged haunting experienced by two former residents of the house, Henry James and E. F. Benson, both of whom also wrote ghost stories. Aiken's father, Conrad Aiken, also authored a small number of notable ghost stories.
She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, Conrad Aiken (who won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry), and her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge. She worked for the United Nations Information Office during the second world war, and then as an editor and freelance on Argosy magazine before she started writing full time, mainly children's books and thrillers. For her books she received the Guardian Award (1969) and the Edgar Allan Poe Award (1972).
Her most popular series, the "Wolves Chronicles" which began with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, was set in an elaborate alternate period of history in a Britain in which James II was never deposed in the Glorious Revolution,and so supporters of the House of Hanover continually plot to overthrow the Stuart Kings. These books also feature cockney urchin heroine Dido Twite and her adventures and travels all over the world.
Another series of children's books about Arabel and her raven Mortimer are illustrated by Quentin Blake, and have been shown on the BBC as Jackanory and drama series. Others including the much loved Necklace of Raindrops and award winning Kingdom Under the Sea are illustrated by Jan Pieńkowski.
Her many novels for adults include several that continue or complement novels by Jane Austen. These include Mansfield Revisited and Jane Fairfax.
Aiken was a lifelong fan of ghost stories. She set her adult supernatural novel The Haunting of Lamb House at Lamb House in Rye (now a National Trust property). This ghost story recounts in fictional form an alleged haunting experienced by two former residents of the house, Henry James and E. F. Benson, both of whom also wrote ghost stories. Aiken's father, Conrad Aiken, also authored a small number of notable ghost stories.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 26, 2017
Nineteen short stories are collected here, the majority originally appearing in
Argosy
-- a British magazine which appeared between 1926 and 1974 and for which Joan Aiken was Features Editor (from 1955 to 1960). They are indeed 'stories of horror, suspense and fantasy', and though rather mild -- if occasionally racy -- by today's tastes they were, and still are, perfect for the young teenage readership the collection aims at.
Nineteen stories then, rather too many to summarise other than to say that they can surprise as well as satisfy the reader's sense of mystery. Quintessentially British -- Scottish, Cornish and Welsh colour often tints the otherwise very English settings -- these tales bring a bite of the unexpected into everyday life. Many have a publishing house scenario, as may be expected from the author's background in the London office of the United Nations, as well as feature writing for Argosy and copywriting for an advertising agency. Others have macabre twists where just desserts are doled out -- a partially-sighted woman who operates by smell identifies her burglar, a bullied teacher inadvertently but terribly pays his tormentor back, and a man who predatorily profits from a stolen patent is dealt poetic justice. Revenge is indeed a dish best served cold.
A significant number have music running through them as a leitmotiv, from titles like Do You Dig Grieg? and Sonata for Harp and Bicycle to a ghost story ending with the music of William Byrd. In fact every genre you can think of is touched on, not just horror and the supernatural but fantasy and science fiction, black comedy and sweet romance.
Like other collections of her short stories -- A Touch of Chill for example, or The Monkey's Wedding -- there is so much to be savoured, then saved up to be read again. Four decades on this may speak of a recently departed past but human emotions nevertheless remain constant. Curiously, I acquired this collection soon after it appeared in paperback but have only just got round to reading it now; I shan't be leaving it so long again.
http://wp.me/s2oNj1-nerves
Nineteen stories then, rather too many to summarise other than to say that they can surprise as well as satisfy the reader's sense of mystery. Quintessentially British -- Scottish, Cornish and Welsh colour often tints the otherwise very English settings -- these tales bring a bite of the unexpected into everyday life. Many have a publishing house scenario, as may be expected from the author's background in the London office of the United Nations, as well as feature writing for Argosy and copywriting for an advertising agency. Others have macabre twists where just desserts are doled out -- a partially-sighted woman who operates by smell identifies her burglar, a bullied teacher inadvertently but terribly pays his tormentor back, and a man who predatorily profits from a stolen patent is dealt poetic justice. Revenge is indeed a dish best served cold.
A significant number have music running through them as a leitmotiv, from titles like Do You Dig Grieg? and Sonata for Harp and Bicycle to a ghost story ending with the music of William Byrd. In fact every genre you can think of is touched on, not just horror and the supernatural but fantasy and science fiction, black comedy and sweet romance.
Like other collections of her short stories -- A Touch of Chill for example, or The Monkey's Wedding -- there is so much to be savoured, then saved up to be read again. Four decades on this may speak of a recently departed past but human emotions nevertheless remain constant. Curiously, I acquired this collection soon after it appeared in paperback but have only just got round to reading it now; I shan't be leaving it so long again.
http://wp.me/s2oNj1-nerves
October 23, 2022
[Caught my eye]
I wanted an anthology of short creepy stories for Halloween and while this wasn't quite what I was looking for I really enjoyed it!
The last 4 stories were definitely my favourite: "Sonata for Harp and Bicycle " has backroom vibes; "Searching for Summer" felt like an apocalypse with a glimmer of hope; and the ending of "Dead Language Master" made me gasp.
I wanted an anthology of short creepy stories for Halloween and while this wasn't quite what I was looking for I really enjoyed it!
The last 4 stories were definitely my favourite: "Sonata for Harp and Bicycle " has backroom vibes; "Searching for Summer" felt like an apocalypse with a glimmer of hope; and the ending of "Dead Language Master" made me gasp.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews