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Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories

Roald Dahl (Editor),

F. Marion Crawford (Contributor)

L.P. Hartley (Contributor)

Richard Barham Middleton (Contributor)

Rosemary Timperley (Contributor)

J. Sheridan Le Fanu (Contributor)

Mary Treadgold (Contributor)

Edith Wharton (Contributor)

, more…

3.69 · Rating details · 3,495 ratings · 390 reviews

Who better to investigate the literary spirit world than that supreme connoisseur of the unexpected, Roald Dahl? Of the many permutations of the macabre, Dahl was always especially fascinated by the classic ghost story. For this superbly disquieting collection, he selected fourteen of his favorite tales by such authors as E.F. Benson, Rosemary Timperley, and Edith Wharton

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Paperback, 249 pages

Published 1985 by Penguin UK (first published 1983)

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3.69 ·

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· 3,495 ratings · 390 reviews

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Oct 28, 2018 Julie rated it liked it

Every year on Halloween night, I permit myself one Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. It is a great indulgence for me, an annual event, and I savor the moment, taking very small bites to prolong the experience.

This collection of ghost stories, that I bought last year after the creepy season ended, felt like a similar indulgence to me. I was going to savor Roald Dahls' writing one story at a time, one story for 14 nights of October, leading up to Halloween night. . .

But, as soon as I opened it up, I ex Every year on Halloween night, I permit myself one Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. It is a great indulgence for me, an annual event, and I savor the moment, taking very small bites to prolong the experience.

This collection of ghost stories, that I bought last year after the creepy season ended, felt like a similar indulgence to me. I was going to savor Roald Dahls' writing one story at a time, one story for 14 nights of October, leading up to Halloween night. . .

But, as soon as I opened it up, I experienced problem #1. . . these ghost stories were NOT written by Mr. Dahl, they were COLLECTED by him, originally in 1958.

In his excellent Introduction, Dahl explains that “good ghost stories. . . are damnably difficult to write,” and admits that he himself had never been able to accomplish a good one, but after reading through 749 ghost stories written by other people, he chose 24 of the best for a series he was promoting. He then narrowed that down to 14, for this particular collection.

The first ghost story, “W.S.,” written in 1954 by L.P. Hartley (who obviously likes initials), was succinct, successful at making the hairs creep up on the back of my neck. . . and I was able to overlook the disappointment of missing out on Roald Dahl's actual writing, but then. . .

Most of the remaining stories in the collection felt dull, dated and fairly predictable. The ghost in each story was creepy (as most ghosts are), but the other essentials, like character development and setting (among the living), felt underdeveloped and shabby in most.

One story, “The Corner Shop,” published originally in 1951, was interesting. . . in that it involves the redemption of a soul and a shift in a ghost's status, and the prospect of it danced a little in the back of my mind.

For the most part. . . yawn. . . but, fortunately, no insomnia for me!

As a side note, for a woman who is currently obsessed with Shirley Jackson, it was serendipitous for me to find this in Mr. Dahl's 1983 Introduction:

Who can forget Shirley Jackson's marvellous story, “The Lottery?” Admittedly, it isn't a ghost story. But it deals with the same sort of eerie and unfathomable events and does it in a manner I have never seen matched by any male short story writer.

Having just reread Jackson's The Lottery last week, I can tell you, there isn't a short story out there that matches that one for brevity or the power to disturb your mind. ...more

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Feb 08, 2018 Fiona MacDonald rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books

I was seriously impressed by this collection of ghost stories. I would estimate that 10 out of 14 were genuinely frightening and it took me a while to focus on the present day after being taken into the past. Also the calibre of these stories was exceptional (as Dahl states in his introduction) 'The Telephone', 'The Upper Berth' and 'The Ghost of a Hand' were particular favourites that really scared me. The wonderful introduction by Roald Dahl really accenuates each story and the history behind ...more

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Oct 30, 2010 Kathryn McCary rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ghost-and-horror-stories

Funny, although ten out of the 14 stories in this book are ones I like, at least to some degree, I'd really rather read them in some other collection. I think it may be Dahl's rambling, discursive and inconclusive introduction. He rides an utterly irrelevant hobby horse (children's writers don't get no respect) and indulges in a peculiar--and not well supported--comparison of the merit of men and women both as writers in general (men are better) and as ghost story writers (women are better). His ...more

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Jun 30, 2016 Gary rated it it was amazing

A novelist receives strange and disturbing post cards from an unknown fan ; lonely children speak to and about what their parents or guardians dismiss as imaginary friends until contrary evidence materializes ; an impoverished writer visits an antique shop finding different surroundings and tenants at night to those during the daytime ; a strange hand haunts a mansion and it's inhabitants ; strange telephone calls from the dead ; a mystery figure sweeps up leaves at night ; all who sleep on cabi ...more

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Apr 02, 2017 Quirkyreader rated it it was amazing

This book has been sitting on my TBR since 2011. Yes, I have finally gotten around to it. It was full of creepers by plenty of forgotten authors such as A.M. Barrage, F. Marion Crawford, And Rosemary Timperley.

Dahl did a wonderful job selecting these stories.

If you can, find a copy and savour the scare.

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Jul 10, 2018 merina rey rated it did not like it

Maybe I’m desensitized... but wow this sucked 😱
I would say no fault to Roald Dahl because he obviously didn’t write any of these but I mean he compiled them in a book and just wow. I came so close to DNFing this. It was torture. I tortured myself.
Torture.
The only thing scary in regards to this book was the feeling like I wasn’t going to make it out alive. I was for sure I would succumb to terriblebookitis.

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Nov 11, 2018 Juan Manuel Sarmiento added it · review of another edition

Como ocurre con todas las antologías de relatos, siempre hay algunos que destacan más que otros y que perduran más en la memoria. Uno de mis favoritos es el de "Harry", escrito por Rosemary Timperley, que trata sobre una niña adoptada que parece tener un amigo imaginario muy interesado en protegerla y enseñarle cosas.
No quisiera contaros nada más sobre los relatos que contiene, ya que en estas situaciones es mejor que cada uno los descubra por sí mismos. Pero asegúrate de tener las luces encendi ...more

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Mar 14, 2016 Mells rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This is a really depressing book. In his weirdly sexist preface, an author I greatly respect says that he has read through 749 ghost stories to select these 14 as the very pinnacle of the genre. And, let's ruin all the intrigue from the start, they kinda suck. So either these 14 really are the best stories the genre has to offer, which is at least as depressing as your girlfriend breaking up with you on your anniversary to date Roald Dahl's son, or one really good writer, who succeeded in creati This is a really depressing book. In his weirdly sexist preface, an author I greatly respect says that he has read through 749 ghost stories to select these 14 as the very pinnacle of the genre. And, let's ruin all the intrigue from the start, they kinda suck. So either these 14 really are the best stories the genre has to offer, which is at least as depressing as your girlfriend breaking up with you on your anniversary to date Roald Dahl's son, or one really good writer, who succeeded in creating so many unexpected peculiar endings, had no taste, which, let's face it, is a far more realistic option.

There're 14 stories in this book (oh come on, couldn't you do 13? And print it in 36 bold, so they would take up 666 pages? MWAHAHAHAHA), but they only have in common a certain accessibility - they're quite easy and fairly pleasant to read. Also, in most of these the ghosts are benevolent, which is cool - in a perfect ghost story ghosts are just sad remnants of the sad times, not good people turned into homicidal maniacs after death.

But of these fourteen only two are worth mentioning.

Elias and the Draug by Jonas Lie sucks, and the coolness of the author's surname doesn't help much. It's a very silly tale with characters that evoke zero sympathy, and an absolutely demented plot. I get it, it's supposed to be read as a dark fairy tale made peculiar by its Norse theme, but it doesn't even try to be a good story. And that is downright offensive.

Ringing the Changes by Robert Aickman is everything a ghost story should be... until about the middle of it. The first half succeeds at being the noble kind of horror - it dips you into the eerie atmosphere and continuously throws unsettling events and phrases in your direction, but doesn't go overboard with it, like everybody in David Lynch's movies, so it stays believable, yet very strange and creepy, and makes you anticipate the ending thrice more zealously. But then it loses it's appeal by smacking you in the face with very literal things, and ends in a very vague cryptic remark, that makes you regret a lot of the life choices you've made, including buying this book and that incident with a cactus and a pack of diapers neither of you will ever mention or ever forget.

The rest of the stories are pretty universally ok. They're not really spooky, and the big reveal in the end is usually 'and it was actually a ghost!'. Come on, I'm reading a book of ghost stories, I've kinda figured already. But on the other hand, they're at least pleasant, not boring, and, most importantly, fairly short.

So you know, whatever. Just don't believe anybody who says you should absolutely read this. The chances are, they're a ghost, and will disappear in a few minutes, and you'll be stuck with this book for hours. Which is not really the worst fate as things go, but hey, you could've been reading Chris Priestley the whole time instead.

P.S. I liked how Penguin deemed necessary to include the ad of this book into this very book, so you could think about buying this book all the while you're reading this book. But the cover is pretty stylish, so you didn't hear me complain. ...more

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Sep 26, 2013 Lisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ghosts, perfect-for-autumn

Have you ever had tea at a fancy hotel? The waiter serves you these beautiful little scones, miniature sandwiches, tiny, tiny biscuits, and chocolate-covered strawberries on a gorgeous tiered tray, with pots of lemon curd and strawberry jam and pats of butter on the side, and a hot pot of tea. If you're lucky, there's a cellist in the corner of the room and a beautiful garden outside the window.

I have only had this experience twice, but both times I adored how the atmosphere felt so distinguishe ...more

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Apr 19, 2016 Erika rated it liked it · review of another edition

3 stelle e mezzo.

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Mar 22, 2008 Werner rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of supernatural fiction/ghost stories

Shelves: supernatural-fiction, short-stories

To elaborate on the background given in the description above, Dahl's extensive reading of ghost stories in the late 1950s and early 60s was originally undertaken to select quality specimens for adaptation in a projected TV series (which was never made). He was previously unread in this type of literature, and found that most of it failed to deliver the genuinely scary quality he expected; but some stories made the grade with him, and here he collects 14 of the best of these. Despite his avowed ...more

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May 28, 2012 Michelle rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2012-read

A disappointing read. I grabbed the book at a book trade thinking it had been written by Dahl, which it hadn't. Rather, it was a compilation of 20-some "horror" stories which he considered the best of the best.

Unfortunately, in this case I'm inclined to respectfully disagree with Mr. Dahl. Only a small handful of the short stories were of any interest, and not one left me with the disturbed or off feeling a really good spooky story brings. Most were happily and fully resolved without any need t ...more

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Jan 14, 2009 skein rated it it was ok

Shelves: ghost-stories, short-stories, 2-star

After the introduction (where Dahl is shocked - shocked - to find that women write better ghost stories than men, and spends another page ruminating why would this be? when women fail at every other form of art (painting, sculpting, music) - after that charming introduction, the stories begin. (The title is misleading: Dahl is not the author.)

It's a mixed bag. Some are coldly shocking ("Elias and the Draug", "Ringing the Changes"), some predictable ("Playmates"). Some are brilliant and cruel ("A ...more

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Feb 05, 2019 Señó Mochuelo rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: relatos, terror-y-fantasía

Esta antología me ha hecho viajar a mi pasado lector, a mis inicios como devoto seguidor del Poe de las Narraciones extraordinarias . Y es que hubo un tiempo en el que solo leía terror, por eso, aun hoy, me siento poderosamente atraído por estas historias truculentas de la época clásica del género. ¡Ay, qué sería de mí sin esos autores de finales del XIX! Al sentir el entusiasmo del propio antólogo, enseguida viajé a ese tiempo paradisíaco de niño que se abre al mundo y descubre muchas cosas; co ...more

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Apr 07, 2019 Ruth Berent rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, autoras, autores, challenge-de-la-cripta, estanterías-a-0

Un recopilatorio de cuentos de fantasmas un tanto irregular.

Solo un cuento me pareció brillante, aun y con sus defectos: Las Campanadas.

El resto no están mal pero les falta algo. No obstante, la recopilación es curiosa y amena.

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Feb 05, 2019 Libros Prohibidos rated it liked it · review of another edition

Al sentir el entusiasmo del propio antólogo, enseguida viajé a ese tiempo paradisíaco de niño que se abre al mundo y descubre muchas cosas; como que la crueldad que se respiraba más allá de su ventana podía ser sublimada en unas cuanta páginas donde lo fantasmal sirve de gran contenedor para nuestros miedos ancestrales que han llegado hasta nuestros días transformados pero vivaces. Hoy el terror ha seguido evolucionando y me pregunto si Dahl hubiera elegido entre sus fantasmas favoritos los rela ...more

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May 07, 2014 Ameera rated it did not like it

The stories weren't as scary as i thought they were to be, i found this to be more suitable for preteens rather than adults. There is an interesting intro where Dahl explains why women are better suited as writers for children books and his overall take on how difficult it is to write a book for children. Not my favourite book by him, but it was nice to see him do something different

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Oct 30, 2017 Karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Edith Wharton writes a damn good ghost story.

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Dec 16, 2018 Fiebre Lectora rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5
Recomiendo ir leyéndolos poco a poco, como yo he hecho, para luego volver a sumergirse en ese ambiente paranormal, y que a pesar de ser bastante miedica, ha sido una lectura que he disfrutado, con algunos cuentos realmente sorprendentes y turbios.
Reseña: https://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/20...

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Dec 18, 2018 Patt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

¡Qué bien me lo he pasado leyendo estos relatos! Hacía años que miraba los libros de terror con rechazo y esta antología me ha reconciliado con el género (al menos en el plano literario). Roald Dahl hace una selección de 14 relatos de escritores que vivieron en los siglos XIX y XX que, aunque no nos lleguen a estremecer tanto como lo hicieran con el autor debido a la sobreexplotación de la temática en ese último siglo y debido a que hay relatos que nos parecerán mejores que otro, sí conseguiremo ...more

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Jul 24, 2016 Melora rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: shorts

A fine collection of ghost stories, and I enjoyed the chance to sample several authors I've heard of but never read before. As usual, some were just okay, some were good, and a couple were quite good. The first story, "W.S.," by L.P Hartley, "The Corner Shop," by Cynthia Asquith, and "Playmates" and "The Sweeper," by A.M. Burrage were my favorites. Dahl's introduction, in which he explains how he came to collect these stories and shares his ideas on the artistic abilities of women (they can't co ...more

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Dec 01, 2017 Noah rated it did not like it · review of another edition

First, they're not by Roald Dahl. They're curated by Roald Dahl. This is very different and not at all clear from the cover.

Second, they are not horror stories. They are ghost stories (at least the first two, which is all I made it through). Like you hear at the campfire. About the girl whose mother answers the door and it turns out her daughter died 20 years ago last night or whatever. Much narrower genre.

Third, they are old ghost stories. And that means that you definitely, definitely, have a ...more

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Jan 01, 2019 Mirex Tempus Fugit rated it really liked it

Bon llibre d'històries curtes. Ideal per llegir abans d'anar a dormir. Algunes són realment bones.

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Jan 05, 2017 Erin the Avid Reader ⚜BFF's with the Cheshire Cat⚜ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, books-for-halloween

I am deeply sorry to give this book a mere 2 stars, yet the thought of giving this book more than that is a huge no-no on my part. I read every story in here twice and didn't find any of them scary or vaguely interesting.

When I picked up this book I was expecting these to be short horror stories written by Ronald Dahl, but none of these are! They're simply stories he found scary and compiled into a book before slapping his name on the cover.

I am actually a fan of the traditional ghost story, a ...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Lisa Ard rated it liked it

Is it terrible to say the best part of this book is the introduction? But then, I am a Roald Dahl fan. And, the stories within this compilation are not by Dahl. Rather they are the best of some 700+ ghost stories Roald Dahl read. There are several that are magnificent and a few that....well, could be shorter. For the reader looking for a selection of short stories to frighten and entertain, this is a good volume to pick up.

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Jun 20, 2017 Sabrina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A creepy collection of old-fashioned stories that favours creaky old English houses and the as-told-to style common in the late 19th century.

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Apr 10, 2018 Ron rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: anthology, classic, horror, fiction, fantasy, mystery, read-in-2018

The premise sounds like one that could not possibly disappoint, but it is also not quite presented truthfully. The idea is that Dahl read 450 ghost stories in preparation for creating screenplays for a season's worth of them for an anthology TV show. The forward, and publishers, tell you that this book prints the best 14 stories out of those 450 - as chosen by Dahl. I think the dishonesty in that idea is that they were the best stories - - I think, rather, they were chosen by him as the best sto The premise sounds like one that could not possibly disappoint, but it is also not quite presented truthfully. The idea is that Dahl read 450 ghost stories in preparation for creating screenplays for a season's worth of them for an anthology TV show. The forward, and publishers, tell you that this book prints the best 14 stories out of those 450 - as chosen by Dahl. I think the dishonesty in that idea is that they were the best stories - - I think, rather, they were chosen by him as the best stories to create screenplays for and reformat for a visual medium.

Few of these stories could be thought of as the best out of 450 classic ghost stories. They aren't bad - *none* are "bad" - but a lot are mediocre. I started reading the book by doing a story-by-story review, then rating them by overall story and then how scary they are. The quality of the story almost universally outstripped the quality of the horror. The premise of the book relies on their having been scary. Few of them are scary enough that you will linger on frightening ideas. Most are formatted neatly to fit into a comparable presentation as The Twilight Zone. "Weird Tales", in other words - not horror.

Some of the stories don't even feature ghosts. The very first one, for instance (W.S. by Hartley). Some are more like folktales or legends, as is Elias and the Draug by Jonas Lie. A lot of them will feel antiquated to a modern reader - and a lot of them are classic and influential enough to have inspired works that are more well known (Stephen King is a famous "miner of ideas" from classic roots - - and a couple here certainly influenced him, or the stories that later influenced him, like The Corner Shop, and W.S.).

Personal favorites in the bunch are: Harry (feels inspired by the anxiety of a child becoming school-age), Playmates (was truly moved by the ending), The Sweeper (has Tales From The Crypt written all over it), and The Upper Berth (no stranger to "best of" ghost anthologies - and just a wonderfully written short story).

I was somewhat disappointed. I thought I was being served a super-charged, concentrated, carefully selected bunch of ghost stories determined to have been the best of the best. It really isn't. A lot of the best of the best may have been overlooked for having been well enough known that Dahl couldn't present them and get a fresh reaction. A lot of the best of the best may have been unattainable properties for the project (too expensive).

I'm slightly on the fence over whether to keep the book. I like the idea of having a decent ghost story shelf in my library... and while I'm still arguing against this book fitting in as neatly as others (like a Henry James ghost story collection, or the two books created out of an essay by HP Lovecraft on what books inspired him most), or a complete Poe... it doesn't deserve a fate out in the cold. ...more

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Nov 29, 2018 José Cárdenas rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Lástima que la serie de la que habla en el prólogo no se llegara a rodar, y que de los cuentos seleccionados para ella se quedaran unos cuantos fuera de la antología. Muy buena selección, aunque los lectores aficionados al género conocerán ya la mayor parte de las historias.

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Oct 08, 2018 Derek rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fun collection of classic ghost stories with some real chillers mixed into the bunch.

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Feb 11, 2011 Melissa rated it liked it

Recommended to Melissa by: Grandad

Shelves: 2011, horror, own-book, short-stories, gift, paperback

This was an interesting little collection, given to me by my grandad. I have some fond, vivid memories of visiting my grandparents as a kid, and sneaking off to read from the upstairs closet - Roald Dahl, Stephen King, stuff that scared me stiff in the best sort of way, while my grandad turned a blind eye approvingly. So, I had fairly high expectations when he gave me Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories, and I think the compendium largely met them. It's hard to be sure, because more than a decade This was an interesting little collection, given to me by my grandad. I have some fond, vivid memories of visiting my grandparents as a kid, and sneaking off to read from the upstairs closet - Roald Dahl, Stephen King, stuff that scared me stiff in the best sort of way, while my grandad turned a blind eye approvingly. So, I had fairly high expectations when he gave me Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories, and I think the compendium largely met them. It's hard to be sure, because more than a decade on, I'm just not as easy to scare any more. But there were some good, well-written stories amongst the bunch.

The introduction by Dahl is bizarre and seems largely out of place. He uses it as a platform to meander on about how women are unsuccessful at pretty much everything, except for writing ghost stories. Er, okay then. Tone badly set, the first story, "W.S." is a bit of a loser, and a dull note to open on. Every twist and turn is laboriously sign-posted paragraphs in advance, and it left me feeling nonplussed. Rosemary Timperley's "Harry" is much more like it - a sharp and sudden reminder of how sinister ghosts can be. It helps that the stakes are naturally raised by placing a child in mortal peril, and I think this would have made a better opening tale.

"The Corner Shop" by Cynthia Asquith is quite atmospheric, though it doesn't really pull off its attempt at shocking through misdirection. E.F. Benson's "In The Tube" didn't do much for me at all - too much lengthy exposition, not enough fright. "Christmas Meeting", a second piece by Timperley, raises the bar, though I was disappointed at its bitesize length. I may have to search out some of her more substantial writing in future. "Elias and the Draug" by Jonas Lie is easily the worst in the collection. Dahl says in the introduction that it loses something in translation, and that definitely holds true. It's a bizarre tale completely devoid of emotion - a man loses his entire family during a vicious storm and just keeps on sailing. As you do.

A.M. Burrage's "Playmates" was something of an improvement, though I found it quite ponderous, and it doesn't even really try to be scary. It's followed by "Ringing the Changes" by Robert Aickman, which is absolutely terrifying in the build-up. The eventual "reveal" of the dead is a bit of an anti-climax, but up to that point, it's very well executed. Mary Treadgold's "The Telephone" has an interesting idea at its centre - a man who, upon dialling his old telephone number, can converse with his deceased wife. Told from the point of view of his current wife, however, the degree of detachment detracts from, rather than enhances the potentially chilling premise. "The Ghost of a Hand" by J. Sheridan Le Fanu is another dreadful one. It's apparently a snippet pulled from a longer story, and as far as I'm concerned, should have stayed there. The absolute lack of context translated into an absolute lack of caring. Burrage's second entry, "The Sweeper" has the same haunting atmosphere as "Playmates", but was more out-and-out scary in its execution, and definitely one that I enjoyed.

"Afterward" by Edith Wharton was probably my favourite of the whole collection. I felt for the protagonist, and the ghost was just so evil - none of the namby pamby Caspers of some of the other tales here. Richard Middleton's "On the Brighton Road" left very little impression on me. The closing story, "Marion Crawford's "The Upper Berth" was serviceable, but I think "Afterward" would have been a better note to close on.

It's one I enjoyed overall, uneven as the quality was in places. Lie and Le Fanu I wouldn't touch again, but Timperley, Burrage, Wharton and Aickman are by far the best of the bunch, and I'd be happy to read more by any of them in future. ...more

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About Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl

18,833 followers

Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer and screenwriter of Norwegian descent, who rose to prominence in the 1940's with works for both children and adults, and became one of the world's bestselling authors.

Dahl's first published work, inspired by a meeting with C. S. Forester, was Shot Down Over Libya. Today the story is published as A Piece of Cake. The story, about his wartime adv ...more