Casting the Runes and Other Ghost Stories

by M.R. James, Michael Cox (Editor)

A selection of 21 stories, which also includes three stories that are not in the Collected Edition.

Canon Alberic's scrap-book --
The mezzotint --
Number 13 --
Count Magnus --
Oh, whistle, and I'll come to you, my lad --
The treasure of Abbot Thomas --
A School story --
The rose garden --
The tractate middoth --
Casting the runes --
The stalls of Barchester Cathedral --
Mr Humphreys and his inheritance --
The diary of Mr Poynter --
An episode of cathedral history --
The uncommon prayer-book --
A neighbour's landmark --
A warning to the curious --
Rats --
The experiment --
The malice of inanimate objects --
A vignette

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Gothic, Ghost Stories, Supernatural

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1911

About the author

Montague Rhodes James, who used the publication name M.R. James, was a noted English mediaeval scholar & provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–18) & of Eton College (1918–36). He's best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature. One of James' most important achievements was to redefine the ghost story for the new century by dispensing with many of the formal Gothic trappings of his predecessors, replacing them with more realistic contemporary settings.

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

M.R.^James

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

M.R. James had a great, and simple, formula for writing ghost stories. Establish the mundane and everyday detail (which is heightened by the Victorian academic settings), and then introduce, briefly, the supernatural, which cracks the surface of everything normal that has been so carefully established. And what is suggested by the supernatural intrusion is usually horrifying. Lovecraftian spheres (or worse) are opened up to the reader. The human mind must retreat before the suggestion of the “other.” Most of these stories work well for me. My favorite is “Count Magnus,” which to my mind best illustrates the above.

Books, stories, legends, ruins, etc., are the usual devices used by James in his antiquarian world of British gentlemen poking around in things best left alone. Count Magnus is a Dracula type, but set in Sweden. The scholar in this story, Mr. Wraxall, is trying to get to the heart of the legends surrounding the Count. One legend involves the Count going on a Black Pilgrimage – and bringing something back with him. Wraxall finds a manuscript by the Count that confirms the Pilgrimage. The destination of the Black Pilgrimage, as it turns out, was Chorazin, where the Count, in order to “obtain a long life,” and see the “blood of his enemies,” must first salute the “prince.” Then there’s the wonderful Jamesian small detail regarding a partial “erasure” in the manuscript, but where Wraxall is nevertheless able to discern the word “aëris.” In other words, salute the Prince of the Air. Chorazin was one of the cities (along with Capernaum and Bethsaida) cursed by Jesus (Matthew 11:20-24) for their unbelief. This connection (and James was a biblical scholar and clergyman) is both strategic and understated – and it also had the hair lifting up on the back of my neck. Wraxall, clueless as it gets, has to ask a deacon about Chorazin. Bad things go on to happen, probably more so than usual in a James story, and the Count did indeed bring something back. One nice thing about these stories, is that they can be read over and over, and still be chilling.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This IS a book of CLASSIC horror stories. They don't depend nor do they need buckets of blood slung against a wall or descriptions of disembowelments or decapitations. James can achieve a creeping sense of horror and/or terror that will slip up your spine and tap on your shoulder when (if) you turn off the lights to go to sleep at night. It is of course possible not get into the stories, these are stories that you think about and if you do...the shivers and subtle looks over your shoulder when your alone will follow.

There are several well known stories by James in this collection. Notable for me are (of course) "Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You my Lad", a story that in some ways may be sort the "quintessential ghost story", only....is it a ghost? There is that sense of creeping unsureness about exactly what "it" was that adds to this story which you will see has influenced other writers over the years. Also "The Mezzotint" is one of my favorite stories in the collection. It needs to hit you just right I suppose, but again, you'll probably recognize it's influence on and in other books, stories, and even movies.

M.R.James assumes a certain level of education and the ability to think, he doesn't spoon feed his readers nor take them by the hand as he tells his story. He leads and if you follow into the moonlit landscapes he constructs, you'll traverse interesting lands, territories, fields and some very dark countries.

One of my few 5 star ratings...and I'm not a big short story fan.

Update: 8/25/18

This is an update or an add on. I just wondered if anyone had seen the old movie Curse of the Demon? In England it was (originally) longer and titled Night ot the Demon. I'd like to see the English version but apparently the only one ever to appear on TV is the edioted American version.

It's based on Casting the Runes and really not too bad. The poorest thing is the "Demon figure". Due to 1957 special effects it's more stuffed mock-up than fright. Apparently the Writer didn't want to show a literal demon in the film but the producer inserted the demon. It's a sort of large winged wolf like creature with claws. I think the picture would have been far more effective without it.

Possibly just me. Still as far as it goes it's a fairly well done adaption of the story. Not great but pretty good. It was on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) recently. As we're closing on Oct. it may be on again if anyone's interested.

[Cora Pop · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the writing style and the subject are and have always been among my favorites, I admit feeling quite frustrated by the lack -not of resolution, because resolution is not expected in this type of stories - but by the lack of deeper or further exploration. I felt teased by all these great, creepy, disturbing ideas, only to be let down too quickly by a mostly disappointing ending. Because of that, I would call them more vignettes than stories.
Exceptions: Casting the Runes, A Warning to the Curious, The Mezzotint...
It's interesting that the Appendix gives M.R. James's opinion on the technique of writing ghost stories his and others', and, yes, the theory is perfect... :)

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am still rather huffy that they didn't include one of my all-time favorite M R James' stories, "Lost Hearts," in this collection. I know it wasn't a favorite of his, but he wasn't all that fond of the far inferior "A Vignette" either, and that somehow worked its way into this anthology.

That said, this is a good collection of supernaturally-tinged stories that tell you more about the time (Victorian England) than truly give you a fright. I did find these stories much scarier upon adulthood than I had the first time I'd encountered many of them as a child/teenager: but I was a very hard-nosed youngster and have worked at growing my imagination/suggestibility since. Several of the descriptions (particularly in The Treasure of Abbot Thomas and The Diary of Mr Poynter, and I can't recall which story has the protagonist's hand slipping beneath his pillow to find not cool sheets but a hairy maw) made me shudder in broad daylight, while surrounded by people on the Metro. I also did much more enjoy his stories that had more of a plot (e.g. The Tractate Middoth, the title story) than those that were more mood pieces (such as the story for which he is possibly best known "Oh, Whistle...")

It is interesting, in the attached appendix, to note how James rails against sex in (horror) fiction while at the same time praising the work of J S LeFanu and, in particular, Carmilla. Perhaps it can be put down to the curiously Victorian notion that women on their own are not sexual beings.

I did very much enjoy this quotation, also from the appendix, though: "Be careful how you handle the packet you pick up in the carriage-drive, particularly if it contains nail-parings and hair. Do not, in any case, bring it into the house. It may not be alone... (Dots are believed by many writers of our day to be a good substitute for effective writing. They are certainly an easy one. Let us have a few more......)"

Thanks to Bilqis for sending me this as a birthday present.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book gets five stars for the stories. It's the lack of adequate annotations and critical discussions (something which we have got used to, thanks to Rosemary Pardoe and 'Ghosts & Scholars') that causes me to drop a star.

[Plethora · Rating 4 out of 5]

M.R. James (Montague Rhodes James) was a medieval scholar with an interest in antiquities. These areas of interest can be found when reading his ghost stories. While the stories centered around a more current time, they alluded to an item of some historical importance in the past. This collection included twenty-one of his works. Not being a horror fan works for these stories, the horror would come from your mind playing into the setup of the story. The details are laid out and the eerie factor is applied, what goes bump in the night is left for you.

James wrote many of his tales for Christmas Eve entertainment to read-aloud and amuse your friends with. One could imagine hearing these tales my candlelight and pondering the tale. James himself said his stories must ”put the reader into the position of saying to himself: ‘If I’m not careful, something of this kind may happen to me!” Some of his stories have created inspiration for various TV shows.

Two of my favorites included The Tractate Middoth and Casting the Runes. In The Tractate Middoth a certain old edition of a book is sought after, the library assistant sent to find it stumbles into a family mystery. In Casting the Runes what happens when you unknowingly anger a sorcerer?

Overall this is a nice collection of stories that you could break out and read around the campfire one or two at a time. Reading them all with in close proximity to one another was along the lines of “more of the same”. Even though they all were different, the style across them was similar enough. Off to avoid any long lost heirlooms that might be the key to the unknown realm.

[Lee Foust · Rating 4 out of 5]

M. R. James is to the ghost story as Petrarch to the sonnet: he didn't invent the form but he perfected it and no one since has been able to write one without acknowledging the master. Others might sometimes rival, but I've yet to see either master surpassed at their greatest game.

PS There are some really good audio version of James's tales on youtube, Michael Collins did a wonderful audiobook of James's tales and even one of my favorite actors, Derek Jacobi recorded some--great way to experience ghost stories, by the glow of the computer screen late at night. Muyhahahahahahahah.

[Tim Pendry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here I review only two stories in the collection and I shall add others as I read them. The first story is one of my favourites 'Casting the Runes', first published in 1911 and later the basis for another favourite - Jacques Tourneur's 1957 horror film 'Night of the Demon'.

The film is more obviously thrilling and dramatic but this does not detract from a reading of the story which is fundamentally about a deeply malicious black magician called Karswell whose persona is not a million miles from the popular media vision of one Aleister Crowley.

Crowley, Somerset Maugham with the creation of Oliver Haddo in 'The Magician' of 1908 and James' Karswell will help create a stock figure in English literature and horror cinema made popular in a later generation by Dennis Wheatley's Mocata in the 1934 'The Devil Rides Out'.

Karswell in Tourneur's film and then Mocata in the Hammer production of the Wheatley novel in 1968 helped popularise further the type of the wealthy and urbane dabbler in black magic who threatens all forms of decent society. James was not the first out of the gate but he played his part.

If the Tourneur film improves on the story in any way, it is only because M R James has imaginatively provided all the tools to hand for such an improvement. The reader might be genuinely unnerved by this tale of supernatural malice.

'The Rats' is a more conventional horror from 1929 centred on a the ghost of a hanged villain and, more incidentally, on the concern of the proprietors of the inn where he 'lives' to keep the matter secret lest it harm their trade.

It is a well-wrought little tale, a touch of folk horror by the Suffolk sea side, a favourite location for James, although I can't quite see why it is called 'The Rats' since the connection between rats and ghost seems to be utterly irrelevant. James does this sometimes with titles.

James has the story framed by a younger man telling the story of a much older acquaintance which has a nice distancing effect so that one might be prepared to trust the narrator but perhaps wonder if the narrator's source was as reliable, especially as the tale was told to a child.

From this perspective, 'Casting the Runes' is more reliable since the tale is told as sets of facts experienced by very respectable people. There is a curious section in which the target of Karswell's malice has to act as surety for two working class accounts of a mysterious phenomenon.

This is a fascinating aspect of James' world - trust may or may not lie in children's memories of an older person (perhaps presumed to be trustworthy because of his caste) but it certainly is automatic within the Edwardian middle class and not automatic for the Edwardian working class.

Be all that as it may, James' stories are best read as relying wholly on the 'comfort' of a class sure of itself and with a moral opposition to telling tall tales (which he is doing) in real life. Only cads and bad boys tell lies. But James is clearly neither. Indeed, he is the epitome of respectability.

And so James builds up his authority as Oxford don and reliable member of the English upper middle class to tell stories that unravel the grounded assumptions of the middle class listener - perhaps, he implies, that of which I write is possible and true! And that is scary.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction (1987) by Michael Cox 3.5⭐
Canon Alberic's Scrapbook • (1895) 4⭐
The Mezzotint • (1904) 5⭐
Number 13 • (1904) 4.25⭐
Count Magnus • (1904) 4⭐
"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" • (1904) 4⭐
The Treasure of Abbot Thomas • (1904) 5⭐
A School Story • (1911) 4.25⭐
The Rose Garden • (1911) 3⭐
The Tractate Middoth • (1911) 5⭐
Casting the Runes • (1911) 5⭐
The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral • (1910) 4⭐
Mr. Humphreys and His Inheritance • (1911) 5⭐
The Diary of Mr. Poynter • (1919) 3.25⭐
An Episode of Cathedral History • (1914) 3.25⭐
The Uncommon Prayer-Book • (1925) 4⭐
A Neighbour's Landmark • (1924) 3.25⭐
A Warning to the Curious • (1925) 5⭐
Rats • (1929) 4⭐
The Experiment • (1931) 3⭐
The Malice of Inanimate Objects • (1933) 4⭐
A Vignette • (1936) 4⭐
From the Preface to Ghost Stories of an Antiquary • (1904) ✔
From the Preface to More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary • (1911) ✔
From the Prologue to J. S. Le Fanu, Madam Crowl's Ghost • (1923) 3⭐
From the Introduction to V. H. Collins (Ed.), Ghosts and Marvels • (1924) ✔
'Stories I Have Tried to Write' • (1929) 3⭐
'Some Remarks on Ghost Stories' • (1929) 2.75⭐
'Ghosts—Treat Them Gently!' • (1931) 3⭐

[Altivo Overo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hesitate to use the common label of "horror fiction" for this title, though some of the stories are indeed the stuff of very bad dreams and lying awake at night.

Montague Rhodes James (1862-1936) was perhaps the most pre-eminent teller of the very scholarly and civilized British ghost story. As each story draws to a close, the reader is left to draw her own conclusions to a certain extent, and the author does not state explicitly what the explanation or termination of the manifestations might have been. These are, nonetheless, some of the most haunting and realistic supernatural tales I have ever read. They are also very, very British and low key which warms the Anglophile in me and reminds me of the relatively few years I spent in the Gothic stone halls of colleges and seminaries (albeit here in the United States.)

The fact that this collection is published by none other than the Oxford University Press tells us how significant James' work is considered to be. It is very literary in character, but quite readable. It does help if you are familiar with some high points of English history, but that can be remedied with a trip to the internet if necessary in some cases. There are 21 of the author's finest tales included, set in a type that feels and looks like letterpress of the Victorian era in which most of them were written and take place. Be prepared for railway compartments, rural hotels, English villages and manor houses, college buildings that have stood for centuries, and of course (my own favorites) rare old books and huge libraries. There are a few lines here and there in Latin or French for which no translation is offered, but you will not miss anything if you are unable to translate these yourself. If it really matters, one of the characters will provide the translation.

Some of the ghosts are little more than curiosities or non-random events, while others are indeed horrifying and threatening spectres that bring real harm (though usually to persons who have earned that punishment.)

Reading this was a bit of nostalgia for me, as I had read most of the stories once before in a volume formerly owned by my paternal grandmother and entitled Best Ghost Stories of M. R. James. I was probably only eleven years old or so at the time, and a few of the most horrific ones I remember, such as "Lost Hearts" and "The Ash-Tree," are not included here. There are still enough hair raisers though, and particularly "Canon Alberic's Scrap-book." "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas," and "The Diary of Mr Poynter," to make a reader feel uncomfortable at odd sounds in the night. Other great classics include "The Mezzotint," "A School Story," and "Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad."

These stories can be savoured (spelling intended) carefully and revisited for new discoveries. Highly recommended if you like your horror stories told in an educated voice and with subtle nuances.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This audio collection includes three classic tales from M.R. James and read by Andrew Sachs.

(1) Casting the Runes - Wonderful. Lots of chills and suspense. Gorgeously atmospheric. Beautifully written (which would be why it is a classic, of course) and brilliantly read.

(2) A Warning to the Curious - Another wonderfully atmospheric tale, although I didn’t quite enjoy this one as much as the first.

(3) The Malice of Inanimate Objects - This was a delightfully sick and twisted little beast. I wasn’t really expecting the playful horror-humor. What fun!

This release also includes an isolated music suite to round off the package. Another fine production.

[Lyn Lockwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have read these stories many times and finding them of great comfort in these difficult times despite their creepy content. I would also recommend A Podcast to the Curious as a great listen alongside the stories.

[Sean Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

James has the wonderful ability to tell a ghost story that is both amusing, insightful, atmospheric and terrifying all at the same time. Both readers of modern horror and classic literature will find things to love in these tales: there are gentle Victorian chuckles and genuinely unsettling images to be had in these pages.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful, classic sort of ghost stories.

As a kid, I think these would have bored me. In many of the stories, someone has a spooky experience, but basically goes on with their life afterward. Now that I'm a jaded adult though, I find stories that depict cracks in the everyday world more frightening than ones that simply blow up the everyday world and send everyone running from the monsters.

[David Rush · Rating 3 out of 5]

I checked out the Oxford World's Classics edition from the local library which has an introduction by Michael Chabon. Chabon says horror stories are ALL psychology, and from what I've read so far that is the case for M.R. James.

Of course stuff does happen, but perhaps my modern perspective wants a better ratio of psychology to action (heavier on the action).

Chabon compares James to Lovecraft and of course his observations are well thought out and you must agree with them, mostly. James is obviously a much better and more controlled writer, but for me somehow there is a similarity. Something of the author's approach or pacing or something, is the same. With Lovecraft you get a lot more tentacles and from I have read of James so far, few people actually die.

I have to spend some time in waiting rooms tomorrow so I hope these short stories get me through the day.

Oh, yes...so far I enjoy the first four stories I;ve read so far.

---LATER---
Even though I am stopping at page 96 I am putting it the "read" category since I finished 6 of the short stories. I just felt I had enough of a feel of his writing.

Yes to my judgment he writes well and the stories are quite suspenseful. And many parts were quite clever and even engaging. Like the story NUMBER 13 where room number 13 in a small inn in Denmark only exists at night by expanding into rooms 12 and 14 while the lodgers sleep.

So why didn't I hurry to finish them all?

Michael Chabon says in the introduction that “A great ghost story is all psychology” and that pretty much describes these tales. OK, stuff does happen but in the ones I read the main characters, although shaken and distraught, make it back to the university and quietly tell their tales.

I think I wanted a little more Lovecraft and a little less Henry James (OK, OK, I've never actually read Henry James so I may be off on that bit)

I'll keep my eye open for it whenever in a bookstore, but for now I will return this one to the library.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a collection of ghost stories by M R James, widely considered to be one of the great writers in this genre.

The title story of ‘Casting the Runes’ is pretty good. Aside from that, this collection is disappointing.

The plots are very repetitive. The protagonist is usually an Oxford don/scholar/clergyman of some sort, whose personalities are clearly based on MR James himself. They will either go somewhere on holiday or to do research at a venerable university/library/European city, during which something spooky happens, or inherit some strange object that leads to weird happenings. Alternatively, story takes form of one Oxford don/clergyman telling another about a supernatural experience that has happened to a friend, or an encounter with a local person who has a creepy story to tell.

The main problem is, none of these stories are scary. They are not even that creepy. ‘Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad’ is almost comical – the monster is a blanket. A ‘scary’ blanket. A ‘scary’ blanket that really isn’t scary at all and the image of the protagonist essentially wrestling with a duvet is silly more than anything else.

The stories are written in a very ponderous, meandering style – very much like listening to an Oxford don. James cops out quite a bit by using phrases of the ‘words could not describe the horror’ variety, which just left me thinking, you’re a writer – try!

I thought several of the stories were too short at under 20 pages and left too many unanswered questions. I think in some cases questions are deliberately left unanswered in order to try and create an air of mystery, but I found it quite annoying. Other stories felt like they were the germ of a good idea that might have been better if they were longer and had more depth; for example, ‘Mr Humphrey’s Inheritance’.

Maybe I’ve just read/watched too many ghost stories, but this book just didn’t work for me.

[Paul Julian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't finish, read:

Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book
The Mezzotint
Number 13
Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come To You, My Lad
The Rose Garden
Casting The Runes
A Warning To The Curious
Rats
The Experiment

Solid, if fairly quaint, Victorian ghost stories of a particular style. They are very English, and much detail is given to the setting of each story; quiet, out-of-season coastal villages are a particular favourite of James'. Most of the stories are told at one or two removes - the author is usually relaying a story that he's heard from a friend or confidant, which takes away some of the suspense. After you've read a few you get the feeling, though there are some special stories here. Both A Whistle and I'll Come To You Lad and A Warning To The Curious were made into BBC adaptations and many of the stories here would lend themselves well to a visual retelling, but in print they are lacking in atmosphere a little. The story that this collection takes its name from was made into the brilliant 50s movie Night of the Demon, which is well worth watching.

My favourite story was actually the first one, Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book, which is also thought to be the first James wrote. It's a short, simple tale of an overly curious English tourist in a French Cathedral town, and a manuscript of a particularly haunting quality. There's a genuine sense of something unnatural.

I didn't finish the volume as I felt I'd had my fill, but I'd still recommend it to those interested in this genre, and a few of them are essential. Best read when tucked up in bed in the evening.

[minnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

M.R. James was the master of the English ghost story. I was drawn to this collection after having recently watched the excellent BFI releases of ‘Oh Whistle, and I’ll come to you my Lad’ and ‘A Warning to the curious’(Highly recommended for fans of ghostly tv adaptations)The stories themselves are steeped in a world of academics and antiquaries,but also have seemingly idyllic and tranquil English countryside settings. There are little laneways leading to old gates, country churches and woods, peaceful places but in M.R. James tales, theres a darkness, or a malevolent presence lurking in the shadows.The archetypal James’ story has an academic type obsessive, nosing around in manuscripts or ancient books and in the story The Diary of Mr. Poynter a piece of curtain fabric. This innocent meddling usually brings forth some horrible manifestation, when the protagonist is at his most vulnerable and the stories gain a horrific momentum, and then end quite suddenly without much explanation, but leaves you slightly chilled at the memory of the horror of it.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I only finished about two thirds of this collection, but the stories were similar enough that I didn't think it was necessary to complete the collection. James's stories are always creepy and often funny, though they're rarely genuinely frightening. They're quirky little half-satirical sketches where bed sheets come to life and scraps of paper and coins and shadows are haunted with vengeful specters, most of which insist on pursuing absent-minded scholars. Overall, James's tales are pleasant though not necessarily must-reads.

[Gentleman-and-scholar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just a few words for this one.

I do appreciate the author's use of language and the fact that these stories were indeed some early attempts in the horror genre, a genre that has progresses significantly since then.
I have to admit though that it tired me a lot. A few motifs used more often than they should, lack of variety and the fact that such stories are outdated by today's horror standards made the experience of reading this book more tedious than it should have been.

On the plus side a few stories were really worth it ("Number 13" and "A rose garden" to name a couple).

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

James is my favorite ghost story author of them all, and this is the book that introduced me to him. It's quite a good introduction: it has most of the stories from Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, volumes 1 and 2, plus a few more that were published elsewhere, plus an appendix with excerpts from various writings by James about the ghost story genre. Even though I now have the Wordsworth Editions collected James, I still can't bear to get rid of my battered old copy of this collection.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

M.R. James' stories are wonderfully scary. He uses suspense and primitive archetypes to induce fear. It is a terrific and more intellectual romp than most books in the Gothic Horror genre.

[William Leight · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Call it 3.5 stars]

M.R. James’s ghost stories were obviously written by a middle-aged Victorian English academic with a taste for history and archaeology: the dry (if not too dry) style, the endless allusions to often (to the modern reader, at least) very obscure books or artworks, and the quotes (often untranslated) in a number of usually ancient languages make it quite clear. This is one book where the notes at the back are essential for the modern reader, or, one imagines, for almost any reader whose education and tastes differed significantly from James’s. It’s hard to say that any of them are really scary, as most of them had happened in the past of the time that they were written in, and even in those that were modern there is often nothing more frightening than, say, the sudden apparition of a face. Plus, it’s hard to feel too worried about the possibility of running across any of the ghosts, demons, or what have you that put in appearances here: if you stay away from strange antiques and avoid owning any English country houses, you’re probably pretty safe. And James’s ghosts and demons tend to prey mostly on the guilty: even in the cases that an innocent person somehow manages to raise a ghost, generally by carrying out an unauthorized archaeological dig or trying to redevelop some part of an inherited country estate, they usually escape with nothing more than a bad fright. Still, if the stories aren’t great as ghost stories, they’re perfectly good as stories, albeit with an unusual style and choice of topics. James is often quite clever at constructing his plots, and sometimes even manages to build up some suspense, as in the title story, though the suspense usually occurs at right-angles to the supernatural. The range of his characters is somewhat limited, but that’s less important for stories like these, and the characters themselves are perfectly adequate. And if the ghosts and demons are often not all that creative (though there are exceptions, of which my favorite is the hair monster), the many and various ways in which James’s characters summon them are. If you can get past the abstruse references and Latin quotes, it’s an enjoyable enough read.

[Brooks Mencher · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Casting the Runes and Other Ghost Stories, M. R. James’s century-old maxim for horror holds true: Where there’s a church, there’s a demon. What better ghostly setting than an abandoned, decrepit Gothic cathedral? How better to summon a demon but with an abbot’s secret little scrapbook? In most of the collection’s stories, evil emanates from the foundations of a church, however ancient.
And who would know this church-demon equation better than the son of a clergyman? Such was Montague Rhodes James. An antiquarian, medieval scholar and college provost, James began publishing horror stories at the age of thirty-two. He authored at least four collections between 1904 and his death in 1936. Casting the Runes and Other Ghost Stories is a modern selection from his historic works, and it’s an excellent sampling.
James’s tales are classic; they preceded modern thrillers, bloodfests, and mentally twisted terror genres. He leads readers calmly along dark paths a step at a time, hat and walking stick in hand, concentrating on just how dark that path is getting as night settles in, and how ordinary the day seems to have been. And yet, isn’t it strange how the clouds are gathering in the distance over silhouetted stone ruins? The wind is picking up and bringing with it a cold rain and God knows what else.
So starts his classic Oh Whistle, And I’ll Come to You, My Lad, the fifth story in this collection of twenty-one. My father was fond of reading it aloud beneath a dim light in a darkened room during storms, though he read it from James’s Ghost Stories of an Antiquary collection of 1904 rather than the Casting the Runes collection. I learned quite young that demons aren’t just hairy, bestial creatures that hide in boys’ closets, but that blowing on an ancient whistle, found in a reliquary among Templar ruins, can lure the damned things right into the twisted blankets on your bed. Of course, a gale must arise from nowhere first, throwing itself relentlessly against the Gothic, paned windows of your imagination. James urges you to feel the wind rise, to look back hesitantly over your shoulder toward the faraway seaside — at night — to catch of glimpse of a malevolent “figure in pale, fluttering draperies, ill-defined,” moving far too quickly in your direction. It’s upon you so fast you can’t get the book closed in time to avoid it. Too bad.
— Review by Brooks Mencher

[Angela]

I decided I needed to read this book in the next month, because of this article about the UK tradition of telling ghost stories at the holidays. Merry Christmas?

Canon Alberic's Scrap-book (also in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary)
The Mezzontint (also in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary)
Number 13 (also in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary)
Count Magnus(also in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary)
'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad' (also in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary)
The Treasure of Abbot Thomas (also in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary)
A School Story (also in More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, which I have copied my comments from the stories here to my review of that book - as it has one additional story not included here)
The Rose Garden (also in More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary)
The Tractate Middoth (also in More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary)
Casting the Runes (also in More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary and Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Stories they wouldn't let me do on tv)
The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral (also in More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary)
Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance (also in More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary)
The Diary of Mr Poynter
An Episode of Cathedral History
The Uncommon Prayer-book
A Neighboour's Landmark
A Warning to the Curious
Rats
The Experiment
The Malice of Inanimate Objects
A Vignette (published posthumously)

[Joseph F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting set of unusual creepy stories.
I found that in most of the stories, the climax occurs before the end. Here the frightening entity makes its main manifestation. This is where Jame's writing shines. In just a few lines he reveals the ghost, demon, or whatever infernal being in all of its frightening aspects. The story usually ends with the protagonist suffering different levels of angst: from being severely shaken to being dead!
Like waiting for that twist ending in an O. Henry tale, I waited for that savory climax in these. Unfortunately, I found there were a few too many stories in which the revelation just did not live up to the buildup or framework of the story. I would end these stories thinking: that's it?
Also, if you like your stories to have very thorough endings, with all mysteries answered, you might be disappointed. James concludes many of his stories with just enough to end it. The reader might be left with some questions unanswered. This bothered me a lot less, as I suppose James likes to leave you with some feelings of mystery and wonder. But don't worry, none of the tales are as baffling as the ending of a Manga graphic novel!
Oh! and one more thing. I purchased this book because I am a fan of runes, so I thought the story that involved the runes might have figured them in an interesting way. But alas, no. Here the runes were just a vehicle for the villain to cast harmful spells. It's as if the author latched on to an interesting term used in occult circles and used it for a story. Also, casting runes is a term used more for divination, and not for casting spells. So for you runologists out there, don't bother.
It is one of the better stories in this collection however.

[Tony Hannan]

87. Casting the Runes, by MR James. What a wonderful time of year to reach this, a ghost story by one of the spooky – and wickedly funny – giants of the genre. Like most, I suspect, I always associate the great Cambridge don with Christmas, due to the various BBC adaptations down the years. Sutherland picks a single tale – the one that sparked Jacques Tourneur's 1957 film, 'Night of the Demon' – wherein some poor sap must pass on a note that will otherwise lead to his death and chooses the sinister cove who gave it to him, the dodgy Mr Karswell. I'd read it before but did so again. Given it's the festive season I'll also go on to devour the rest of this crusty Oxford World's Classics edition. 10/10

[Frank McAdam · Rating 5 out of 5]

M.R. James was one of the great masters of the horror story (the book's title is misleading as most of the entries are not ghost stories in the conventional sense), and this is an excellent collection that contains many of his best works. What sets James apart from other horror writers is his erudition. A highly respected Cambridge professor, he wrote just as well as the other great masters of Victorian literature; but his offerings are much more fun and enjoyable than those of his contemporaries. Most pleasingly, he achieves his effects largely through the power of suggestion rather than through explicit descriptions that would undermine their credibility.

[TE · Rating 4 out of 5]

As several other reviewers have noted, this book is a masterpiece of English literature, but it has been sadly overlooked. M.R. James is a savant storyteller: he provides ample opportunity for a reader to employ their imagination, based on their own memories and experiences, while simultaneously weaving a rich tapestry of imagery that transports one to another time in another world. Taking great pains to describe his scenes, he scrupulously constructs a detailed backdrop against which to set his subtle, yet disturbing, tales of the supernatural and bizarre. He celebrates the sublime of the everyday and ordinary (in the author's own mind, as well: he is clearly an avid golf enthusiast!) while suggesting ever so gently that even the mundane can be horrifying, in ways not expected. I can understand how a handful of reviewers have commented that some of the stories are rather "slow;" to me, however, this method lulls the reader into a sense of (false) security, rendering them unaware that all the while, James is masterfully building momentum, which makes the quotidian all the more horrifying and disturbing. Even a seemingly-innocuous prayer book, along with other familiar, even banal objects, can betray and deceive with terrifying results. I highly recommend this collection to ghost story aficionados who love a good tale well-told. I also think that only a light reworking would render some of these stories into adept screenplays! Enjoy!

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 1987, Casting the Runes and Other Ghost Stories is a collection of 21 of MR James stories published between the years 1895 and 1936. This includes 'A Vignette', posthumously published in 1936. The stories are all well written, very atmospheric and often very gothic in detail. At the same time, it has to be said that the typical MR James protagonist is a University Don with no interest in sex. resulting in a staid quality of plot which will not appeal to everyone.