How Fear Departed the Long Gallery: A Ghost Story for Christmas

by E.F. Benson, Seth (Illustrations)

An classic ghost story by E.F. Benson is revived in this illustrated Christmas edition by inimitable cartoonist Seth.

In How Fear Departed the Long Gallery, for the Peverils, the appearance of a ghost is no more upsetting than the appearance of the mailman at an ordinary house. Except for the twin toddlers in the Long Gallery. No one would dare be caught in the Long Gallery after dark. But on...

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Christmas, Fiction, Ghosts, Classics, Ghost Stories

52 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

Edward Frederic "E. F." Benson was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, archaeologist and short story writer.

E. F. Benson was the younger brother of A.C. Benson, who wrote the words to "Land of Hope and Glory", Robert Hugh Benson, author of several novels and Roman Catholic apologetic works, and Margaret Benson, an author and amateur Egyptologist.

Benson died during 1940 of throat cancer at the University College Hospital, London. He is buried in the cemetery at Rye, East Sussex.

Last paragraph from Wikipedia

Reviews

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is the gentlest treatment of the hauntings i’ve come across so far in reading through seth’s ghost stories for christmas series: a thickly-haunted house whose ghosts are all departed family members, and treated as such - as familiar visitors greeted and acknowledged by the family and any non-ghostly guests whose paths they might cross.

many of these ghosts were morally iffy when alive, but quite harmless in death and the afterlife; their sins are buried ledes made almost charming by the passage of time, and recounted as such:

I forget the details of great-great-grandmamma Bridget, but she certainly cut the throat of some distant relation before she disembowelled herself with the axe that had been used at Agincourt. Before that she had led a very sultry life, crammed with amazing incident.

there is one exception. two exceptions. in the titular long gallery, after sunset, one might encounter the apparitions of a pair of twins - toddlers horribly murdered by their uncle way back during the elizabethan era, to the family’s great shame. and all who have seen these twins have died ‘either speedily or terribly, or with both speed and terror…’

this story is ultimately one of love and redemption and courage and understanding and fuzzy feelings sure to make the yuletide gay*, but to me (being me and having been put together all wrong), it is the scariest one of all.

twins are scary enough



twins who are also ghosts are worse



twins who are also ghosts with a reputation of killing speedily/terribly?



take that shit walking, benson!

mission statement copied from my review for One Who Saw:

this holiday season, i am going to read through 'seth's christmas ghost stories' line on biblioasis, and i encourage you to do the same. the books are so cute and tiny, you can stuff someone's stocking or dreidel with 'em! the cover art and interior illustrations are by seth, and they are seasonally spoooooky, blending the spirit of halloween with christmas cheer the way nature, and jack skellington, intended.

6 more to go!

*which is only a spoiler if you haven't read the title

come to my blog!

[Carol, She's so Novel ꧁꧂ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calling this one Christmassy is a stretch - it takes place at a country manor just after Christmas Day & there is nothing Christmassy about this very short story (I read at Gutenberg Australia; the Seth edition must be very heavily illustrated to get a 52 page count)

Mildly witty & the horror is at the lower end of the scale.

So far Benson hasn't put a foot wrong for me & he is now one of my favourite authors.

https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful little creeper for the holiday season.

[Ana on the Shelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

“How fear departed the Long Gallery” is a short story written in 1920 by E. F. Benson (1867-1940). This is a little tale about a haunted house, or better saying the gallery of said house. The several portraits hanging on this division display the faces of the ghosts but not every assombration is received with terror by the family of this grand abode.
Take a little break with this book and discover the somehow endearing story of the Long Gallery and you will not regret it!

Did you know?
E. F. Benson was a novelist, biographer, memoirist, archeologist and short story writer. I had no idea! His backlog of books is quite extensive. So if you enjoy this short tale why not try one of his novels or short stories collections? I am sure I will!

[Valerie Book Valkyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Spectrally Sympathetic Stars
Spectacular specter suffused short story! The Peveril family members have an unctiously understated attitude toward their revenant relatives...

"CHURCH-PEVERIL is a house so beset and frequented by spectres, both visible and audible, that none of the family which it shelters under its acre and a half of green copper roofs takes psychical phenomena with any seriousness. For to the Peverils the appearance of a ghost is a matter of hardly greater significance than is the appearance of the post to those who live in more ordinary houses."

...with a twinning exception.

Upon introduction of the ghostly twins I became gripped by thoughts of the Grady sisters in Stephen King's The Shining, read so many decades ago, and thought what wonders a little of Madge Peveril's sympathy could have done for those kelpie kids!

(On second thought, such sweet sympathy would easily have down-scaled The Shining from an epic nightmare of a novel to a tersely truncated tiny tale 😕.)

I've been meaning to read Benson for a while now, The Collected Ghost Stories of E.F. Benson has been on my tbr for a couple months. I'm delighted by this first read, hopefully of many, thanks to the book group Retro Reads🧚‍♀️🙋🏼.

If you like, you can read it for free here (scroll down to pg 131), it's a very short swift read, enjoy!: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/...

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another short read!

A country house, some ghosts that you just don't want to meet! Or do you......

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a special sort of quiet shock that comes over the reader when reading something like this. Maybe it's the atmosphere. Maybe the oddities of the characters. To me, it's the unique blend of Benson's style. Of how he can speak so plainly about the sad and mundane of a funeral and mourning and, in the same sentence, move on to a man strangling a nurse and using his own nephews as kindling for the fire. He then, casually, in the next sentence, goes into the specifics of how much the weather has changed recently.

This is the opening for the ghosts. Following this, the reader is given several incidents with the tiny spectres that further disturb delicate sensibilities. These include various sudden deaths via guilt, fear, and an odd skin disease. The final story is with Blanche, a kindly woman who bears no ill will toward the toddling ghosts, who survives to live a happy life. She is the reason for their departure from the Long Gallery.

This being said, the story is good, I'm just underwhelmed. I almost wish these were just stories of the hauntings, not the happily ever after.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

So another of Seth's Christmas ghost stories (be prepared at last count there were 30 of them and I will be looking to collect them all) however this is a ghost story with twist hence why the higher rating.

I will not give any spoilers but there was a trope of stories which after a while became the de facto go to material - haunted deserted house, storm night, lonely travelling - that sort of thing - well this short story bucks that trend and as a result I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[GoldGato · Rating 3 out of 5]

E.F. Benson was known for his satirical ghost stories and this title certainly lands in that genre. Making fun of the British penchant for finding spectres in old Victorian piles, he presents a short story that starts the reader with a calm, almost sluggish, approach to a family living with various ghosts. However, the supernatural doesn’t happen without some horror and that is where this tale really gets going.

For to the Peverils the appearance of a ghost is a matter of hardly greater significance than is the appearance of the post to those who live in more ordinary houses. It arrives, that is to say, practically every day, it knocks (or makes other noises), it is observed coming up the drive (or in other places).

The family of the Peverils have inhabited their mansion for many generations. They have become accustomed to the Blue Lady wandering off into the shrubbery, for instance, but they are more concerned that the ghostly apparition will scare their dachshund. Then, there’s great-great-grandmamma Bridget, who prefers to float around her favourite room. But all is not well with all the ghosts, for the family harbors a pair of phantoms who bode tragedy for anyone who sees them. Many generations ago, the master of the house died not long after the birth of twin sons. His younger brother seized the opportunity to savagely destroy the babes in order to take control of the inheritance.

The death of the children is gruesome and they continue to haunt the fireplace where they were extinguished. While they don’t appear regularly, anyone who makes the mistake of being in the long gallery after sundown will meet a yucky ending. It’s not nice. And so the family and their guests potter about, always aware of the danger. But one day, a visiting cousin takes a late nap in the cursed room and this is where the short story takes a turn.

I thought this would be a work that looked down upon superstitious people, but the horror that hits midway changes everything. A quick read but a decent one.

Book Season = Winter (ill windlessness)

[Joey Shapiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started out very scary (twin ghost toddlers who lumber towards you after dark!), then when I least expected it got really sweet and heartwarming? Weirdly cozy.

[Susan in NC · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite comic writers, E. F. Benson, brilliant creator of the Lucia books (first is Queen Lucia), also wrote horror. Normally not at all my thing, but the Retro Reads group here on GR is reading this short story set at Christmas - I enjoyed it very much, despite being a wimp about scary stuff!

He really sets a mood, but manages to start with his customary humor, as he introduces the Peverils at their country estate, explaining their generally blasé acceptance of living alongside the ghosts of their ancestors. For this family, “the appearance of a ghost is no more upsetting than the appearance of the mailman at an ordinary house. Except for the twin toddlers in the Long Gallery. No one would dare be caught in the Long Gallery after dark.”

Benson expounds humorously on the exploits of rambunctious or droopy ancestors about the place, and how casually the family warns guests about them. But the horrific fate of toddler ghosts was heartbreaking; I was glad for the satisfying resolution, after a spine tingling encounter! A fun, quick read.

[Lydia Schoch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The past and present can be connected in more ways than you’d think.

One of the things I liked the most about this story had to do with how the Peveril family reacted to the many ghosts who haunted their family estate. Since they were related to all of the spirits, seeing the vast majority of them was more akin to unexpectedly spending time with an eccentric or slightly irritating relative instead of anything spooky. These relaxed relationships were a wonderful contrast to how everyone reacted to the dangerous toddler spirits who occasionally appeared in the Long Gallery.

It would have been nice to have fewer clues about what was going to happen next. As much as I enjoyed this tale, it was a little disappointing to see how quickly and accurately I predicted what was going on with the ghostly children and why they were the only spirits this family feared. I’m the sort of reader who enjoys being challenged, and I would have given this a higher rating if it had expected more of its audience.

With that being said, the ending was an immensely satisfying and uplifting. Some of the other stories in this series could be fairly dark at times. It was nice to see a haunting that turned out to be surprisingly positive despite its grimmer moments earlier on in the plot. I also appreciated the main character’s ability to think quickly in an emergency. Knowing that she was so smart and capable definitely gave this a lighter tone than it would have otherwise had.

How Fear Departed the Long Gallery is something I’d especially recommend reading aloud tonight or sometime soon. It’s perfectly suited for anyone who likes ghost stories during the holiday season.

[Ευθυμία Δεσποτάκη · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ήξερα τον E.F. Benson από το μεταφρασμένο στην Ωρόρα Negotium Perambulans, το οποίο ομολογουμένως δε με είχε ξετρελάνει (το άκουσα και πρόσφατα και επιβεβαίωσα την αρχική μου εντύπωση). Ετούτο εδώ το μικράκι όμως, που το άκουσα στο πολύ αξιόλογο κανάλι Classic Ghost Stories Podcast - Tony Walker (εξαιρετικός αφηγητής) θα με κάνει να τον ψάξω περισσότερο. Δεν είναι η πρωτοτυπία ή το πλοτ τουίστ, άλλωστε ακόμα και για την εποχή που γράφτηκε, ο τίτλος αποκαλύπτει περισσότερα απ' όσα θα ήθελε ένας spoiler-hating αναγνώστης. Είναι η λεπτότητα της αφήγησης, η ήρεμη, σχεδόν φαταλιστική αντιμετώπιση του στοιχειώματος από τους πρωταγωνιστές, ο τρόπος με τον οποίο οδηγεί την πλοκή στην κλιμάκωση και τη λύση.

[Helen Carolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and eerie read. A young woman remains behind in a country pile while the other guests go skating. While alone she is confronted by the ghosts of two young boys murdered in the house. Their appearance usually fortells of death, but the young woman's empathy for them changes things.

[Canavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

✭✭✭½

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent match of story and illustration. "How Fear" is more touching than frightening—probably an accepted convention when Benson wrote this tale (but which is probably *not* an accepted convention now, so beware if you're hoping for gore and premature burials). Seth's illustrations are moody and suggestive: perfect for the job.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine haunted house tale. Not terribly scary, but there is fear that lurks around the edges.

[Adam Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A haunted house with some particularly scary twins. You’ll die if you see them…

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Binge Reviewing my previous Reads #Horror Short Stories #Anthologies # Gothic & Classic Horror (1800s–early 1900s)

E. F. Benson’s How Fear Departed from the Long Gallery (1911) is one of his finest ghost stories, combining traditional gothic elements with a surprising note of resolution rare in supernatural fiction.

Set in a stately English home, the tale recounts a centuries-old haunting tied to a family tragedy and the long, shadowed gallery where spirits still linger.

Unlike The Room in the Tower, which dwells in dreamlike inevitability, Long Gallery is more expansive, almost communal. Benson’s prose evokes the grandeur of haunted estates—a direct link to Le Fanu’s painterly interiors in Schalken the Painter and M. R. James’s ecclesiastical spaces in Canon Alberic’s Scrap-Book. Yet Benson’s story is more humane: he does not solely emphasize dread, but the possibility of haunting as a bridge between suffering and peace.

Placed beside James’s Count Magnus, the contrast is sharp. James’s ghosts are merciless, embodiments of punishment, while Benson’s apparitions carry an aura of sorrow that can, under certain conditions, be resolved. This subtle difference makes Benson’s story feel less like a cautionary tale and more like a meditation on memory and compassion.

In a way, the story anticipates modern “quiet horror”—works like Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black—where atmosphere outweighs spectacle and emotional resonance lingers longer than the shock of fear.

Ultimately, How Fear Departed from the Long Gallery stands as a testament to Benson’s distinct voice within classic ghost literature: tender, spectral, and moving, proving that even in the shadow of terror, solace might still be found.

[Joseph R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Church-Peveril is the countryside estate home of the Peveril family. It's also home to a plethora of ghostly apparitions, both visual and audible. The Peveril family is okay with the situation since most of the specters are benign and quite familiar. They spooks are old family members from centuries before. The only problematic ones are the twin toddlers who show up in the Long Gallery after sunset. They are not mischievous troublemakers but are genuine terrors who were tragically killed by a relative who wanted to inherit the estate. Whoever sees them dies soon afterwards, often in horrible agony. The Peverils only talk about the twins to warn visitors not to stay in the Long Gallery in the dark. As the title suggests, the problem of the Long Gallery is resolved by the end.

This story is actually a short story, not a full length novel or even a novella. This book is published as part of a series of Christmas-time ghost stories, in the old (18th century) English tradition of telling scary tales on Christmas Eve (hence Dickens' A Christmas Carol). The illustrations are fine but very few, maybe five or six in the whole text. I read this on my Kindle and found the story quite delightful--equal parts humorous and scary with a highly satisfying ending. It was well worth the 99-cent price.

Highly recommended--Soon to be reviewed on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast!

[Teresa Mainville · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started a new tradition of reading at least one ghost story during the holiday season because of this series of ghost story books from Biblioasis. The idea of making these stories available to readers was what peaked my interest but the artwork was what sealed the deal for me.

This story from E.F. Benson was one that kept me on my toes. For sure, this won't be scary for most audiences but it can become a fun and spooky storytelling activity to do with family and friends on Christmas eve. E.F. Benson was an excellent writer. Throughout the story, I was engaged and really wanted to know what would happen and how it would end!


***SPOILERS***
Unlike other ghost stories, this one was wholesome and had a different take on how the protagonists view ghosts. Ghosts in this story were so active and present that the inhabitants of the house were aware of their existence, and treated the ghosts as one would another roommate or pet.
This is what made the story more interesting to me.

[Paul Barnes · Rating 1 out of 5]

[Penguin Books] (2017). SB. 52 Pages. Purchased from Amazon.co.uk.

Unpleasant and farcical in various respects.

There are patches of clumsy writing, for instance:

“She stumbled up against a screen, and could not remember the existence of any such screen.” (p. 44.)

The drab, naive drawings by “Seth” (Gregory Gallant (1962-)) bring nothing worthwhile to this book. His depiction of the murdered twins is ridiculous. Additional contextual information, for instance a more detailed biographical sketch of the author*, would have been a welcome substitute. (*A mere five lines… but fifteen for the illustrator…)

[Paul Hasbrouck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story deals with the most haunted estate in UK. Ghosts appear in the gardens, one drives his coach up the main staircase, a lady in white walks the halls, but the two that haunt the Long Gallery are a nightmare. For nearly two hundred years, a few guests who have walked the Long Gallery at night, have suffer terrible fates, so in this story, a young woman has fallen asleep and must face the horror, on a summer night.
One of my favorite ghost stories, with it twist ending that will the reader wanting to read more of Bensons many supernatural tales.

[Shuggy L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depicts country life during the 19th century winter visiting season ; a young girl manages to deflect some ghostly activity among the holiday merriment. Disturbing behavior exhibited by some ancestors (handsome Dick).

This story brings home quite cleverly the way that families can fail their youthful off-spring. Unconditional love and affection is essential to emotional well-being. Vindictive behavior and worse comes from misunderstanding the children in our care.

[Magdalena Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good little ghost story. The characters are not really scared of ghosts - most of them are harmless members of their family - and not bothered by their house being haunted. There's one (or rather two) spectre that brings fear and makes the story a bit spooky. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, its strange gentleness and the ending was great. I'll definitely pick up more of these stories illustrated by Seth.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benson brothers have been rather unjustly forgotten. Yes, it's a fact that in the intervening century-plus years since their mildly worded chill-inducing tales had been published the world has become a louder and more 'in-your-face' place. But some of their tales retain their magic. This one is a beautiful example. It's somewhat long-winded, but tees off neatly, living a vibration behind.
Recommended.

[Benjamin Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. I enjoyed the combination of horror with humour - the Peverils blithe approach to the ghosts that haunt their house, contrasted with the horror felt towards the two baby ghosts, worked very nicely. Benson does a great job of building the terror when Madge falls asleep in the long gallery. Well-done, with a deft touch.

[Ron Kerrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming ghost story where the inhabitants of the haunted place relish their dead relatives revisiting (except maybe a couple of them). The text covers only 37 small pages, the rest being taken up with Seth's drawings and publisher notes. One of the better stories in the Biblioasis Ghost Story For Christmas series.

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 4 out of 5]

SYNOPSIS: "In How Fear Departed the Long Gallery, for the Peverils, the appearance of a ghost is no more upsetting than the appearance of the mailman at an ordinary house. Except for the twin toddlers in the Long Gallery. No one would dare be caught in the Long Gallery after dark. But on this quiet and cloudy afternoon, Madge Peveril is feeling rather drowsy...! (Amazon.com)

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would say of all the little short ghost stories made to be read for a Christmas scare this one I found the most interesting, first published in 1911. Feels quite contemporary about a family estate that is haunted by many ghosts, and are treated like members of the family.