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Dead woman, and other haunting experiences
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 24, 2024
Why is Elizabeth Walter's supernatural fiction not better known? This was her final collection of original material and it's full of superb stories. The standout for me is the folk horror of 'Dead Woman' in which a female civil servant retires to the Welsh borders and finds the circumstances surrounding the lynching of a woman accused of witchcraft uncannily repeating themselves, but there's lots to enjoy here. In 'Telling the Bees', a dysfunctional marriage collides with an ancient rural custom. 'Dual Control' is told wholly in dialogue following a hit-and-run car accident, while 'The Hollies and the Ivy' sees a young couple's house inexplicably overrun by unruly vegetation. Elsewhere, there are creepy children, menacing Welsh publicans, and monstrous goings on in the Swiss lakes. A varied and imaginative collection, stylishly written and with flashes of bone-dry wit. Can someone make a decent film of the title story, please?
December 29, 2025
[Collins and Harvill Press] (1975). 1/1. HB/DJ. 192 Pages. Purchased from The Tombland Bookshop.
Seven supernatural short stories.
Overall, this is a weak offering.
Many of the narratives are shallow, predictable and silly.
“The Hollies and the Ivy”, for example, is boring and ridiculous.
Understandably, none made the cut for Walter’s own ‘best of’ collection: “In the Mist and Other Uncanny Encounters” (Arkham House (1979)).
Seven supernatural short stories.
Overall, this is a weak offering.
Many of the narratives are shallow, predictable and silly.
“The Hollies and the Ivy”, for example, is boring and ridiculous.
Understandably, none made the cut for Walter’s own ‘best of’ collection: “In the Mist and Other Uncanny Encounters” (Arkham House (1979)).
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews