What do you think?
Rate this book
More Chilling Ghost Stories
Stephen Greif and Gareth Armstrong read these classic ghost stories from two masters of the genre. These four suspenseful tales of the supernatural, from M. R. James and Charles Dickens, will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you with a lingering sense of foreboding.
In "The Tractate Middoth," librarian David Garrett has a terrifying encounter while searching for an obscure book, while in "Mr. Testator's Visitation," a poor man "borrows" some furniture from another man's cellar, never expecting the owner to return and claim it. Then, late one night, there is a knock upon his door....
"Casting the Runes" tells the story of a don who rejects an alchemist's manuscript�only to find that the man's knowledge of black magic goes beyond the purely theoretical.
Finally, in "The Trial for Murder," a banker has an alarming experience when he is foreman of the jury in a murder case.
In "The Tractate Middoth," librarian David Garrett has a terrifying encounter while searching for an obscure book, while in "Mr. Testator's Visitation," a poor man "borrows" some furniture from another man's cellar, never expecting the owner to return and claim it. Then, late one night, there is a knock upon his door....
"Casting the Runes" tells the story of a don who rejects an alchemist's manuscript�only to find that the man's knowledge of black magic goes beyond the purely theoretical.
Finally, in "The Trial for Murder," a banker has an alarming experience when he is foreman of the jury in a murder case.
Audio CD
First published September 1, 2014
1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
M.R. James
1,524 books912 followersMontague 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
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
M.R.^James
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 7, 2024
The Tractate Middoth - M. R. James - 3 - This was quite an atmospheric short story but the coincidences that occurred did shadow the story a lot. Despite this, it was interesting and I enjoyed the randomness of the plot and the library inclusion.
Mr Testator's Visitation - Charles Dickens - 2.5 - This was a very short and simple story which I did enjoy and found has a good atmosphere but might ultimately be quite forgettable unless I go second-hand furniture shopping.
Casting the Runes - M. R. James - This was the most creep of the collection with the concept of someone being upset about an unfavorable review and then taking revenge. I also like finding out about how the 'curse' was placed and what would be required to stop this revenge from coming to fruition.
The Trail for Murder - Charles Dickens - 4 - No difference from my original thoughts - One of the first of Charles Dicken's ghost stories and I want to continue and read more. The language was very accessible and with it both being a crime story and a ghost story was interesting and kept that interest throughout the story. Very enjoyable.
Mr Testator's Visitation - Charles Dickens - 2.5 - This was a very short and simple story which I did enjoy and found has a good atmosphere but might ultimately be quite forgettable unless I go second-hand furniture shopping.
Casting the Runes - M. R. James - This was the most creep of the collection with the concept of someone being upset about an unfavorable review and then taking revenge. I also like finding out about how the 'curse' was placed and what would be required to stop this revenge from coming to fruition.
The Trail for Murder - Charles Dickens - 4 - No difference from my original thoughts - One of the first of Charles Dicken's ghost stories and I want to continue and read more. The language was very accessible and with it both being a crime story and a ghost story was interesting and kept that interest throughout the story. Very enjoyable.
October 25, 2021
These are absolute classics. I know the James ones intimately and love them. The Dickens’ ones are quite new to me; I found them less spine-chilling than James’ ones - “Visitation” was actually very funny - but nonetheless very enjoyable.
January 2, 2022
How very confusing. I suppose there are only so many variations of ghost story titles. This one is half-MR James, half Charles Dickens - I was more interested in the Dickens being quite familiar with the James by now.
November 30, 2025
The Tractate Middoth - M.R. James - 4 stars
Mr Testator’s Visitation - Charles Dickens - 3 stars
Casting the Runes - M.R. James - 3.5 stars
The Trial for Murder - Charles Dickens - 3 stars
Mr Testator’s Visitation - Charles Dickens - 3 stars
Casting the Runes - M.R. James - 3.5 stars
The Trial for Murder - Charles Dickens - 3 stars
October 25, 2021
Absolutely classic stories, beautifully-read.
January 2, 2022
How incredibly confusing. Ghost books, hainting my review page.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews