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Sunless Solstice: Strange Christmas Tales for the Longest Nights
Another festive edition to the Tales of the Weird series, following on from Spirits of the Season and Chill Tidings. A unique selection ranging from the spooky haunted houses of Victorian Christmastime to experimental twentieth-century horrors. It offers a truly international scope of stories, from the pine forests of Canada to the peaks of the Alps.
Like any other boy I expected ghost stories at Christmas, that was the time for them. What I had not expected, and now feared, was that such things should actually become real.
Strange things happen on the dark wintry nights of December. Welcome to a new collection of haunting Christmas tales, ranging from traditional Victorian chillers to weird and uncanny episodes by twentieth-century horror masters including Daphne du Maurier and Robert Aickman.
Lurking in the blizzard are menacing cat spirits, vengeful trees, malignant forces on the mountainside and a skater skirting the line between the mortal and spiritual realms. Wrap up warm – and prepare for the longest nights of all.
Like any other boy I expected ghost stories at Christmas, that was the time for them. What I had not expected, and now feared, was that such things should actually become real.
Strange things happen on the dark wintry nights of December. Welcome to a new collection of haunting Christmas tales, ranging from traditional Victorian chillers to weird and uncanny episodes by twentieth-century horror masters including Daphne du Maurier and Robert Aickman.
Lurking in the blizzard are menacing cat spirits, vengeful trees, malignant forces on the mountainside and a skater skirting the line between the mortal and spiritual realms. Wrap up warm – and prepare for the longest nights of all.
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 21, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
February 6, 2022
An anthology of horror stories with winter/Christmas as the common theme. Sounds interesting, but the collection was decent at best.
On the pro side, the stories are not contemporary. They are all published between 1893 and 1974 and presented in the book in chronological order of publication. The authors are a mix of the popular and the unknown. Thus we get a wide range of spooky tales from the past. I loved how each story began with a brief intro about the author and the story. This helped in knowing more about the author.
On the negative side, most of the stories are not at all scary, especially to readers in the 21st century. Some of them are minor psychological thrillers. Most don’t contain anything paranormal. So my experience was a mixed one.
Here’s a brief feedback on each story from this collection of twelve.
1. The Ghost at the Crossroads - Frederick Manley – 1893 - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
For the age it was written in, this was fantastic. Modern readers might find the build-up a bit slow.
2. The Blue Room - Lettice Galbraith – 1897 - 🌟🌟🌟💫
Was proceeding so well but the ending spoils it. Until the end, it was a 5 star for me. One of the few truly horrifying stories.
3. On the Northern Ice - Elia Wilkinson Peattie – 1898 - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
My kind of ghost story. Never thought I’ll find a ghost story “sweet”!
4. The Black Cat - W J Wintle – 1921 - 🌟🌟🌟💫
I thought I'll love it, considering I find black cats amazing. But it went on a different track than what I had expected. It was nice but I expected more.
5. Ganthony's Wife - E. Temple Thurston – 1926 - 🌟🌟
The writing style didn't work for me. Very dragged.
6. Mr. Huffam - Hugh Walpole – 1933 - 🌟
Too bored to even write an opinion.
7. The Man Who Came Back - Margery Lawrence – 1935 - 🌟🌟🌟💫
Interesting story, could have been developed more. Title is a spoiler. The only story that creates atmospheric tension.
8. The Third Shadow - H. Russell Wakefield – 1950 - 🌟
Too bored to even write an opinion.
9. The Apple Tree - Daphne Du Maurier – 1952 - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
You might recognise this author’s name. The story is excellent and does credit to her fame. Docked off half a star because I wasn’t spooked. What’s the point of reading a horror story if you don’t feel any chills?
10. The Leaf Sweeper - Muriel Spark – 1956 - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
More intriguing than interesting, more surreal than scary, more weird than wow.
11. The Visiting Star - Robert Aickman – 1966 - 🌟🌟
Didn’t like the writing style at all. Story was okay, no great shakes. All the more disappointed because this author is supposed to be a recognised horror writer.
12. A Fall of Snow - James Turner – 1974 - 🌟🌟🌟
This was pretty good, but I felt like it fell short of what it could have been. The premise was excellent but it was lost in the meandering details. The climax saves it a bit but by then it’s too late.
3 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the individual stories. Recommended mainly to classic horror lovers. Contemporary readers might not have the patience to sit through the older stories.
The book is available on KU India.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
On the pro side, the stories are not contemporary. They are all published between 1893 and 1974 and presented in the book in chronological order of publication. The authors are a mix of the popular and the unknown. Thus we get a wide range of spooky tales from the past. I loved how each story began with a brief intro about the author and the story. This helped in knowing more about the author.
On the negative side, most of the stories are not at all scary, especially to readers in the 21st century. Some of them are minor psychological thrillers. Most don’t contain anything paranormal. So my experience was a mixed one.
Here’s a brief feedback on each story from this collection of twelve.
1. The Ghost at the Crossroads - Frederick Manley – 1893 - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
For the age it was written in, this was fantastic. Modern readers might find the build-up a bit slow.
2. The Blue Room - Lettice Galbraith – 1897 - 🌟🌟🌟💫
Was proceeding so well but the ending spoils it. Until the end, it was a 5 star for me. One of the few truly horrifying stories.
3. On the Northern Ice - Elia Wilkinson Peattie – 1898 - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
My kind of ghost story. Never thought I’ll find a ghost story “sweet”!
4. The Black Cat - W J Wintle – 1921 - 🌟🌟🌟💫
I thought I'll love it, considering I find black cats amazing. But it went on a different track than what I had expected. It was nice but I expected more.
5. Ganthony's Wife - E. Temple Thurston – 1926 - 🌟🌟
The writing style didn't work for me. Very dragged.
6. Mr. Huffam - Hugh Walpole – 1933 - 🌟
Too bored to even write an opinion.
7. The Man Who Came Back - Margery Lawrence – 1935 - 🌟🌟🌟💫
Interesting story, could have been developed more. Title is a spoiler. The only story that creates atmospheric tension.
8. The Third Shadow - H. Russell Wakefield – 1950 - 🌟
Too bored to even write an opinion.
9. The Apple Tree - Daphne Du Maurier – 1952 - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
You might recognise this author’s name. The story is excellent and does credit to her fame. Docked off half a star because I wasn’t spooked. What’s the point of reading a horror story if you don’t feel any chills?
10. The Leaf Sweeper - Muriel Spark – 1956 - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
More intriguing than interesting, more surreal than scary, more weird than wow.
11. The Visiting Star - Robert Aickman – 1966 - 🌟🌟
Didn’t like the writing style at all. Story was okay, no great shakes. All the more disappointed because this author is supposed to be a recognised horror writer.
12. A Fall of Snow - James Turner – 1974 - 🌟🌟🌟
This was pretty good, but I felt like it fell short of what it could have been. The premise was excellent but it was lost in the meandering details. The climax saves it a bit but by then it’s too late.
3 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the individual stories. Recommended mainly to classic horror lovers. Contemporary readers might not have the patience to sit through the older stories.
The book is available on KU India.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
January 12, 2022
Sunless Solstice was one of the collections I read in December. This was the third December in a row where I’ve read one of the Christmas collections released as part of the Tales of the Weird collection - and it was as brilliant as I’ve come to expect from their anthologies!
The collection opens with a brilliant little Irish ghost story! Incredibly atmospheric - both in terms of Christmas vibes but also with a creepy undertone! I just LOVE when characters sit around a crackling fire and share stories that have the listeners sitting on the edge of their seats.
Another highlight was The Apple Tree by Daphne du Maurier. Who knew a story about an apple tree could be so sinister? Trust du Maurier to deliver on that front! The stories are presented in chronological order and it’s fun to see the progression of the Christmas horror story over the years.
All in all, there was only one story that didn’t really work for me (The Visiting Star), but the rest were winners! One to put on your TBR for this upcoming Christmas...
The collection opens with a brilliant little Irish ghost story! Incredibly atmospheric - both in terms of Christmas vibes but also with a creepy undertone! I just LOVE when characters sit around a crackling fire and share stories that have the listeners sitting on the edge of their seats.
Another highlight was The Apple Tree by Daphne du Maurier. Who knew a story about an apple tree could be so sinister? Trust du Maurier to deliver on that front! The stories are presented in chronological order and it’s fun to see the progression of the Christmas horror story over the years.
All in all, there was only one story that didn’t really work for me (The Visiting Star), but the rest were winners! One to put on your TBR for this upcoming Christmas...
November 30, 2024
2.5 rounded up
With one or two exceptions, this collection was very tepid and disappointing overall.
With one or two exceptions, this collection was very tepid and disappointing overall.
December 28, 2025
3.75 stars
Another set of stories in the British Library Tales of the Weird series. This collection has stories based around the Christmas season and the solstice. There are stories from Frederick Manley, Lettice Galbraith, Elia Wilkinson Peattie, W J Wintle, E Temple Thurston, Hugh Walpole, Margery Lawrence, H Russell Wakefield, Daphne Du Maurier, Murial Spark, Robert Aickman and James Turner. The stories span 1893 to 1974.
AS you would expect, some are stronger than others and some of the usual ghost story tropes are present. There is one tale told around a fire by a group of friends (Thurston). A couple are about vengeful wives: the one by Du Maurier (The Apple Tree) is particularly strong. There are mysterious encounters and a séance with a sceptical group of acquaintances. There is some benevolence: the tales by Walpole and Peattie, although even these have an edge. Wintle’s tale involves a vengeful black cat. There is a mountaineering tale (Wakefield), which is chilling in more ways than one.
A good read for dark nights and the Christmas season.
Another set of stories in the British Library Tales of the Weird series. This collection has stories based around the Christmas season and the solstice. There are stories from Frederick Manley, Lettice Galbraith, Elia Wilkinson Peattie, W J Wintle, E Temple Thurston, Hugh Walpole, Margery Lawrence, H Russell Wakefield, Daphne Du Maurier, Murial Spark, Robert Aickman and James Turner. The stories span 1893 to 1974.
AS you would expect, some are stronger than others and some of the usual ghost story tropes are present. There is one tale told around a fire by a group of friends (Thurston). A couple are about vengeful wives: the one by Du Maurier (The Apple Tree) is particularly strong. There are mysterious encounters and a séance with a sceptical group of acquaintances. There is some benevolence: the tales by Walpole and Peattie, although even these have an edge. Wintle’s tale involves a vengeful black cat. There is a mountaineering tale (Wakefield), which is chilling in more ways than one.
A good read for dark nights and the Christmas season.
December 26, 2021
full post here:
http://www.oddlyweirdfiction.com/2021...
"Night, and especially Christmas night, is the best time to listen to a ghost story. Throw on the logs! Draw the curtains! Move your chairs nearer the fire and hearken!"
For me it's more a case of brewing some cardamom chai tea (with milk, of course), grabbing my favorite blanket, curling up in a cozy chair and opening a book, but I'd say the Victorians (in this case Frederick Manley, author of the quotation above) had it right: who wouldn't love to sit in the darkness with only a roaring fire for light and listen to a ghostly tale or two?
The editors of Sunless Solstice offer their readers a wide range of tales beginning with the work of three Victorian-era writers. While these three land on the more spectral side, keeping with the Christmas ghost story tradition, in the nine remaining stories there is more than a hint of the weird and the strange, the fun beginning with W.J. Wintle's "The Black Cat" from 1921 and ending in 1974 with a story by James Turner, "A Fall of Snow." In between are stories from very well known authors, including Daphne Du Maurier and Muriel Spark (whose story here is just surreal, a term I don't throw around lightly).
Robert Aickman's "The Visiting Star" first published in 1966 (in Powers of Darkness: Macabre Stories) tops my list of favorites here. It is not the weirdest story I've ever read by this author, but strange it is all the same, employing here, as he often does, bits of the mythological, the psychological and just plain weirdness to tell the story of Arabella Rokeby, an actress who is set to make a return to the stage in a play she'd starred in years earlier in London, now being produced in an "unused and forgotten" theatre in some out of the way town. When "the great actress" arrives accompanied by her strange companion named Myrrha, Colvin (an expert on lead and plumbago mining), expecting an aging woman, is somewhat surprised by her youthful looks, but that's not the only strangeness to be found in this most excellent tale, a truly great choice by the editors for inclusion.
As is the case with the other books in the British Library Tales of the Weird series, it's a true delight reading the work of past masters of the strange. The editors of Sunless Solstice have certainly done their research in putting together this book, leaving their readers with enough scary chills and weirdness to take them through the Christmas holidays, but as always, you don't need to limit yourself to the season to find joy in the reading. Very nicely done, and of course, definitely recommended.
http://www.oddlyweirdfiction.com/2021...
"Night, and especially Christmas night, is the best time to listen to a ghost story. Throw on the logs! Draw the curtains! Move your chairs nearer the fire and hearken!"
For me it's more a case of brewing some cardamom chai tea (with milk, of course), grabbing my favorite blanket, curling up in a cozy chair and opening a book, but I'd say the Victorians (in this case Frederick Manley, author of the quotation above) had it right: who wouldn't love to sit in the darkness with only a roaring fire for light and listen to a ghostly tale or two?
The editors of Sunless Solstice offer their readers a wide range of tales beginning with the work of three Victorian-era writers. While these three land on the more spectral side, keeping with the Christmas ghost story tradition, in the nine remaining stories there is more than a hint of the weird and the strange, the fun beginning with W.J. Wintle's "The Black Cat" from 1921 and ending in 1974 with a story by James Turner, "A Fall of Snow." In between are stories from very well known authors, including Daphne Du Maurier and Muriel Spark (whose story here is just surreal, a term I don't throw around lightly).
Robert Aickman's "The Visiting Star" first published in 1966 (in Powers of Darkness: Macabre Stories) tops my list of favorites here. It is not the weirdest story I've ever read by this author, but strange it is all the same, employing here, as he often does, bits of the mythological, the psychological and just plain weirdness to tell the story of Arabella Rokeby, an actress who is set to make a return to the stage in a play she'd starred in years earlier in London, now being produced in an "unused and forgotten" theatre in some out of the way town. When "the great actress" arrives accompanied by her strange companion named Myrrha, Colvin (an expert on lead and plumbago mining), expecting an aging woman, is somewhat surprised by her youthful looks, but that's not the only strangeness to be found in this most excellent tale, a truly great choice by the editors for inclusion.
As is the case with the other books in the British Library Tales of the Weird series, it's a true delight reading the work of past masters of the strange. The editors of Sunless Solstice have certainly done their research in putting together this book, leaving their readers with enough scary chills and weirdness to take them through the Christmas holidays, but as always, you don't need to limit yourself to the season to find joy in the reading. Very nicely done, and of course, definitely recommended.
January 4, 2022
I have been collecting the British Library tales of the weird for some time but this is the first of the series that I have sat down and read all the way through. As with the majority of the series it is made up of short stories on a theme - and no prizes for guessing the theme here.
This book focuses on the alternative views of Christmas and the winter-tide with a number of surprising and thought provoking stories. I think when this book was put together it had a very wide remit - reflected in the span of time the stories have been taken from.
Additionally the stories have been selected for their connection to the theme - as there are entries from instantly recognisable and famous authors to single published works which have long since slide from the popular anthologies.
As always this book is a delight to read and not just for the stories but for the introduction each gets as well. So if you want something a little different you cannot go amiss with this title or in fact any from the series.
This book focuses on the alternative views of Christmas and the winter-tide with a number of surprising and thought provoking stories. I think when this book was put together it had a very wide remit - reflected in the span of time the stories have been taken from.
Additionally the stories have been selected for their connection to the theme - as there are entries from instantly recognisable and famous authors to single published works which have long since slide from the popular anthologies.
As always this book is a delight to read and not just for the stories but for the introduction each gets as well. So if you want something a little different you cannot go amiss with this title or in fact any from the series.
January 11, 2022
As the nights draw in after the clocks go back, stories with darker moments are what some people seek out. And the editors of this book have sought out what they think that people want to read in the depths of midwinter. The twelve selected stories are drawn from some well-known authors, like Daphne du Maurier and Muriel Spark, to others that I have never heard of.
It wouldn’t be a collection of ghost stories without a moor and the first is The Ghost at the Cross Roads and a card game with a dark stranger. There is a tense story about a séance that goes wrong and another about a man who has a dread of cats. It is not just the winter that is chilling in some of these stories…
As with any collection, there were some I liked and others that I didn’t. It leans heavily on the gothic melodrama as I was kind of expecting, but there was the odd one or two in here that I did find unsettling. Not all were as scary as I thought that they’d be, but it is a nice wintery collection of stories. A ghost story told around an open fire in a pub is going to come across very differently when told walking down a misty holloway. If you like your Christmas stories less twee, then this is a good place to start.
Three Favourite Stories
On The Northern Ice
Ganthony’s Wife
A Fall of Snow
It wouldn’t be a collection of ghost stories without a moor and the first is The Ghost at the Cross Roads and a card game with a dark stranger. There is a tense story about a séance that goes wrong and another about a man who has a dread of cats. It is not just the winter that is chilling in some of these stories…
As with any collection, there were some I liked and others that I didn’t. It leans heavily on the gothic melodrama as I was kind of expecting, but there was the odd one or two in here that I did find unsettling. Not all were as scary as I thought that they’d be, but it is a nice wintery collection of stories. A ghost story told around an open fire in a pub is going to come across very differently when told walking down a misty holloway. If you like your Christmas stories less twee, then this is a good place to start.
Three Favourite Stories
On The Northern Ice
Ganthony’s Wife
A Fall of Snow
January 3, 2022
Definitely the most varied of the three British Library weird Christmas story collections I've read, and all the better for it - favourites were probably The Apple Tree and A Fall of Snow. I also liked how The Blue Room takes the usual 'toffs investigate a haunted room' ghost story but shows us it from the perspective of one of the servants, just wish they'd went a bit further with it. Gets properly weird with The Leaf-Sweeper and The Visiting Star too.
November 29, 2021
Another excellent collection. There were only two stories I probably wouldn't recommend (On the Northern Ice and The Man Who Came Back), and I particularly liked the surrealist turns taken by The Leaf Sweeper and The Visiting Star.
January 9, 2024
We've started reading Christmas themed ghost stories during the holidays, and I really enjoy these British Library collections, edited by Tanya Kirk. There were several gems in this one, many familiar and therefore predictable, but so well-written, I still liked them a lot. Here's the rundown:
The Ghost at the Cross-Roads, by Frederick Manley
4 stars--A lot of these are a story within a story. This one is told by a stranger who finds himself at a cozy Christmas house party in Ireland after a scary encounter out on the road in a snowstorm.
The Blue Room, by Lettice Galbraith
5 stars--A well done haunted room story, narrated by a brave housekeeper.
On the Northern Ice, by Ella Wilkinson Peattie
3.5 stars--There was a wonderfully spooky atmosphere as a character ice skated through the night. The conclusion was predictable, abrupt, and sad.
The Black Cat, by W.J. Wintle
3.5 stars--Creepy, but there wasn't a whole lot to it besides a build-up to the inevitable end.
Ganthony's Wife, by E. Temple Thurston
1 star--I forgot pretty much all of it within a few days so it didn't leave much of an impression (or I was very sleepy when I read it). Skimming to refresh my memory didn't make me rate it any higher.
The Leaf-sweeper, by Muriel Spark
4 stars--Not really scary, and kind of bizarre, but I liked Spark's writing and her sense of humor.
Mr. Huffam, by Hugh Walpole
5 stars--The descriptions evoke the cheeriest of Christmas cheer in this one, with a ghost who's not scary at all and makes Christmas magical for Tubby Winsloe and his whole household.
The Man Who Came Back, by Margery Lawrence
4 stars--Predictable but well-written and fun to read aloud. Beware the seance! Especially when the medium you're mocking advises you to sit this one out.
The Third Shadow, by H. Russell Wakefield
5 stars--Interesting setting for a ghost story (mountain climbing in France), and it got pretty creepy by the end, especially with the man talking in two different voices.
A Fall of Snow, by James Turner
4 stars--I liked the description and atmosphere, and the narrator recalling an event from his teens.
The Visiting Star, by Robert Aikman
1 star--This wasn't scary, meandered for too long, and it was too vague with its frights.
The Apple Tree, by Daphne du Maurier
4 stars--Really good! I especially liked the author's subtlety in her characterization of the widower. If I hadn't been disappointed by the abrupt ending, it would have been 5 stars.
The Ghost at the Cross-Roads, by Frederick Manley
4 stars--A lot of these are a story within a story. This one is told by a stranger who finds himself at a cozy Christmas house party in Ireland after a scary encounter out on the road in a snowstorm.
The Blue Room, by Lettice Galbraith
5 stars--A well done haunted room story, narrated by a brave housekeeper.
On the Northern Ice, by Ella Wilkinson Peattie
3.5 stars--There was a wonderfully spooky atmosphere as a character ice skated through the night. The conclusion was predictable, abrupt, and sad.
The Black Cat, by W.J. Wintle
3.5 stars--Creepy, but there wasn't a whole lot to it besides a build-up to the inevitable end.
Ganthony's Wife, by E. Temple Thurston
1 star--I forgot pretty much all of it within a few days so it didn't leave much of an impression (or I was very sleepy when I read it). Skimming to refresh my memory didn't make me rate it any higher.
The Leaf-sweeper, by Muriel Spark
4 stars--Not really scary, and kind of bizarre, but I liked Spark's writing and her sense of humor.
Mr. Huffam, by Hugh Walpole
5 stars--The descriptions evoke the cheeriest of Christmas cheer in this one, with a ghost who's not scary at all and makes Christmas magical for Tubby Winsloe and his whole household.
The Man Who Came Back, by Margery Lawrence
4 stars--Predictable but well-written and fun to read aloud. Beware the seance! Especially when the medium you're mocking advises you to sit this one out.
The Third Shadow, by H. Russell Wakefield
5 stars--Interesting setting for a ghost story (mountain climbing in France), and it got pretty creepy by the end, especially with the man talking in two different voices.
A Fall of Snow, by James Turner
4 stars--I liked the description and atmosphere, and the narrator recalling an event from his teens.
The Visiting Star, by Robert Aikman
1 star--This wasn't scary, meandered for too long, and it was too vague with its frights.
The Apple Tree, by Daphne du Maurier
4 stars--Really good! I especially liked the author's subtlety in her characterization of the widower. If I hadn't been disappointed by the abrupt ending, it would have been 5 stars.
January 7, 2022
Spooooooookkkkkfest!
January 2, 2025
The collection of short stories with Christmas spirit about them bring some of the chill to the season. Most of the stories fit the mood and are written in a quite suspenseful way even when few others fall short of doing the job quite right. Overall, I'd say it's a good anthology for affectionados of horror for the holiday season, if nothing else.
January 1, 2026
This is another great anthology of Christmas hauntings from the British Library Tales of the Weird series.
The Ghost at the Cross-Roads by Frederick Manley (4/5)
After a traveller seeks shelter from a snowstorm, he tells a tale of playing a card game with a mysterious black-clad stranger. A nice example of crossroads folklore.
The Blue Room by Lettice Galbraith (4/5)
The housekeeper of a stately home narrates a story of a room that is said to be haunted. Eventually a feisty university student investigates and the housekeeper attempts to help her. A suspenseful story with two strong female characters.
On the Northern Ice by Ellia Wilkinson Peattie (5/5)
A man ice skating across a lake at night follows a mysterious figure. As short and simple as the story is, I loved the prose, the atmosphere, and where the story led.
The Black Cat by W. J. Wintle (3/5)
A man afraid of cats becomes haunted by the spectre of a cat. Straightforward.
Ganthony’s Wife by E. Temple Thurston (4/5)
A man tells an unsettling ghost story to a group of people sitting around a fire on Christmas. I really enjoyed the descriptions of snowbound London.
Mr. Huffam by Hugh Walpole (2.5/5)
A light-hearted story about the effect a mysterious stranger has on a household that has lost Christmas cheer. While I enjoyed the prose, I felt the story was slow moving and overly sentimental.
The Man Who Came Back by Margery Lawrence (4/5)
Things get creepy when a seance is held at a party. After a quick set up the tension is built up well leading to an exciting finale.
The Third Shadow by H. Russell Wakefield (3/5)
A mountain climber tells the story of a mysterious incident during a climb with a fellow climber who had lost his wife after an accident. Straightforward.
The Apple Tree by Daphne Du Maurier (5/5)
A recent widower, who found his wife irritating, tries to enjoy his new freedom but keeps getting reminded of her by a tree in his yard. Is he being haunted or is he experiencing guilt? A chilling story with engaging prose. Outstanding from start to finish.
The Leaf-sweeper by Muriel Spark (2/2)
A man who was sent to an asylum for his obsession with abolishing Christmas eventually meets his doppelgänger. A little too surreal for me.
The Visiting Star by Robert Aickman (5/5)
A once famous actress with a secret visits a mining town to appear in a play. Atmospheric, haunting, original, and I loved the prose. I’m still thinking about this story after finishing it.
A Fall of Snow by James Turner (5/5)
A man tells the story about something frightening he saw during a toboggan ride one Christmas in the countryside during his childhood. It captures bittersweet memories of childhood well and makes snowfall something dark and mysterious.
The Ghost at the Cross-Roads by Frederick Manley (4/5)
After a traveller seeks shelter from a snowstorm, he tells a tale of playing a card game with a mysterious black-clad stranger. A nice example of crossroads folklore.
The Blue Room by Lettice Galbraith (4/5)
The housekeeper of a stately home narrates a story of a room that is said to be haunted. Eventually a feisty university student investigates and the housekeeper attempts to help her. A suspenseful story with two strong female characters.
On the Northern Ice by Ellia Wilkinson Peattie (5/5)
A man ice skating across a lake at night follows a mysterious figure. As short and simple as the story is, I loved the prose, the atmosphere, and where the story led.
The Black Cat by W. J. Wintle (3/5)
A man afraid of cats becomes haunted by the spectre of a cat. Straightforward.
Ganthony’s Wife by E. Temple Thurston (4/5)
A man tells an unsettling ghost story to a group of people sitting around a fire on Christmas. I really enjoyed the descriptions of snowbound London.
Mr. Huffam by Hugh Walpole (2.5/5)
A light-hearted story about the effect a mysterious stranger has on a household that has lost Christmas cheer. While I enjoyed the prose, I felt the story was slow moving and overly sentimental.
The Man Who Came Back by Margery Lawrence (4/5)
Things get creepy when a seance is held at a party. After a quick set up the tension is built up well leading to an exciting finale.
The Third Shadow by H. Russell Wakefield (3/5)
A mountain climber tells the story of a mysterious incident during a climb with a fellow climber who had lost his wife after an accident. Straightforward.
The Apple Tree by Daphne Du Maurier (5/5)
A recent widower, who found his wife irritating, tries to enjoy his new freedom but keeps getting reminded of her by a tree in his yard. Is he being haunted or is he experiencing guilt? A chilling story with engaging prose. Outstanding from start to finish.
The Leaf-sweeper by Muriel Spark (2/2)
A man who was sent to an asylum for his obsession with abolishing Christmas eventually meets his doppelgänger. A little too surreal for me.
The Visiting Star by Robert Aickman (5/5)
A once famous actress with a secret visits a mining town to appear in a play. Atmospheric, haunting, original, and I loved the prose. I’m still thinking about this story after finishing it.
A Fall of Snow by James Turner (5/5)
A man tells the story about something frightening he saw during a toboggan ride one Christmas in the countryside during his childhood. It captures bittersweet memories of childhood well and makes snowfall something dark and mysterious.
December 23, 2023
Quite a few unremarkable stories in here but the stand out ones make up for it, which are all towards the end - the highlight being The Apple Tree by Du Maurier. A really smart look at disdain and marriage.
November 16, 2023
Favorite: Daphne du Maurier's The Apple Tree
November 12, 2023
The stories range from the late 1800s with the final being written in the 1970s. Granted, some were rather generic, but it was fun to witness the evolution of writing styles and how each author attempts to craft their own horror from their era. Very fun read for the winter
Read
December 26, 2024Rating this low because most of these were pretty boring. I wanted more spookiness from these tales. I did like the H. Russell Wakefield and Daphne Du Maurier ones though. This has convinced me to read Rebecca.
February 9, 2024
Book 18 of 2023 (although I started around Christmas 2022). I read this to my partner ('Favourite Irishman') before we would go to sleep.
What is it about?
It's a collection of short (and some longer) creepy stories, all set around Christmastime.
What did I think?
As usual when it comes to anthologies, the quality of the stories varies widely. Reading them aloud quite easily brought to light which ones were written well, and which ones were written... not so well.
Let me break it down chapter by chapter.
Frederick Manley - The Ghost at the Cross-Roads (1893): 2
Not a particularly good re-telling of a well-known Irish folktale. Bonus: had a fun time trying to do the accents. Favourite Irishman had a significantly less fun time.
Lettice Galbraith - The Blue Room (1897): 3.5
Suspenseful and well-written, and I love a good 'haunted-room' story. Did the job.
Elia Wilkinson Peattie - On the Northern Ice (1898): 4
Managed to make us feel unsettled in just a few pages. It holds the perfect balance between the 'real' and the ghostly.
W.J. Wintle - The Black Cat (1921): 2.5
Starts off fine, gets more and more ridiculous along the way. Terrible exposition, too (IT SOUNDED LIKE A CAT! THE SHADOW LOOKED JUST LIKE A CAT! IT WAS CAT-LIKE!). Besides, cats just don't scare me. An extra 0.5 stars for entertainment value.
E. Temple Thurston - Ganthony's Wife (1926): 3
A cozy round-the-fire Christmas ghost story, that fails to fulfill its potential.
Hugh Walpole - Mr Huffam (1933): 2.5
You can see Walpole had a jolly time writing this. It's fun and atmospheric, but eventually, too silly, predictable, and...most importantly...not scary at all.
Margery Lawrence - The Man Who Came Back (1935): 3
Séances are my soft spot, and I had a grand old time trying to impersonate the medium! Other than that, it didn't really stand out.
H. Russell Wakefield - The Third Shadow (1950): 4.5
This managed to send shivers down my spine. Its very well built-up, a proper slow burn. I have to admit that mountaineering is something that I would NEVER do, the idea scares the shit out of me, so Russell Wakefield had a head-start!
Daphne Du Maurier - The Apple Tree (1952): 4
Not Du Maurier's best, but even mediocre Du Maurier is good. The story is a bit too symbolic to my taste but the writing is perfect, as always.
Muriel Spark - The Leaf-Sweeper (1956): 3.5
A very weird and original little tale! I liked it.
Robert Aickman - The Visiting Star (1966): 4
No idea really what this was about, which, I've been told, is par for the course when it comes to Aickman's stories. It was strange and oddly mesmerising, I can't hate it.
James Turner - A Fall of Snow (1974): 3
Full of promise, takes too long to get to the point. Still not entirely sure what happened, though that might be part of the mystery.
Overall rating
3.5 stars - 7 out of 10
Fiction ranking 2023: 55/63
What is it about?
It's a collection of short (and some longer) creepy stories, all set around Christmastime.
What did I think?
As usual when it comes to anthologies, the quality of the stories varies widely. Reading them aloud quite easily brought to light which ones were written well, and which ones were written... not so well.
Let me break it down chapter by chapter.
Frederick Manley - The Ghost at the Cross-Roads (1893): 2
Not a particularly good re-telling of a well-known Irish folktale. Bonus: had a fun time trying to do the accents. Favourite Irishman had a significantly less fun time.
Lettice Galbraith - The Blue Room (1897): 3.5
Suspenseful and well-written, and I love a good 'haunted-room' story. Did the job.
Elia Wilkinson Peattie - On the Northern Ice (1898): 4
Managed to make us feel unsettled in just a few pages. It holds the perfect balance between the 'real' and the ghostly.
W.J. Wintle - The Black Cat (1921): 2.5
Starts off fine, gets more and more ridiculous along the way. Terrible exposition, too (IT SOUNDED LIKE A CAT! THE SHADOW LOOKED JUST LIKE A CAT! IT WAS CAT-LIKE!). Besides, cats just don't scare me. An extra 0.5 stars for entertainment value.
E. Temple Thurston - Ganthony's Wife (1926): 3
A cozy round-the-fire Christmas ghost story, that fails to fulfill its potential.
Hugh Walpole - Mr Huffam (1933): 2.5
You can see Walpole had a jolly time writing this. It's fun and atmospheric, but eventually, too silly, predictable, and...most importantly...not scary at all.
Margery Lawrence - The Man Who Came Back (1935): 3
Séances are my soft spot, and I had a grand old time trying to impersonate the medium! Other than that, it didn't really stand out.
H. Russell Wakefield - The Third Shadow (1950): 4.5
This managed to send shivers down my spine. Its very well built-up, a proper slow burn. I have to admit that mountaineering is something that I would NEVER do, the idea scares the shit out of me, so Russell Wakefield had a head-start!
Daphne Du Maurier - The Apple Tree (1952): 4
Not Du Maurier's best, but even mediocre Du Maurier is good. The story is a bit too symbolic to my taste but the writing is perfect, as always.
Muriel Spark - The Leaf-Sweeper (1956): 3.5
A very weird and original little tale! I liked it.
Robert Aickman - The Visiting Star (1966): 4
No idea really what this was about, which, I've been told, is par for the course when it comes to Aickman's stories. It was strange and oddly mesmerising, I can't hate it.
James Turner - A Fall of Snow (1974): 3
Full of promise, takes too long to get to the point. Still not entirely sure what happened, though that might be part of the mystery.
Overall rating
3.5 stars - 7 out of 10
Fiction ranking 2023: 55/63
January 13, 2022
Brilliant collection of a wide range of short stories set at and around the mid-winter time. They are arranged in chronological order from around 1890s to mid 1970s. Some of the authors are familiar to modern readers (Muriel Spark, Daphnie Du Maurier) and others are more obscure. There are some unsettled elements here, but nothing is scary, just very atmospheric. My favourites were probably On the Northern Ice by Elia Wilkinson Peattie and Dr Huffam by Hugh Walpole. Great reads for this time of year.
December 23, 2023
Introduction - Lucy Evans & Tanya Kirk
Der dunkelste Tag des Jahres inspiriert seit Jahrhunderten Künstler*innen und Schriftsteller*innen. Die Geschichten werden chronologisch präsentiert und bekannte Namen mit unbekannteren gemischt.
1 The Ghost at the Crossroads - Frederick Manley, 1893
Eine irische Geschichte, die man nicht hungrig lesen sollte, bei der ein Wanderer einer gruseligen Begegnung im Schnee berichtet. Achtung: Teils in schwerem Akzent geschrieben plus alte Sprech- und Schreibweisen. Abruptes Ende, sonst atmosphärisch.
"Night, and especially Christmas night, is the best time to listen to a ghost story."
2 The Blue Room - Lettice Galbraith, 1897
In einer alten Villa in einem Blauen Raum sterben junge Frauen, wenn sie dort übernachten. Doch eine kesse junge Lady will das nicht auf sich sitzen lassen und glaubt nicht an einen mordenden Geist. Witziger Twist, der sich erst im Nachwort enthüllt.
3 On the Northern Ice - Elia Wilkinson Peattie, 1898
Ein junger Mann skatet über das Eis zu einer Hochzeit, als ihn eine weiße Gestalt von seinem Pfad abbringt... ist es zu seinem Glück oder seinem Verderben? Sehr idyllisch, zumindest bis zum Ende.
4 The Black Cat - W J Wintle, 1921
Sydney hat eine Katzenphobie - und wird von einem Katzenschatten und Numismatik heimgesucht. Interessante Mischung aus gruselig und nervig wegen des repetitiven Schreibstils.
"This cat means mischief."
5 Ganthony's Wife - E. Temple Thurston, 1926
Im Zeitalter von Technikwundern geht die persönliche Note und das Wunder verloren - doch ein Besucher am Feuer kann von einem Geist berichten, der ihn persönlich besuchte. Etwas chaotisch erzählt, aber kurzweilig und charmant.
6 Mr. Huffam - Hugh Walpole, 1933
Eines verschneiten Tages rettet Tubby einen Fremden vor dem Londoner Straßenverkehr. Zum Dank transformiert er Haus und Bewohnende und beschert ihnen ein zauberhaftes Weihnachtsfest. Großartiges Ende und viele tolle Anspielungen auf die Zeit zum nachgooglen. Die längste und bisher schönste Geschichte.
"he (...) had the spirit of a damp face-towel"
7 The Man Who Came Back - Margery Lawrence, 1935
Bei einer weihnachtlichen Séance wird einem Gast der Schabernack ausgetrieben. Spannend.
8 The Third Shadow - H. Russell Wakefield, 1950
Hier geht es um Bergsteiger, die im Juni einen Kollegen therapieren wollen, der eine Freundin verloren hat. Sehr langatmig und sehr hochgestochen, habe ich sie erstmal abgebrochen, um voran zu kommen.
9 The Apple Tree - Daphne Du Maurier, 1952
Nachdem seine Frau gestorben ist, wird ein Mann langsam von einem alten Apfelbaum in den Wahnsinn getrieben... Das ist tatsächlich der ganze Plot dieser wirklich langen Kurzgeschichte. Wie schon häufiger festgestellt: Du Maurier Bücher liebe ich, ihre Kurzgeschichten eher nicht.
10 The Leaf Sweeper - Muriel Spark, 1956
Das war eine sehr seltsame Geschichte über einen Abstinenzler (der von Weihnachten Abstinenz predigt) und von seinem eigenen Geist kuriert wird?? Das weirdeste Tale bisher.
11 The Visiting Star - Robert Aickman, 1966
Das war eine lange Geschichte darüber, wie eine berühmte Schauspielerin ein Kleinstadttheater aufmischt. Seltsames Ende.
12 A Fall of Snow - James Turner, 1974
Eine schöne klassische Geschichte über einen Jungen, der bei einer Schlittenfahrt eine Schreckensvision erlebt. Vorhersehbar, aber gut umgesetzt.
Super fand ich, dass es zu jeder Geschichte eine kurze Einführung gibt. Auch gut war die Erklärung zu Beginn, dass die Geschichten nicht politisch korrigiert wurden, sondern im Kontext ihrer Zeit stehen sollen. Schön fand ich zudem, dass von den 12 Geschichten fast die Hälfte von Frauen stammten, sehr ausgewogen.
Insgesamt also ein spannender Einblick in vergangene Weihnachten. Falls euch diese Anthologie gefällt ist es, im Gegensatz zu anderen, nicht die einzige: Die "Tales of the Weird" sind eine ganze Reihe, herausgegeben von der British Library zu diversen Themen.
Der dunkelste Tag des Jahres inspiriert seit Jahrhunderten Künstler*innen und Schriftsteller*innen. Die Geschichten werden chronologisch präsentiert und bekannte Namen mit unbekannteren gemischt.
1 The Ghost at the Crossroads - Frederick Manley, 1893
Eine irische Geschichte, die man nicht hungrig lesen sollte, bei der ein Wanderer einer gruseligen Begegnung im Schnee berichtet. Achtung: Teils in schwerem Akzent geschrieben plus alte Sprech- und Schreibweisen. Abruptes Ende, sonst atmosphärisch.
"Night, and especially Christmas night, is the best time to listen to a ghost story."
2 The Blue Room - Lettice Galbraith, 1897
In einer alten Villa in einem Blauen Raum sterben junge Frauen, wenn sie dort übernachten. Doch eine kesse junge Lady will das nicht auf sich sitzen lassen und glaubt nicht an einen mordenden Geist. Witziger Twist, der sich erst im Nachwort enthüllt.
3 On the Northern Ice - Elia Wilkinson Peattie, 1898
Ein junger Mann skatet über das Eis zu einer Hochzeit, als ihn eine weiße Gestalt von seinem Pfad abbringt... ist es zu seinem Glück oder seinem Verderben? Sehr idyllisch, zumindest bis zum Ende.
4 The Black Cat - W J Wintle, 1921
Sydney hat eine Katzenphobie - und wird von einem Katzenschatten und Numismatik heimgesucht. Interessante Mischung aus gruselig und nervig wegen des repetitiven Schreibstils.
"This cat means mischief."
5 Ganthony's Wife - E. Temple Thurston, 1926
Im Zeitalter von Technikwundern geht die persönliche Note und das Wunder verloren - doch ein Besucher am Feuer kann von einem Geist berichten, der ihn persönlich besuchte. Etwas chaotisch erzählt, aber kurzweilig und charmant.
6 Mr. Huffam - Hugh Walpole, 1933
Eines verschneiten Tages rettet Tubby einen Fremden vor dem Londoner Straßenverkehr. Zum Dank transformiert er Haus und Bewohnende und beschert ihnen ein zauberhaftes Weihnachtsfest. Großartiges Ende und viele tolle Anspielungen auf die Zeit zum nachgooglen. Die längste und bisher schönste Geschichte.
"he (...) had the spirit of a damp face-towel"
7 The Man Who Came Back - Margery Lawrence, 1935
Bei einer weihnachtlichen Séance wird einem Gast der Schabernack ausgetrieben. Spannend.
8 The Third Shadow - H. Russell Wakefield, 1950
Hier geht es um Bergsteiger, die im Juni einen Kollegen therapieren wollen, der eine Freundin verloren hat. Sehr langatmig und sehr hochgestochen, habe ich sie erstmal abgebrochen, um voran zu kommen.
9 The Apple Tree - Daphne Du Maurier, 1952
Nachdem seine Frau gestorben ist, wird ein Mann langsam von einem alten Apfelbaum in den Wahnsinn getrieben... Das ist tatsächlich der ganze Plot dieser wirklich langen Kurzgeschichte. Wie schon häufiger festgestellt: Du Maurier Bücher liebe ich, ihre Kurzgeschichten eher nicht.
10 The Leaf Sweeper - Muriel Spark, 1956
Das war eine sehr seltsame Geschichte über einen Abstinenzler (der von Weihnachten Abstinenz predigt) und von seinem eigenen Geist kuriert wird?? Das weirdeste Tale bisher.
11 The Visiting Star - Robert Aickman, 1966
Das war eine lange Geschichte darüber, wie eine berühmte Schauspielerin ein Kleinstadttheater aufmischt. Seltsames Ende.
12 A Fall of Snow - James Turner, 1974
Eine schöne klassische Geschichte über einen Jungen, der bei einer Schlittenfahrt eine Schreckensvision erlebt. Vorhersehbar, aber gut umgesetzt.
Super fand ich, dass es zu jeder Geschichte eine kurze Einführung gibt. Auch gut war die Erklärung zu Beginn, dass die Geschichten nicht politisch korrigiert wurden, sondern im Kontext ihrer Zeit stehen sollen. Schön fand ich zudem, dass von den 12 Geschichten fast die Hälfte von Frauen stammten, sehr ausgewogen.
Insgesamt also ein spannender Einblick in vergangene Weihnachten. Falls euch diese Anthologie gefällt ist es, im Gegensatz zu anderen, nicht die einzige: Die "Tales of the Weird" sind eine ganze Reihe, herausgegeben von der British Library zu diversen Themen.
December 23, 2023
Honestly, this was not a very good collection. Maybe it's because I had just read a fantastic collection of Victorian ghost stories, and those Victorians knew how to write really good ghost stories, but this collection, containing largely 20th century stories, just could not hold up in comparison. Only three stories were 5 stars, for me, and I even dnf'd two of the other stories. My favorites, the first of which was in that Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories collection I mentioned, were:
- The Ghost at the Cross Roads by Frederick Manley
- Mr. Huffman by Hugh Walpole
- The Man Who Came Back by Margery Lawrence
- The Ghost at the Cross Roads by Frederick Manley
- Mr. Huffman by Hugh Walpole
- The Man Who Came Back by Margery Lawrence
January 1, 2022
I knew it would be good. Daffers and Bob in the same anthology. Add in The Leaf Sweeper by Spark and you had to be asking yourself what the other selections would be like with stories of this calibre…
So Chuck in a vengeful dead Amazonite wife doing her best in the Alps while her hub tries climbing, a freaky Black Cat that moulds itself out of all kinds of materials and a lively Irish Christmas party full of banshees and deals with the devil and you are set!
So Chuck in a vengeful dead Amazonite wife doing her best in the Alps while her hub tries climbing, a freaky Black Cat that moulds itself out of all kinds of materials and a lively Irish Christmas party full of banshees and deals with the devil and you are set!
January 15, 2022
These British Library Tales of the Weird anthologies always deliver some great short stories. My personal favourites were "The Apple Tree" by Daphne Du Maurier (subtle, eerie, and with a very unreliable narrator) and "A Fall of Snow" by James Turner (written in the 1970s but adopting the form of an older, M.R. James ghost story really effectively). Perfect for reading at night with a cup of tea and candles lit - strange and unsettling at times, but not scary.
December 28, 2021
Excellent collection of Christmas-themed weird tales (with at least one outlier which is wintry, but not Christmasy). They're presented chronologically, but even the later stories, into the early '70s, have a consistency about them. I don't mean that they're samey, since there are a lot of types of stories, from old-fashioned ghosts in manor houses, to seances, to mental hospitals, and various settings as well, but there's a consistent mood and flow to them. Often in a collection like this, some of the stories jar a little. Kudos to the editor, and I hope she can find enough of this quality for another collection.
December 31, 2025
bit of xmas reading! a nice collection of short spooky stories that fits 'betwixtmas' pretty well. varying levels of quality, and i don't know that any of the tales will stay with me, but overall enjoyable and seasonal. also I'm staying in a kind of spooky airbnb right now so this added to the atmosphere
January 2, 2022
A really good collection w enough diversity but also plenty of wintry spookiness to connect them all! A couple of slightly predictable/underwhelming stories (and a couple tenuous links to winter) but most stories, especially The Apple Tree and The Third Shadow are v atmospheric and spooky
July 11, 2022
Old fashioned and delicious!
I liked them all.
Most of all: The Apple Tree by Daphne du Maurier.
I liked them all.
Most of all: The Apple Tree by Daphne du Maurier.
December 12, 2023
The first of my Creepy Christmas reading! This was a really strong collection. My faves were ‘the apple tree’, and ‘a fall of snow’.
December 29, 2024
Hugely enjoyed and highly recommend!
January 6, 2025
A perfect yuletide read for people who read scary stories to read in the dark/short & shivery as children. There's 1 or 2 stories that aren't as strong but overall an excellent collection!
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