The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral

by M.R. James

M. R. James was born in Kent, England in 1862. James came to writing fiction relatively late, not publishing his first collection of short stories - Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904) - until the age of 42. Modern scholars now see James as having redefined the ghost story for the 20th century and he is seen as the founder of the 'antiquarian ghost story'. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions with a brand new introductory biography of the author.

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

Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 1910

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

[Bionic Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the 1911 collection "More Ghost Stories", The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral is one of M.R. James's most famous stories, and is a very unsettling tale. It is a story within a story; inside the framework lies a study of guilt and obsession.

The narrator is cataloguing manuscripts for a cathedral, when he is shown some papers in a tin box. These had been donated by the sister of "the Archdeacon who came to a very odd end at Barchester." He realised it was the man whose obituary he had just read; Dr. Haynes, an Archdeacon of Barchester cathedral, who died in mysterious circumstances. He was told that these journals and letters had been hidden away because they ought never to have been accepted.

The papers and diaries gradually reveal Dr. Haynes's history, and the deteriorating state of his mind. He becomes obsessed by a 17th-century carving on his place in the cathedral choir stalls. These wooden decorations were of the Devil, Death and a black cat. It was subsequently discovered by the narrator that these were not Dutch, as had been thought, but that they had been carved locally by a John Austin from oak brought from a nearby wood and sourced from a tree known locally as "The Hanging Oak".

As the months pass, and Dr. Haynes', sister leaves him in the house alone during the Winter, he continually begins to hear whispering voices and movement in adjoining empty rooms. Also a large black cat mysteriously apparates, nearly causing him to fall down stairs on more than one occasion. Although he is becoming more and more affected by these episodes, the Archdeacon insists that he must, "Stand firm!"

Dr. Haynes had long been considered as the next suitable Archdeacon. His first 3 years in the post show him tackling the position with zeal and competence, putting to rights many tasks which the former Archdeacon Pulteney had neglected. But the narrator deduces from the papers he is examining, that Dr Haynes had deliberately caused the death of his aged predecessor. Although Pulteney was 92, his death was a result of a broken neck due to falling down the stairs. Afterwards the loose stair-rod leading to the fall was found actually pushed under the stair-carpet. In the meantime, blame had been thrust upon a negligent maid, Jane Lee, who had been dismissed.

The reader is told of an account book showing payments of £25 - plus one of £40 - every quarter to a J. L. Also found was a letter from Jane Lee asking for money, "otherwise steps will have to be took which I should not wish. Has you was the Means of me losing my place with Dr Pulteney I think it is only just and you know best what I could say if I was Put to it." The blackmail seems clear.

The increase in tension in the story is due to the overwhelming feelings of guilt which are described as developing in Dr Haynes. One final description is of his possession by the cursed carving whilst the choir is singing, "Set thou an ungodly man to be ruler over him and let Satan stand at his right hand."

Throughout the protagonist is convinced that there are no supernatural elements involved, and even invites a friend to stay with him to help him control what he considers to be a disturbance of the brain. The friend however, also hears the noises, sees maids and remarks on the large cat. This unnerves the reader and adds to our unease and confusion. We continually switch between belief and disbelief. Is Dr. Haynes unhinged by his guilt or possessed by evil spirits? Was the wood cursed? Is he or the house haunted? There is deliberate obfuscation.

The pace of M.R James's tale is carefully controlled to exact the maximum amount of dread and fear. Facts are imparted to the reader gradually, so as to confirm the experiences of the characters. It is nearing the end of the story when the narrator tries to find out the provenance of the carvings, which no longer exist. He visits the curator of the local museum, to be told that the wood had been cursed by "Twice-Born Austin", and shown a scrap of paper written by the carver and hidden in another cursed carving. The paper bears the words,

"Who that touches me with his Hand
If A Bloody hand he bear
I councell him to be ware
Lest he be fetched away"

The Archdeacon eventually suffered the same fate as his predecessor, and was found at the bottom of the stairs with his neck broken. However, in Dr. Haynes' case, his face was horribly scratched and mangled, as if he had been the victim of a ferocious attack.

All M.R James's stories have an extremely English feel. This is no exception, with the setting of an ancient cathedral, and its traditional trappings, manuscripts and clergy. It would be interesting if one could manage to isolate its heavy religious bias, its historical context and its Englishness. For there are several recurring themes and elements which M.R. James has in common with Edgar Allan Poe. The horror conveyed is however much more subtle. The terror in this story is implied, never explicit, and this generally categorises the difference between the two writers. It is is usually the case in M.R James's stories that the reader feels "spooked" but is not at all sure why. This one is a particularly creepy example of his craft.

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

First published in More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, “The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral is notable not only for its genuine scares—of which it has more than a few—but also because it conceals, beneath the vesture of its ghostly sheets a real honest-to-god murder mystery, the solution of which reveals that the dark heart of ambition may be found in the most placid of professions, the mildest of men. But it is wise that I say no more about the murder, for that is something the reader must explore for himself.

Another virtue of this story is the precision and uncanniness that may be found in its descriptions of ecclesiastic scenes. James’ work offers other examples just as good—“Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook” and “The Treasure of Abbot Thomas” come immediately to mind—but none better. Witness this description of of the archdeacon’s stall in the draft of a letter from Archdeacon Haynes to Sylvanus Urban (pseudonym of the editor of The Gentleman’s Magazine):

The archdeacon’s stall, situated at the south-east end, west of the episcopal throne . . . is distinguished by some curious ornamentation. . . the prayer-desk is terminated at the eastern extremity by three small but remarkable statuettes in the grotesque manner. One is an exquisitely modelled figure of a cat, whose crouching posture suggests with admirable spirit the suppleness, vigilance, and craft of the redoubted adversary of the genus Mus. Opposite to this is a figure seated upon a throne and invested with the attributes of royalty; but it is no earthly monarch whom the carver has sought to portray. His feet are studiously concealed by the long robe in which he is draped: but neither the crown nor the cap which he wears suffice to hide the prick-ears and curving horns which betray his Tartarean origin; and the hand which rests upon his knee, is armed with talons of horrifying length and sharpness. Between these two figures stands a shape muffled in a long mantle. This might at first sight be mistaken for a monk or “friar of orders gray”, for the head is cowled and a knotted cord depends from somewhere about the waist. A slight inspection, however, will lead to a very different conclusion. The knotted cord is quickly seen to be a halter, held by a hand all but concealed within the draperies; while the sunken features and, horrid to relate, the rent flesh upon the cheek-bones, proclaim the King of Terrors. These figures are evidently the production of no unskilled chisel; and should it chance that any of your correspondents are able to throw light upon their origin and significance, my obligations to your valuable miscellany will be largely increased.’

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an extremely well plotted tale full of mystery and horror. The narrator comes across an obituary on Dr Haynes archdeacon of Barchester Cathedral. What happened to his predecessor in this office? What about the mysterious crafted figures (great end eerie motif!) and the kitchen cat? M.R. James tells a very uncanny lore here. Many allusions, research, sidelines, excellent characters. This story is highly recommended. A very good, old fashioned horror tale!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4 - 15 Minute Drama:
by the master of the ghost story, M.R. James. A tale of likely murder, mysterious cats and ecclesiastical carvings.

dramatised by Neil Brand

M.R. James ..... Mark Gatiss
Archdeacon Haynes ..... Sean Baker
Letitia Haynes ..... Carolyn Pickles
Jane ..... Saffron Coomber
Verger ..... Michael Bertenshaw
Pulteney ..... Neil Brand
Stevens ..... Cameron Percival
Runciman ..... Lewis Bray

Director: David Hunter

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000...

[Julie Brochmann · Rating 1 out of 5]

har fundet en række M.R. James historier på lydbog med skøn produktion og stemning så nu skal i bare se mig snyde mig til mit goodreads mål med bøger på 30 sider

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tropes of his ghost stories return- hanging trees, clergy and haunting sights , and dreams. Gothic and haunting story. The textures that M R describes actually set my skin tingling. Again he uses folk law and ambiguity to add a sense of unease to his writing.

It didn’t grab my attention though if I told you the about story it would sound more fascinating than it is. There is some morality in this tale about judgement and the dangerous of over ambition.

[Kathryn McCarrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another five star penguin archive classic! M R James is arguably the father of modern ghost stories, and those who know me will understand why this book can never go wrong for me. Would absolutely read again and recommend it was brilliantly disturbing.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[John Yelverton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story about haunted furniture told in the style of the author relating journal entries to the reader.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character in this story is an ambitious clergyman named John Haynes. Haynes becomes an archdeacon after having his predecessor killed in a manner which makes the death appear accidental. His crime goes unpunished until he touches a carved wooden figure inside Barchester Cathedral. The figure, carved out of wood from an oak tree that is remembered it was known as the Hanging Oak and may once have been a center for human sacrifice. The figure had a spell placed upon it by its creator. The spell stated that misfortune would befall any murderer who touched the wooden figure.
When I grew in the Wood
I was water’d w’th Blood
Now in the Church I stand
Who that touches me with his Hand
If a Bloody hand he bear
I councell him to be ware
Lest he be fetcht away
Whether by night or day,
But chiefly when the wind blows high
In a night of February.

[Rebecca Milne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is quite predictable but given various bits of detail about Barchester Cathedral. The stories of the animals are painted as being cursed, the touch of them dooms the toucher to be doomed. The mysterious death and the diary pages of the archdeacon gives images of being depressed but also somewhat delusional, there is a element of pity felt for the archdeacon before his death, which is still unknown whether it is an accident caused by a maid or if the archdeacon was cursed and doomed to die.

[Zoë Birss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually expect to be impacted by supernatural horror. But this story was genuinely chilling. I had shivers twice while reading.

This classic of horror reminded me of reading Dracula, mostly because of the imbedded journal entries which told the story within the story. It also reminded me of House of Leaves, which I have not finished. A narrator experiences the gradual loss of another man's sanity through their journals, and is similarly impacted as he does so.

[PrettyFlamingo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the story after watching it on TV last night (featuring Mavis from Coronation Street!). I found the written story to be more chilling and creepy than the dramatised version. The cataloguer tells us the story of the haunting which has a very eerie synchronicity to it, and an almost amusing ending that wraps it up - but does it? Is it an explanation, or is the weird stuff a product of Haynes's guilt about his actions? Read it and see. Very creepy indeed for a winter's night.

[Per · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/james-bar...

The story was adapted in 1971 for BBC's A Ghost Story for Christmas as The Stalls of Barchester and is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFHkS...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sta...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sta...

[Vidhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A proper horror short story, this follows two timelines and characters, with one discovering the wicked truth and death of the other. Succinct and persuasive, it’s the perfect story to read alone in a house at night.

[Jibbu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very horrifying story. Excellently written with minute details.

[Olly Mogs · Rating 5 out of 5]

"there isn't a kitchen cat"

Somehow we knew that was going to be the case
Definitely one of my favourite M R James stories

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio version, narrated by Derek Jacobi. This story unfolds slowly and minutely. It involves some rather unpleasant wood carvings.

[Captain Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

An atmospheric tale that builds in suspense.

[Zoe Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Father bites those who commit sectarianism??? Shame?!?!? SHAME

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this a part of Ghost Stories of an Antiquary part 2. A will written fantasy ghost haunting novella. Enjoy 2022

[Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very disturbing and fdripping with dark atmosphere, yet so simply concluded. Really made me think.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A typically creepy tale by M.R. James.

[Sascha Nolte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wundervoll konstruiert und angenehm gruselig.

[Bailee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for class.

[Archie Whittaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

M.R. James, be born, be born.
He can start to set your hairs on edge in but a few words. Dread to think if he went feature length.

[Tony Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

An archdeacon who just might have murdered his predecessor for the position is tormented by a ghostly cat. Or something.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic ¨slow burner¨ story in which a series of horrifying events slowly unfolds. Another classic from a real master of the genre.