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Cornish Tales of Terror
Cornwall - land of superstition, of giants, witches, wreckers, smugglers...and ghosts. (back cover copy)Contents"The Roll-Call of the Reef" by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch"The Misanthrope" by J.D. Beresford"The Botathen Ghost" by Robert Stephen Hawker"All Soul's Night" by A.L. Rowse"The Narrow Way" by R. Ellis Roberts"The Phantom Hare" by M.H."The Iron Pineapple" by Eden Phillpotts"Wish Me Luck" by Harold Alfred Manhood"Mrs. Lunt" by Sir Hugh Walpole"The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier"The Spectre Bridegroom" by Robert Hunt"The Bodmin Terror" by R. Chetwynd-Hayes
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
3 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
R. Chetwynd-Hayes
139 books58 followersRonald Henry Glynn Chetwynd-Hayes aka Angus Campbell.
Ronald Chetwynd-Hayes was an author, best known for his ghost stories. His first published work was the science fiction novel The Man From The Bomb in 1959. He went on to publish many collections and ten other novels including The Grange, The Haunted Grange, And Love Survived and The Curse of the Snake God. He also edited over 20 anthologies. Several of his short works were adapted into anthology style movies in the United Kingdom, including The Monster Club and From Beyond the Grave. Chetwynd-Hayes' book The Monster Club contains references to a film-maker called Vinke Rocnnor, an anagram of Kevin Connor, the director of From Beyond the Grave.
He won the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement for 1988, and the British Fantasy Society Special Award in 1989.
Ronald Chetwynd-Hayes was an author, best known for his ghost stories. His first published work was the science fiction novel The Man From The Bomb in 1959. He went on to publish many collections and ten other novels including The Grange, The Haunted Grange, And Love Survived and The Curse of the Snake God. He also edited over 20 anthologies. Several of his short works were adapted into anthology style movies in the United Kingdom, including The Monster Club and From Beyond the Grave. Chetwynd-Hayes' book The Monster Club contains references to a film-maker called Vinke Rocnnor, an anagram of Kevin Connor, the director of From Beyond the Grave.
He won the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement for 1988, and the British Fantasy Society Special Award in 1989.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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October 28, 2025It wasn't my cup of tea, just tried a few chapters and couldn't get into it.
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January 18, 2021PLACEHOLDER REVIEW
"Mrs. Lunt" by Hugh Walpole - an author tells of his Christmas trip to meet Mr. Lunt (another author and a bit of a recluse) on the coast of Cornwall, at the latter's invitation. On arriving at the desolate, remote mansion he finds a nervous, pleading, pathetic man who seems to fear his wife, who died a year ago. The place itself seems haunted by the specter of a severe older woman who is only barely glimpsed - and eventually, Lunt confesses to his fear that his dead wife is attempting to exact revenge. This is not a bad - if somewhat familiar story - loaded with atmosphere (the cold carriage ride through the snowstorm from the train station, the pounding ocean, disagreeable smells in the house) before it follows its usual "revenge of the dead" plot. Notable most, to me at least, for two things. One is the fixation on companionship between Lunt and the narrator which (following the narrator's distaste at Lunt's physical embraces and Lunt's confession that he married his wife merely because that was what was done) could be read as merely the English upper-class distaste for shows of overt emotion, or something more. Secondly, the opening (in which our frame narrator introduces our author narrator) contains some rather pointed observations of the lives and personalities of "minor authors" - those who toil away in obscurity, ignored by the press and the public, knowing only that they may - long after their deaths - achieve some recognition. Which seems to apply to both our author narrator and Mr. Lunt (who is compared to the authorial type who writes a half-novel/half-poetry book like Walter de la Mare's The Return - which I've read and reviewed!).
"Mrs. Lunt" by Hugh Walpole - an author tells of his Christmas trip to meet Mr. Lunt (another author and a bit of a recluse) on the coast of Cornwall, at the latter's invitation. On arriving at the desolate, remote mansion he finds a nervous, pleading, pathetic man who seems to fear his wife, who died a year ago. The place itself seems haunted by the specter of a severe older woman who is only barely glimpsed - and eventually, Lunt confesses to his fear that his dead wife is attempting to exact revenge. This is not a bad - if somewhat familiar story - loaded with atmosphere (the cold carriage ride through the snowstorm from the train station, the pounding ocean, disagreeable smells in the house) before it follows its usual "revenge of the dead" plot. Notable most, to me at least, for two things. One is the fixation on companionship between Lunt and the narrator which (following the narrator's distaste at Lunt's physical embraces and Lunt's confession that he married his wife merely because that was what was done) could be read as merely the English upper-class distaste for shows of overt emotion, or something more. Secondly, the opening (in which our frame narrator introduces our author narrator) contains some rather pointed observations of the lives and personalities of "minor authors" - those who toil away in obscurity, ignored by the press and the public, knowing only that they may - long after their deaths - achieve some recognition. Which seems to apply to both our author narrator and Mr. Lunt (who is compared to the authorial type who writes a half-novel/half-poetry book like Walter de la Mare's The Return - which I've read and reviewed!).
November 4, 2018
These are great. First off, this was a lot of fun to read in October. The anglophile in me now really really wants to go to Cornwall.
It is a bunch of short ghost stories and horror folk tales written by various authors and interspersed with little mini blurbs of Cornish superstition and fold legends. All super dark and creepy.
My favorite was The Birds by Daphne du Maurier. I just love her in general, Rebecca Definitely being on my favorites list. This was the short story on which the Hitchcock movie is based and it is so creepy and worth the quick read (only 30 pages).
Highly recommend to fans of horror, macabre, and weird.
It is a bunch of short ghost stories and horror folk tales written by various authors and interspersed with little mini blurbs of Cornish superstition and fold legends. All super dark and creepy.
My favorite was The Birds by Daphne du Maurier. I just love her in general, Rebecca Definitely being on my favorites list. This was the short story on which the Hitchcock movie is based and it is so creepy and worth the quick read (only 30 pages).
Highly recommend to fans of horror, macabre, and weird.
December 16, 2012
Surprisingly, I enjoyed this MUCH more than the book of Dickens ghost stories I read immediately before it. Some cracking stories here, the weakest being the final tale, which was written by the chap who compiled the collection.
September 17, 2023
The stories are wonderfully worded and most of them are about ghosts. Which I did not expect or really enjoy. But the writing is what saved this book. The final story about a couple who encounter a weird old lady who guides them with her claw like hands through the mist to her ancient cottage where she takes care of the last cornish giant was the most entertaining. The story about the birds was quite fun. The Iron Pineapple is written much in the same way as crimes and punishment as it follows a man and his fascination with a painter which drives him to theft and murder then ultimately getting away with his crimes. I enjoyed the tale about a priest who wills death upon his followers in order for them to fear the wrath of God and continue to follow him.
I loved the prose of Mrs Lunt and the horror of witnessing her ghost in the dark corners of the old house or lurking at the edge of the forest.
I was hoping to enjoy the small paragraphs of true tales of Cornwall between each story but none of them were very intriguing
I loved the prose of Mrs Lunt and the horror of witnessing her ghost in the dark corners of the old house or lurking at the edge of the forest.
I was hoping to enjoy the small paragraphs of true tales of Cornwall between each story but none of them were very intriguing
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2024
A mixed bag of tales, some tame, some lame and some rather enjoyable. I think we have a higher scare threshold these days. Some of the folktale elements were interesting, and the story with the giant by the editor worked very well. Mainly tales by men, the tales I enjoyed the most were by women, with better female characters.
April 27, 2021
Cracking short stories - some a little more creepy than others.
The collection contains The Birds by Daphne Du Maurier - the story was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's film The Birds.
A brilliant collection to dip in and out of.
The collection contains The Birds by Daphne Du Maurier - the story was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's film The Birds.
A brilliant collection to dip in and out of.
May 28, 2022
A fantastic short story collection with many unique tales.
All have their own styles and voices but they are all set within the land of Cornwall.
I need to read more Daphne Du Maurier as 'The Birds' was my favourite short of the bunch.
All have their own styles and voices but they are all set within the land of Cornwall.
I need to read more Daphne Du Maurier as 'The Birds' was my favourite short of the bunch.
January 4, 2020
I really liked it. The last story was a gem of the horror genre.
March 11, 2025
A mixed bag, alternating short folklore excerpts with 200 years of short fiction. Includes my favorite, "The Roll-Call of the Reef" 😭
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews