The M. R. James Collection: No. 13 and Other Ghost Stories, Ghost Stories, More Ghost Stories

Written by M. R. James

Narrated by Sir Michael Hordern

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first time.

This curated collection of M. R. James’ supernatural stories is read by critically acclaimed star of stage and screen, Sir Michael Hordern.

This collection includes M. R. James’ most beloved stories, including The Haunted Doll’s House; The Ash Tree; Lost Hearts; Casting the Runes; The Haunted Doll’s House; The Ash Tree; Lost Hearts; Casting the Runes; Number 13; Count Magnus; Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book; The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral; and Lost Hearts; alongside other spine-tingling tales.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Nov 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9780008449247

M. R. James

Montague Rhodes James was born in 1862 at Goodnestone Parsonage, Kent, where his father was a curate, but the family moved soon afterwards to Great Livermere in Suffolk. James attended Eton College and later King's College Cambridge where he won many awards and scholarships. From 1894 to 1908 he was Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and from 1905 to 1918 was Provost of King's College. In 1913, he became Vice-Chancellor of the University for two years. In 1918 he was installed as Provost of Eton. A distinguished medievalist and scholar of international status, James published many works on biblical and historical antiquarian subjects. He was awarded the Order of Merit in 1930. His ghost story writing began almost as a divertissement from his academic work and as a form of entertainment for his colleagues. His first collection, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary was published in 1904. He never married and died in 1936.

Reviews for The M. R. James Collection

[charrlygirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This collection was a lot of fun. Even though some of the stories were very wordy compared to more contemporary tales, it was easy to get past that because of the vivid pictures the words painted.
There were a couple of stories that I thought were just okay, but there were also some real atmospheric knockouts.
I think my favorite in this collection was "Mister Humphreys and His Inheritance", but I could see that possibly changing upon a re-read. These tales were a good time for fans of classic horror.
Recommended!

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After watching the well made adaptation of the ghost story Martin's Close broadcast this Christmas, this is the short story collection by master ghost story writer M R James featuring that tale, along with half a dozen others. A couple of these didn't particularly impress me, especially the rather tedious Stalls of Barchester Cathedral. I also found The Tractate Middoth and, to a degree, Casting the Runes rather less good than I expected. The Rose Garden and Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance were probably my favourites.

[isabelx_21 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The whispering in my house was more persistent tonight. I seemed not to be rid of it in my room. I have not noticed this before. A nervous man, which I am not, and hope I am not becoming, would have been much annoyed, if not alarmed, by it. The cat was on the stairs tonight. I think it sits there always. There is no kitchen cat.It's over a month since I finished this book, and I always find short stories harder to review than novels, so this will be short. My favourite stores in this book were Casting the Runes and The Rose Garden, and my least favourite was A School Story.A School Story: Two men are discussing the sort of ghost stories told by boys at boarding schools, and one of them tells the other about something odd that happened when he was at school. The Rose Garden: There was a bit of humour in this one, with poor Mr Anstruther being hen-pecked by his wife, and an interesting ending, with the rector being unsurprised by the haunting and saying that it would die out given time. The Tractate Middoth: The story starts "Towards the end of an autumn afternoon an elderly man with a thin face and grey Piccadilly weepers pushed open the swing-door leading into the vestibule of a certain famous library". I had never heard of Piccadilly weepers and had to Google them. It is a style of facial hair consisting of exaggerated bushy sideburns with no beard. They were popular between 1840 and 1870, so they would have ben old-fashioned by the time this story is set.Casting the Runes: Although it is not a ghost story, this is a sinister and suspenseful story, with an obsessive and vindictive villain who can't stand his wok being criticised by reviewers. It was my favourite of the stories in this bookThe Stalls of Barchester Cathedral: Atmospheric and scary, although what happens is quite predictable.Martin's Close: A tale of a death which may be murder, and a subsequent haunting by one of M. R James' corporeal ghosts. THe ghosts in his stories tend to be solid rather than purely spirit, and tend to try to clutch their victims than just wail or walk through walls.Mr Humphreys And His Inheritance: A disused and overgrown maze with a sinister secret.

[kwkslvr_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So far, love everything available by James. This one is no exception.

[finxy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From Badelynge.I don't need much excuse to start reading some ghost stories, so it's no surprise that my break to Sandsend, in that haunted month called October, would include a whole volume of spooktacular tales finding their way onto my reading list. This second collection of creepy tales doesn't quite match M.R. James' first Antiquarian collection. The first three stories are nicely told but not quite up to being part of the ghost story top of the pops that filled the first volume. The last four are much better, including the brilliant Casting the Runes, which has been adapted for television twice and was also made into the classic horror film Night of the Demon (must rewatch this one soon) from 1957. Like many of James' stories it doesn't include a conventional ghost but in this case focuses mainly on the misuse of witchcraft. The Stalls of Barchester is also pretty good and was one of the BBC's Christmas ghost story adaptations from the 1970s. The strength of James' work lies in bringing such stories into the everyday world, diminishing the reader's sense of distance or disconnection from the proceedings even now a century after their first publication.