The Top 10 Short Stories - M R James: The top ten short stories written by the true titan of the ghost story, MR James.

Written by M R James

Narrated by David Shaw-Parker, Geoff McGivern and Richard Mitchley

The Top Ten - M R James - An Introduction

Here, in this volume, are some of the most precious gems of the British Ghost Story. M R James wrote around 30 of them and each is imbued with now familiar themes that still strike at the nerves, unsettle the heart and shine, unequalled in their brilliance.

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?

The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.

Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.

1 - The Top Ten - M R James - An Introduction

2 - Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad by M R James

3 - Count Magnus by M R James

4 - The Ash Tree by M R James

5 - A Warning to the Curious

6 - Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book by M R James

7 - Casting the Runes by M R James

8 - The Mezzotint by M R James

9 - The Tractate Middoth by M R James

10 - Lost Hearts by M R James

11 - Rats by M R James

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Copyright Group
• Release date: Jan 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781803541068

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.