Ghost Stories of an Antiquary

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Arnold suggested a second illustrator to James, however he was a close friend of McBryde and was adamant he could not easily replace him.

Sustained by outstanding writing and closely nuanced characters each story pulls the reader along with suspense and mystery. As each unwitting lead character arrives at a holiday destination or new country mansion that they have recently inherited we picture their locale perfectly. That’s not a matter for complaint, but I can’t help thinking it would have been nice to have the same voice reading all eight of the Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. Some later editions include the stories in this collection and the earlier Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904), combined in a single volume.The popularity of this collection led to widespread requests for more: consequently More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary followed in 1911, A Thin Ghost and other Stories in 1919, and A Warning to the Curious in 1925. They have as a background the quaint archaic world of academe or the church, seemingly safe and secluded from the outside world. The tone of language is perfect at capturing James' distinctive voice, entwining with the wonderful imagery. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Montague Rhodes James was born in 1862, the son of a rector, and he spent virtually his whole life in the groves of academe: from Eton School he went to King’s College, Cambridge, where he obtained a double first in classics, and took root there, being appointed Junior Dean before rising to the post of Vice Chancellor in 1913.

His first collection, GHOST-STORIES OF AN ANTIQUARY, is generally taken to mark the beginning of the modern era of supernatural fiction . The frontispiece and three plates are finely illustrated by James Bride who, whilst illustrating this book, died. Although Arnold suggested another illustrator, James, a close friend of McBryde's, was adamant that he could not be replaced. Occasional minor marking and very light staining to top edges of plates, some residue of a book label on front pastedown, but overall internally VG; covers a little bumped and rolled, light stain to spine with some minor marking to lower cover, but overall G+.I don't want to spoil anyone, but the last stories really finish the book in a stellar way, and I was very perturbed when I went to bed after reading them. Some of his stories are regarded as the best of their genre, using more realistic, contemporary settings than his predecessors who used more Gothic clichés. One of the most famous compilations of ghost stories of all time, “generally taken to mark the beginning of the modern era of supernatural fiction. The details of horror are almost never explicit, the stories relying on a gentle, bucolic background to emphasize the awfulness of the otherworldly intrusions.