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Product Description
Product Description
Murderous ghosts, horrific curses and monstrous beings haunt an unforgiving landscape into which travellers stray at their peril. Journey through the dark byways of Australia's Gothic past in the rare stories gathered in this memorable new collection. Work by acclaimed Australian writers such as Marcus Clarke, Henry Lawson and Edward Dyson appears alongside many lesser-known authors such as Beatrice Grimshaw, Mary Fortune and Ernest Favenc. Many of the stories collected here have never been reprinted since their first publication in 19th and early 20th century periodicals and showcase the richness and variety of the Australian ghost and horror story. James Doig provides an authoritative introduction full of fresh insights into Australian Gothic fiction with detailed biographical notes on the authors represented.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ghosts Down Under,
By Colin Leslie "The Black Abyss" (Inverness, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Australian Ghost Stories (Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural) (Paperback)
You can write what I know about Australian ghost stories on the back of a matchbox and still have room for a full size photo of a matchbox. Come to think of it I didn't even know Australia had a ghost story tradition, stretching back over 100 years, so I was fascinated by this book which collects some of the best.Twenty tales are included here by authors who range form British and Irish settlers to Australians who moved back to Britain. All of this cultural exchange leads to a rich diversity of tales. As James Doig points out in his excellent introduction there is a "quality in the Australian landscape that lent itself to the exploration of the supernatural". Some of the highlights for me were, The White Maniac: A Doctor's Tale by Mary Fortune, although probably the least "Australian" story here this tale oozes quality as we follow a Doctor's quest for a forbidden love. The following two tales by Ernest Favenc, Spirit-led and A Haunt of The Jinkarras do take us deep into the Australian landscape, full of spirits and strange creatures. The Bunyip by Rosa Campbell Praed is less a story and more a series of linked incidents focusing on The Bunyip, the Australian equivalent of the Loch Ness Monster. A Colonial Banshee by Fergus Hume mixes Irish superstition with Australian manners in what turns out to be both a funny and frightening story. Several stories focus on mining and the best are The Accursed Thing by Edward Dyson, which takes us deep underground and A Strange Goldfield by Guy Boothby which is full of deserted settlements and the spirits of the pioneer miners. Finally the highlight of the collection for me was The Cave by Beatrice Grimshaw a strange story of isolation and terror on an uninhabited island. It's full of rich powerful imagery and is genuinely unsettling. And so it transpires that Australian Ghost stories are not all full of rabid Kangaroos or crazy Koalas, instead we are fed a rich banquet of tales covering a huge diversity of material from haunting to psychological terror. There are some excellent tales here and many writers who demand further exploration. As always Wordsworth Editions have created a treasure trove of material, presented in a way which will inform and educate as well as entertain you and..as always it retains that excellent value for money which is the hallmark of Wordsworth editions.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not as Australian as expected...,
By
This review is from: Australian Ghost Stories (Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural) (Paperback)
A more accurate title for this would be Ghost Stories by Australians - although to be honest some are by New Zealanders. The cover is extremely misleading, since the choice of title and the aboriginal design would suggest a much greater use of Australian settings and lore than is actually the case. I'd say at least half of the stories are not set in Australia or anywhere near it, and of those that are, most could have just as easily been set in England, the US, or anywhere. Which is a pity, since Australia does offer some of the most eerie landscapes in the world, and some truly unsettling folklore. Still, this could have made an excellent showcase for writers from the southern hemisphere, regardless of setting. Sadly, many of the stories are run of the mill, and have earned their present obscurity. But there are a few real gems in there, a seam of gold, and for the price I'd say it's worth the read, even if it does not take up permanent residence alongside M R James and Ambrose Bierce.
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