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Interest in supernatural phenomena was high during Charles Dickens’ lifetime. He had always loved a good ghost story himself, particularly at Christmas time, and was open-minded, willing to accept, and indeed put to the test, the existence of spirits.
His natural inclinations toward drama and the macabre made him a brilliant teller of ghost tales, and in the twenty stories presented here, which include his celebrated A Christmas Carol, the full range of his gothic talents can be seen.
Chilling as some of these stories are, Dickens has managed to inject characteristically grotesque comedy as he writes of revenge, insanity, pre-cognition and dream visions, he indulges also in some debunking of contemporary credulity.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
51 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Here follows an overview of the contents of this volume, for your convenience:
The Queer Chair (The bagman's story) from The Pickwick Papers - extremely funny.
A Madman's Manuscript from The Pickwick Papers - one of the stories that influenced Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart.
The Goblins who Stole a Sexton from The Pickwick Papers - the predecessor of A Christmas Carol.
The Ghosts of the Mail (The story of the bagman's uncle) from The Pickwick Papers - another funny story.
The Baron of Grogzwig from Nicholas Nickleby - a story that influenced Edgar Allan Poe's The Devil in the Belfry.
A Christmas Carol - no comment needed.
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain - a haunting story about the value of suffering.
To be Read at Dusk - a pair of stories concerning dreams and visions.
The Ghost in the Bride's Chamber from The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices - a story about a ghost that is doomed to walk the earth for evermore.
The Haunted House - a pair of stories about a house that is haunted by the narrator's own self.
The Trial for Murder (To be taken with a grain of salt) - a story about a murdered man who comes back to see justice done.
The Signalman - No comment needed.
The Queer Chair (The bagman's story) from The Pickwick Papers - extremely funny.
A Madman's Manuscript from The Pickwick Papers - one of the stories that influenced Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart.
The Goblins who Stole a Sexton from The Pickwick Papers - the predecessor of A Christmas Carol.
The Ghosts of the Mail (The story of the bagman's uncle) from The Pickwick Papers - another funny story.
The Baron of Grogzwig from Nicholas Nickleby - a story that influenced Edgar Allan Poe's The Devil in the Belfry.
A Christmas Carol - no comment needed.
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain - a haunting story about the value of suffering.
To be Read at Dusk - a pair of stories concerning dreams and visions.
The Ghost in the Bride's Chamber from The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices - a story about a ghost that is doomed to walk the earth for evermore.
The Haunted House - a pair of stories about a house that is haunted by the narrator's own self.
The Trial for Murder (To be taken with a grain of salt) - a story about a murdered man who comes back to see justice done.
The Signalman - No comment needed.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's a somewhat uneducated cliché to say 'the old stuff ain't as scary', in an era where horror literature is far more explicit. I'm not an advocate of this school of thought however, proffering to be chilled by the likes of Le Fanu and James rather than grossed out. Dicken's ghost stories are, as the title suggests, stories about ghosts, but do not buy this under the misconception that they are all concocted purely to scare you, for they frequently have designs of a more esoteric nature than that.
'A Christmas Carol' is a morality tale, full of Dickens' often slated sentimentalism, which I nonetheless found infinitely enjoyable. Meanwhile 'The Ghosts Of The Mail' is almost like an adventure story, the likes of which we might expect from Washington Irving. Dickens seems determined to use the ghost story format to explore as many different emotions as possible, so some tales are comical, some sad, and yes some scary. One certainty is that all of the tales contained herein are very entertaining. Dickens' command of prose was, and still is, unmatched and he makes even the slightest details a source of great enjoyment with his profound sense of wit.
As such, I would label this a book of entertaining ghost stories rather than scary ghost stories, though there are exceptions to the rule. 'The Ghost In The Brides Chamber' is very chilling, not to mention rather sinister, and the frequently anthologised 'The Signalman' deserves its frequent 'contender for most chilling tale ever' accolade with absolute worthiness. Both of these tales share much in common with the works of Sheridan Le Fanu in their sense of escalation and presentation of inter-personal relationships, which is a charming comparison if ever there was one.
I'd say this is quite an essential collection, but I think it will appeal to fans of Dickens and/or 19th century literature in general first, ghost story enthusiasts second. It's not as intensely psychological or subtly chilling as many of the canonical authors in this genre, but the tales are so varied in style and effect that I don't consider this to be a negative criticism. What you have here is a collection of well written stories that never fail to being a smile upon ones face, and in light of that I'd thoroughly recommend this book.
'A Christmas Carol' is a morality tale, full of Dickens' often slated sentimentalism, which I nonetheless found infinitely enjoyable. Meanwhile 'The Ghosts Of The Mail' is almost like an adventure story, the likes of which we might expect from Washington Irving. Dickens seems determined to use the ghost story format to explore as many different emotions as possible, so some tales are comical, some sad, and yes some scary. One certainty is that all of the tales contained herein are very entertaining. Dickens' command of prose was, and still is, unmatched and he makes even the slightest details a source of great enjoyment with his profound sense of wit.
As such, I would label this a book of entertaining ghost stories rather than scary ghost stories, though there are exceptions to the rule. 'The Ghost In The Brides Chamber' is very chilling, not to mention rather sinister, and the frequently anthologised 'The Signalman' deserves its frequent 'contender for most chilling tale ever' accolade with absolute worthiness. Both of these tales share much in common with the works of Sheridan Le Fanu in their sense of escalation and presentation of inter-personal relationships, which is a charming comparison if ever there was one.
I'd say this is quite an essential collection, but I think it will appeal to fans of Dickens and/or 19th century literature in general first, ghost story enthusiasts second. It's not as intensely psychological or subtly chilling as many of the canonical authors in this genre, but the tales are so varied in style and effect that I don't consider this to be a negative criticism. What you have here is a collection of well written stories that never fail to being a smile upon ones face, and in light of that I'd thoroughly recommend this book.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It could have been 1867. Low lights, candles, and the speaker at the desk at the front of the hall as the `ghost stories of Dickens` were read aloud. We laughed, cried, held our breath - the book held the audience spellbound. `Why don`t we read stories aloud anymore?` asked some people. This is the ideal book to start your own reading circle. Thanks.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Charles Dickens Complete Ghost Stories
This is a lovely little book. Charles Dickens has a way of explaining appearances and environments that make a picture in your mind - the only way I can describe it. Read more
Published 3 months ago by April
Complete Ghost Stories
This is a good book, and shows that Dickens was a master story teller in a lot of different genres. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good read.
Published 15 months ago by Leslie A. Heaps
Charles Dickens - Ghost Stories - Start here for some Christmas...
`Is it haunted,' I asked .....`Well,' cried the landlord, in an outburst of frankness that had the appearance of desperation - `I wouldn't sleep in it. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Andrea Bowhill
excellent excerpts
This is a series of extracts from Dickens and is useful for younger readers in isolating certain passages and stories. Read more
Published on 29 Oct 2009 by T. Dhingra
Who is signalling who?
This story tantalises as it slips away from the reader's grasp at 'truth'. For where is 'truth' in this story? Read more
Published on 27 Sep 2009 by J. S. Lewison
Mixed bag, but includes some genuinely creepy stories
Like most collections of short stories, a bit of a maixed bag, though the positives predominate. The shorter stories (10-15 pagers) are best, esp. Read more
Published on 21 Dec 2007 by John Hopper
the title says it all!
yep thats right. This book does really have the best ghost stories that send a shiver down your spine!if your a fan of ghost stories then this is the one for you!
Published on 5 May 2001
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