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Product Description
A collection of chilling ghost stories such as: 'A Warning to the Curious'; 'The Mezzotint'; 'The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral'; and, 'A Neighbour's Landmark'.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
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I've always liked M R James, and after the BBC's fantastic "A View From A Hill" adaptation for TV I was interested to see how they brought the book to life for audio. The choice of Derek Jacobi is inspired as there are only a few other actors whom I can imagine doing the stories justice, his voice has the right timbre for the job. It's also refreshing not to be confronted with gimmicky sound effects & other such nonsense; this is understated story-telling that allows you to be drawn into the story without distractions. Sat there in the dark of the evening with just a lit candle, this cd has all the hallmarks of a proper fireside ghost story, without the naff visual effects of modern so-called 'horror'. My only very small & personal gripe is that the pace at which the stories move is a little fast, whereas I prefer the slower & more pondorous pace of chiller reading. Well worth getting!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
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Firstly, there is no substitute for reading M.R.James - in my humble opinion one of the finest writers of the supernatural in the English language. At the time of publication his stories introduced a new realism into the age old art form - his tales may have revolved around characters who were educated or educators themselves but the world in which they encountered and engaged in would have been immediately recognized by readers of the time. So, yes, like any realism, whether it be the 1990's or in this case the 1900's what you are reading or listening to is dated, and if you are not willing to take an imaginative leap you won't be frightened. Like all the best horror writers, M.R.James' gift was to make the ordinary terrifying and he did this through implication and suggestion, though a Cambridge don, his use of language is deceptively simple and immediate.
Unlike Spine Chillers, which were dramatisations of M.R. James by Radio 4, complete with music and sound effects and featured Derek Jacobi as M.R. James, Ghost Stories, by comparison, features Derek Jacobi alone reading each tale as written. In fact M.R. James wrote many of his tales to be read aloud at Christmas, so for optimum effect and maximum terror, these tales are best listened to in a candle lit room or in front of an open fire, preferably alone.
Unlike Spine Chillers, which were dramatisations of M.R. James by Radio 4, complete with music and sound effects and featured Derek Jacobi as M.R. James, Ghost Stories, by comparison, features Derek Jacobi alone reading each tale as written. In fact M.R. James wrote many of his tales to be read aloud at Christmas, so for optimum effect and maximum terror, these tales are best listened to in a candle lit room or in front of an open fire, preferably alone.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
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I really enjoyed Derek Jacobi's superb reading of M R James Ghost Stories volume 1 and was eager to listen to volume 2. Needless to say I wasnt dissapointed. Derek Jacobi has a very easy voice to listen to and I have enjoyed a number of audio books read by him. The reading material is also excellent - M R James is probably my favourite ghost story author and this collection contains my all time favourite M R James story A Warning To The Curious (which was also adapted as part of BBC's classic series A Ghost Story For Christmas and starred Peter Vaughn and is well worth watching). The other stories in this 2 cd set are The Mazzotint, The Stalls Of Barchester Cathedral and The Neighbour's Landmark. All the stories are very enjoyable so why not dim the lights and let M R James and Derek Jacobi take you on a fantastic journey into the macabre.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Haunting
Four chilling tales written by the master and father of the modern ghost story, M.R. James, is ably and beautifully read by Derek Jacobi. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Lily
Not bad, not brilliant
I too got hold of this CD to listen to on car journeys. And I too deliberately put it on for a nighttime drive. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Cuban Heel
Spine chillers, the old fashioned way
M.R. James is well known for producing some of the finest works of supernatural tales and like Poe is considered by many current authors in this field to be an inspiration for... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Paul B
Just The Ticket For A Chilled Spine!
I regard Montague Rhodes James as being one of the most believable and crafted ghost story writers of all time - he is, in my opinion right up there with Poe and du Maurier. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Graeme Wright
Nicely chilling
A superb anthology of ghost stories following in the M R James tradition. Only issue is the track labelling caused my Ipod to replay tracks in a random order - don't understand... Read more
Published on 29 Jan 2010 by Paul Madge
Disappointing...
Having recently read and enjoyed each of the four stories included in this collection I was looking forward to listening to them on this CD. Read more
Published on 17 Dec 2009 by Bantam Dave
Perfect ghost stories for Christmas
I'm always disappointed when there are no ghost stories available on radio or TV at Christmas - it seems the perfect time when light is at its lowest and its cold outside to sit by... Read more
Published on 16 Dec 2009 by Constant Reader
Chillax
Great for sitting alone with the lights dimmed. Unlike televised ghost stories there is no looking over your shoulder as you can hide under the covers and listen with your... Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2009 by T
Subtle horror, full of atmosphere.
The Vine programme gives ordinary people the chance to try new goodies, often ahead of official release, in return for writing reviews to help potential customers make purchase... Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2009 by RSM
Time to Resurrect an Old Creepy Christmas Tradtion...
Simply titled "Ghost Stories: Volume Two", this audio book is distinctly different from other classical collections I have listened to or read in the past. Read more
Published on 16 Nov 2009 by Mr. J. C. Clubb
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