In Ghostly Company
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Product Description
Introduction by David Stuart Davies. A grey cloud formed on the summit of the altar, diminishing, thickening and turning into a Shape, a shape of evil and fear. The silent group by the fire once more broke forth into wild gesticulations and cries, Stella prostrated herself, the Form on the altar grew clearer and with a cry of horror Mr Fowke turned away and rushed madly across the moor . Amyas Northcote s In Ghostly Company is a rare and splendid collection of strange and disturbing tales from the golden age of ghost stories. His style is akin to that of the master of the genre M.R. James: it is measured and insidiously suggestive, producing unnerving chills rather than shocks and gasps. Northcote s tales make the reader unsettled and uneasy. This is partly due to the fact that the hauntings or strange occurrences take place in natural or mundane surroundings surroundings familiar to the reader but never before thought of as unusual or threatening. Long out of print, this book remains an enthralling and chilling read.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worthwhile,
By
This review is from: In Ghostly Company (Mystery & Supernatural) (Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural) (Paperback)
Another little-known author benefits from the splendid Wordsworth Editions treatment. This slim volume represents the entire output of Northcote's fiction and, if not entirely Grade A material, is still a worthwhile read for any fan of the genre.
I don't think that there are any outright clunkers here, although a couple of the stories do have a "ghost-story-by-numbers" feel to them, with rather obvious endings, but they're still well-crafted, enjoyable reads. My personal favourites from this collection are the opening story, the eerie and rather sad "Brickett Bottom" and the closing tale, "Mr Oliver Carmichael", a real oddity that's unlike any other supernatural story that I recall reading. Also notable is "The Late Mrs Fowkes" which is remarkably prescient of Wheatley's demonic cult sagas. It's a shame that Northcote wasn't a more prolific writer as these stories are good enough to leave you wanting more.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ghost stories for the gentle soul!,
By
This review is from: In Ghostly Company (Mystery & Supernatural) (Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural) (Paperback)
Usually when I, as a lover of short stories, buy a new book (mind it, not borrow it), I follow certain principles, which are: -
1. The author should be known to me, either through his works that I have read, or whose works have been reviewed at prominent places by persons who are qualified to do so. 2. The stories should have some redeeming component that would compel me to go back to them again & again. Unfortunately, similar to many other decisions that I make in my life, decisions regarding purchase of books often go astray as well, and I end up spending hard-earned money on stuff that I would either not be able to read even once from cover-to-cover, or (which is more often the case) which, once read, cannot be enjoyed again at well, now that the box of tricks has got opened and the author had not put anything in the stories that might compel me to go back to them. However, on some rarest-of-rare occasions, I get to read some stories written by authors whose works I have never encountered anywhere, and yet I instantly fall in love with them. Love, unlike fascination or thrill, is a much more precious commodity, which we encounter in our lives very-very rarely. And loving some short stories mean that they have certain qualities that make them worthy of love: a gentle homely tone, unpretentious way of telling whatever they have to tell, and yet be extremely effective in conveying their thoughts, gentle touch of humour, a tragic sense of loss & poignancy when needed, and a beauty that has to be felt, rather than be seen. When this love occurs while reading ghost stories written by an amateur who has died long ago and who has not produced any other stories apart from those included in this slim volume, my heart gets broken. It is this heartbreak that I encountered while reading Amyas Northcote's "In Ghostly Company". The stories in this slim volume are: - 1. `Brickett Bottom'; 2. `Mr. Kershaw and Mr. Wilcox'; 3. `In the Woods'; 4. `The Late Earl of D.'; 5. `Mr. Mortimer's Diary'; 6. `The House in the Wood'; 7. `The Young Lady in Black'; 8. `The Downs'; 9. `The Late Mrs Fowke'; 10. `The Picture'; 11. `The Governess's Story'; 12. `Mr Oliver Carmichael' Apart from the 1st story, ther is every possibility that you have never read anything written by this author, ever. It is also quite true that these gentle ghost stories, evocative of the styles of Le Fanu, M.R. James, Henry James, and at times, the Benson brothers, would not be hailed as the "greatest" and the most "heart-stopping/pounding" (depending upon your take) works of the genre. But I would love going back to them, trying to find out the traces of numerous other stories heard or read since my childhood, whose threads can be found as tantalizing glimpses in these stories, and who can be revived putting my imagination into the `active' mode, as these stories are wonderful matrix of ghost stories in general, dealing with hauntings of all types, and yet imbuing all of them with a gentle hue that seems light-years away from the blood & gore of the present. This volume had once been published by the venerable Ash Tree Press, but now that it has gone out-of-print for a long time, I would whole-heartedly recommend lovers of ghost stories to lap up the Wordsworth edition which is very-very reasonably priced, and (surprise?!) comes with a biographical sketch from the Editor-in-Chief that is informative and effective. Highly recommended!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Adequate, but only just,
By
This review is from: In Ghostly Company (Mystery & Supernatural) (Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural) (Paperback)
If you're a lover of weird tales then buy this book for the few tales that merit the collection and to support the Wordsworth Tales of Mystery and the Supernatural line. Just don't expect it to be more than a passable diversion in supernatural fiction.
The comparisons with James and Caldecott made by the editor are unjust. Northcote is not even close to their league. Basically, this collection is what the introduction never makes explicit - a casual venture into the weird by an upper class civil servant who doesn't need to write for a living and doesn't seem to have the passion for the craft. Hence, there's a lot of run-of-the-mill type of ghost stories that will hardly raise an eyebrow, even by the unseasoned reader. There are also some rather painful scenes, such as a skeleton found kneeling at the legs of another skeleton. I wonder how they did that without some wires? There are a above average stories worth reading - Brickett Bottom, The Steps, The Late Mrs. Fowke, and Mr. Oliver Carmichael. The last story is probably the best, and shows some promise. Overall it's a nice addition to the collection, but nothing you would have seen even before 1921.
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