Gothic Tales (Penguin Classics)
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Product Description
Product Description
Elizabeth Gaskell's chilling Gothic tales blend the real and the supernatural to eerie, compelling effect. 'Disappearances', inspired by local legends of mysterious vanishings, mixes gossip and fact; 'Lois the Witch', a novella based on an account of the Salem witch hunts, shows how sexual desire and jealousy lead to hysteria; while in 'The Old Nurse's Story' a mysterious child roams the freezing Northumberland moors. Whether darkly surreal, such as 'The Poor Clare', where an evil doppelgänger is formed by a woman's bitter curse, or mischievous like 'Curious, if True', a playful reworking of fairy tales, all the stories in this volume form a stark contrast to the social realism of Gaskell's novels, revealing a darker and more unsettling style of writing.
About the Author
Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-65) wrote her first novel, MARY BARTON, in 1848 as a distraction from her sorrow at the death of her only son in infancy. It won the attention of Dickens and was followed by 5 other full-length novels as well as numerous short stories and novellas.
Laura Kranzler has written on Mary Shelley and Virginia Woolf and has published a novel.
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First Sentence
I am not in the habit of seeing the Household Words regularly; but a friend, who lately sent me some of the back numbers, recommended me to read 'all the papers relating to the Detective and Protective Police',1 which I accordingly did - not as the generality of readers have done, as they appeared week by week, or with pauses between, but consecutively, as a popular history of the Metropolitan Police; and, as I suppose it may also be considered, a history of the police force in every large town in England. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
I am not in the habit of seeing the Household Words regularly; but a friend, who lately sent me some of the back numbers, recommended me to read 'all the papers relating to the Detective and Protective Police',1 which I accordingly did - not as the generality of readers have done, as they appeared week by week, or with pauses between, but consecutively, as a popular history of the Metropolitan Police; and, as I suppose it may also be considered, a history of the police force in every large town in England. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
For anyone interested in seeing a different side to the writer who produced 'Cranford' and 'Wives and Daughters' I would heartily recommend this collection of stories which show a darker side to her imagination. They range from straightforward hauntings to ancient curses and witch hunts in 17th century Salem. There is even a pastiche of fairy tales in here.
Format:Paperback
I am only not giving this five stars because, the the nature of a book of short stories, there are inevitably one or two stories which do not quite appeal (for myself this is particularly the case for "Lois the Witch" a hugely skilful but stifling evocation of the Salem witch trials.
However overall the skill which this collection evidences is breathtaking. In particular they all read as if Mrs Gaskell were telling you the stories round the fireside herself - you can practically hear her voice, and the pictures of what she described come to you as they do in the best of those Hallowen spook-fests. Also breathtaking to a conventional Gaskell fan is the evidence of a different side to her talent - dark and whimsical by turns. A real treat!
However overall the skill which this collection evidences is breathtaking. In particular they all read as if Mrs Gaskell were telling you the stories round the fireside herself - you can practically hear her voice, and the pictures of what she described come to you as they do in the best of those Hallowen spook-fests. Also breathtaking to a conventional Gaskell fan is the evidence of a different side to her talent - dark and whimsical by turns. A real treat!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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5 reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Simply incredible!
17 Aug 2009
Format:Paperback
North and South is one of my favorite classics. The dark, tragic and romantic tale of a young clergyman's daughter's sudden move to the industrial parts of Northern England captivated me from beginning to end, especially after watching BBC's 2004 four-part series adaptation. Wives and Daughters is another favorite. It is lighter than North and South, yet it is nevertheless heartbreaking and tragic in certain areas, a cannot-put-down dramedy that contains various storylines and social topics. Imagine my surprise and delight to discover that Elizabeth Gaskell had written a collection of gothic short stories. I've become an avid reader of the genre, and it can always be appreciated when you get to read one from a classic author.
"Disappearances" sets the perfect tone. Gothic is all over the rather morbid storyline. "Curious, If True" is also a perfect gothic, especially because it deals with characters from fairy tales. "The Old Nurse's Story" is the proverbial ghost story, as is "The Poor Clare." "The Doom of the Griffiths" centers on an ancient family curse that now haunts the new generation. But my two favorite stories are "Lois the Witch" and "The Grey Woman."
"Lois the Witch" takes place in Salem. Lois Barclay travels from England after she loses her parents. She wants to find her New England relatives, the Hicksons, a Puritanical family, with tragic results. It takes place during the Salem Witch Trials, so you can imagine the rest. "The Grey Woman" takes place in eighteenth century Germany. A young miller's daughter marries an aristocratic man. She thinks she has made a perfect match, but little does she know that her husband is not what he seems. These two are rather unique gothic stories. I love the historical language as well as the spookiness of them.
First published in 1850-1860, the stories found in Gothic Tales are memorable and wonderful. I couldn't put this collection down. Elizabeth Gaskell has once again impressed me with her versatile style and beautiful writing. She had been friends with Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte. She'd had her own fame, though in a smaller degree. In my opinion, she deserves as much recognition as Dickens and the Brontes. So, if you haven't read Gaskell, what are you waiting for? This collection would be a great way to start.
"Disappearances" sets the perfect tone. Gothic is all over the rather morbid storyline. "Curious, If True" is also a perfect gothic, especially because it deals with characters from fairy tales. "The Old Nurse's Story" is the proverbial ghost story, as is "The Poor Clare." "The Doom of the Griffiths" centers on an ancient family curse that now haunts the new generation. But my two favorite stories are "Lois the Witch" and "The Grey Woman."
"Lois the Witch" takes place in Salem. Lois Barclay travels from England after she loses her parents. She wants to find her New England relatives, the Hicksons, a Puritanical family, with tragic results. It takes place during the Salem Witch Trials, so you can imagine the rest. "The Grey Woman" takes place in eighteenth century Germany. A young miller's daughter marries an aristocratic man. She thinks she has made a perfect match, but little does she know that her husband is not what he seems. These two are rather unique gothic stories. I love the historical language as well as the spookiness of them.
First published in 1850-1860, the stories found in Gothic Tales are memorable and wonderful. I couldn't put this collection down. Elizabeth Gaskell has once again impressed me with her versatile style and beautiful writing. She had been friends with Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte. She'd had her own fame, though in a smaller degree. In my opinion, she deserves as much recognition as Dickens and the Brontes. So, if you haven't read Gaskell, what are you waiting for? This collection would be a great way to start.
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
A Great Surprise
7 Dec 2008
Format:Paperback
This book was a great, and very pleasant surprise. I did not know that she wrote short stories, and I really enjoyed reading her "gothic" stories. I have always liked her as a writer, and this book is noiw a wonderful new addition to my colection.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Excellent short gothic stories by the pen of Mrs. Gaskell the Victorian novelist
16 Aug 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Mrs. Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (1810-65) was a great novelist. She wrote among other classic novels: "North and South"; "Wives and Daughters"; "Cranford" (recently serialized on Masterpiece Theatre); "Mary Barton" and "Sylvia's Lover." Less known is her work in the short story genre. She wrote many pieces for the periodical Household Words edited by Charles Dickens, the Cornhill magazine and other Victorian periodicals. She was also the wife of the Rev. William Gaskell a Unitarian clergyman in Manchester; a mother; traveler and one of the earliest and best biographers of Charlotte Bronte who was her dear friend.
Gothic Tales is a collection of eerie tales compiled in a new Penguin Revised edition. Nine stories are included in the collection which are:
Disappearances-a short article on unusual disappearances no one has been able to explain.
The Old Nurse's Story-The tale of a young girl who is pursued by a ghost who looks like her.
The Squire's Story-The story of Mr Hearn a highwayman.
The Poor Clare-The tale of Bridget and her daughter Mary. Mary disappears and Bridget seeks to find her but not before putting a curse on Mr Gisbourne who had shot her dog.Bridget's curse results in her grandchild Lucy's shadowing by a fearsome "Other." In her later years Bridget becomes a religious nun in the Clare order.
Lois the Witch is the longest and best of the stories in the collection. It recounts the tale of an English girl who is hanged as a witch during the Salem Witch Trials. This nearly 100 page novella reminds us of the same type of tale spun by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is it the only piece in the collection which is set in America.
The Crooked Branch is the story of a quaint old couple who have a son who becomes a criminal. He returns to the family farm where he participates in a robbery.
Curious, If True is a delightful story of a man who wanders in a French forest. Arriving one night he finds a castle inhabited by fairy tale characters.
The Grey Lady is an excellent story of a German woman who marries a French nobleman who turns out to be a murderer. Her exciting escape with the assistance of a faithful servant makes for good reading.
Mrs. Gaskell deserves to be better known among readers. She writes in a clear and easy to understand style knowing best how to tell a story. I always enjoy her works! These little gothic tale gems are worth your time and money!
the Doom of the Griffiths-Resembles the Oedipus story of Sophocles in which a son kills his father.
Gothic Tales is a collection of eerie tales compiled in a new Penguin Revised edition. Nine stories are included in the collection which are:
Disappearances-a short article on unusual disappearances no one has been able to explain.
The Old Nurse's Story-The tale of a young girl who is pursued by a ghost who looks like her.
The Squire's Story-The story of Mr Hearn a highwayman.
The Poor Clare-The tale of Bridget and her daughter Mary. Mary disappears and Bridget seeks to find her but not before putting a curse on Mr Gisbourne who had shot her dog.Bridget's curse results in her grandchild Lucy's shadowing by a fearsome "Other." In her later years Bridget becomes a religious nun in the Clare order.
Lois the Witch is the longest and best of the stories in the collection. It recounts the tale of an English girl who is hanged as a witch during the Salem Witch Trials. This nearly 100 page novella reminds us of the same type of tale spun by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is it the only piece in the collection which is set in America.
The Crooked Branch is the story of a quaint old couple who have a son who becomes a criminal. He returns to the family farm where he participates in a robbery.
Curious, If True is a delightful story of a man who wanders in a French forest. Arriving one night he finds a castle inhabited by fairy tale characters.
The Grey Lady is an excellent story of a German woman who marries a French nobleman who turns out to be a murderer. Her exciting escape with the assistance of a faithful servant makes for good reading.
Mrs. Gaskell deserves to be better known among readers. She writes in a clear and easy to understand style knowing best how to tell a story. I always enjoy her works! These little gothic tale gems are worth your time and money!
the Doom of the Griffiths-Resembles the Oedipus story of Sophocles in which a son kills his father.
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