Review of ‘Holy Ghosts: Classic Tales of the Ecclesiastical Uncanny’ edited by Fiona Snailham

nsford — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 08:00:54 +0000

An enjoyably hair-raising collection of supernatural stories set in churches or relating to monks, priests, etc. There is something particularly frightening about evil acts taking place in sacred sites, which as the editor points out in the introduction, are places of sanctuary where you should be protected, not at risk of harm. The stories I was most impressed with are marked with asterisks.

‘The Sexton’s Adventure’ by Sheridan Le Fanu – a gravedigger in an Irish town is pursued by the spectre of his former drinking buddy.*

‘The Parson’s Oath’ by Mrs Henry Wood – slow-burn unmemorable tale with too many characters.

‘The Poor Clare’ by Elizabeth Gaskell – long rambling story of Catholics and curses.

‘A Story Told in a Church’ by Ada Buisson – creepy gothic story told by a governess while barricaded into a church.*

‘In the Confessional’ by Amelia B Edwards – grim tale of murderers, hauntings and madness in Rhineland.*

‘Man-Size in Marble’ by E Nesbit – sad and spine-chilling story of newlyweds who fall victim to a legend of an ancient church.

‘The Face of the Monk’ by Robert Hichens – a sinful man discovers he has a monk doppelganger and develops religious mania.*

‘An Evicted Spirit’ by Marguerite Merington – the spirit of a young woman attends her own funeral and observes her grieving family.

‘The Duchess at Prayer’ by Edith Wharton – a story set in Italy which was very descriptive and long-winded.

‘The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral’ by M R James – I skipped this because I never enjoy M R James’ stories.

‘The Cathedral Crypt’ by John Wyndham – a couple locked in a creepy church witness a dreadful act, with a horrifying twist.*

I was disappointed that I’d already encountered E Nesbit’s story before, as it was included in another volume of the same series, Weird Woods. I don’t think any story should be used more than once, regardless of how good it is.

Published in 2023 as part of the British Library’s ‘Tales of the Weird’ series.

The time-travelling bookworm: ‘Ethan Frome’ by Edith Wharton

nsford — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 07:00:01 +0000

I studied this novella for a ‘Women in American Literature’ course. I ended up focusing exclusively on Edith Wharton! She wrote a really fascinating array of fiction. Published in 1911, Ethan Frome is a very sad, simple story, set in Massachusetts. Oddly, what I most remember about this book is that in an essay, I was considering the significance of a pickle dish belonging to Zeena, Ethan’s ill and resentful wife. I haven’t read the book since I studied it in 2008. Eventually I will re-read it. Considering how interested I was in Edith Wharton, I ought to read her again soon.

Catch up with previous posts in this series: Dreamweaver, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Three of Diamonds, South Riding.

Edith Wharton – N S Ford

Review of ‘Holy Ghosts: Classic Tales of the Ecclesiastical Uncanny’ edited by Fiona Snailham

The time-travelling bookworm: ‘Ethan Frome’ by Edith Wharton