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joraud's review
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
davybaby's review against another edition
3.0
I read this in fits and starts over the past several years, usually around Halloween. Last year I decided to finish it around Christmas, thinking of the great tradition of spooky tales on Christmas Eve.
Masterpieces is a bit of a stretch. There were definitely some classics, like Goethe's "The Erl King" and Tolkien's "Riddles in the Dark" chapter of The Hobbit. But there were also many low-profile stories by literary greats like Jack London, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mary Shelley, and Walt Whitman. Most of the stories were low-level spooks, but a few really connected with me:
Orson Scott Card: Eumenides in the Fourth Floor Lavatory
Robert Aickman: The Hospice
A.M. Burrage: The Waxwork
The book was charmingly broken into thematic sections irrespective of chronology. This led to interesting transitions between 18th, 19th, and 20th century writers and stylistic jumps within the broad definition of "terror" fiction.
A good read for fans of classic horror, but I don't think I'll be rereading it.
Masterpieces is a bit of a stretch. There were definitely some classics, like Goethe's "The Erl King" and Tolkien's "Riddles in the Dark" chapter of The Hobbit. But there were also many low-profile stories by literary greats like Jack London, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mary Shelley, and Walt Whitman. Most of the stories were low-level spooks, but a few really connected with me:
Orson Scott Card: Eumenides in the Fourth Floor Lavatory
Robert Aickman: The Hospice
A.M. Burrage: The Waxwork
The book was charmingly broken into thematic sections irrespective of chronology. This led to interesting transitions between 18th, 19th, and 20th century writers and stylistic jumps within the broad definition of "terror" fiction.
A good read for fans of classic horror, but I don't think I'll be rereading it.
sushai's review against another edition
5.0
After I dropped the book I was reading in the bathtub, I needed a replacement to read while it dried. I came upon this used book at my mom's library, not expecting much from it.
I was pleasantly surprised at the true old-fashioned nature of these stories, many of them written by classic authors. They remind me of the old black and white scary movies I used to watch as a kid.
Some of the best: "Sardonicus," "The Professor's Teddy Bear," The Hospice Moon Face," "Dracula's Guest," "The Bottle Imp," and "The Waxwork." What a find!
I was pleasantly surprised at the true old-fashioned nature of these stories, many of them written by classic authors. They remind me of the old black and white scary movies I used to watch as a kid.
Some of the best: "Sardonicus," "The Professor's Teddy Bear," The Hospice Moon Face," "Dracula's Guest," "The Bottle Imp," and "The Waxwork." What a find!
mattisnotscary's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of oldies with verbose but memorable stories. Among many others, “Carmilla,” a tale that undoubtedly inspired Dracula, and “Oshidori,” a tale of a nightmare duck, will stick with me for a long time to come.
frostling's review against another edition
4.0
An extensive collection of classic stories with diabolical creatures, ghostly presences, madness, evil deeds, tales of revenge and weird experiences.
The stories I preferred are the following ones:
The Bottle Imp - Robert Louis Stevenson - 1891
A bottle, containing an evil spirit that grant wishes, passes from hand to hand, bringing loads of miseries to its owners.
The Transformation - Mary Shelley - 1831
A proud and vain man who has squandered his fortune refuses to come to his senses and loses both his house and the woman he loves. While walking on a beach, he meets a repulsive creature who offers him an unusual deal.
The Anchor - Jack Snow - 1947
A man who enjoys spending his time in the middle of a lake receives a charming but disturbing visitor on his boat.
Eumenides in the 4th Floor Lavatory - Orson Scott Card - 1979
An extremely manipulative man is plagued with a deadly vision that follows him everywhere.
Stroke of Mercy - Parke Goodwin - 1981
In 1806, a man who’s facing a duel is persecuted with vivid dreams of future events.
Death in the School Room - Walt Whitman - 1841
A cruel teacher accuses a child of a theft, with dire consequences...
The Informal Execution of Soupbone Pew - Damon Runyon
The fate of a vicious criminal called Soupbone Pew, who is hated by the whole of the underworld..
The Owl - Anatole Le Braz
In Brittany, a man who found a missal near the ruins of an old church is made to see the error of his ways.
The Music of Erich Zann - H. P. Lovecraft - 1922
A young student tries to befriend a musician who plays the most unusual violin music.
Riddles in the Dark - J. R. R. Tolkien - Original Version, 1938
In the tunnels that the Goblins built, Bilbo’s encounter with Gollum and the game of riddles that they play.
The stories I preferred are the following ones:
The Bottle Imp - Robert Louis Stevenson - 1891
A bottle, containing an evil spirit that grant wishes, passes from hand to hand, bringing loads of miseries to its owners.
The Transformation - Mary Shelley - 1831
A proud and vain man who has squandered his fortune refuses to come to his senses and loses both his house and the woman he loves. While walking on a beach, he meets a repulsive creature who offers him an unusual deal.
The Anchor - Jack Snow - 1947
A man who enjoys spending his time in the middle of a lake receives a charming but disturbing visitor on his boat.
Eumenides in the 4th Floor Lavatory - Orson Scott Card - 1979
An extremely manipulative man is plagued with a deadly vision that follows him everywhere.
Stroke of Mercy - Parke Goodwin - 1981
In 1806, a man who’s facing a duel is persecuted with vivid dreams of future events.
Death in the School Room - Walt Whitman - 1841
A cruel teacher accuses a child of a theft, with dire consequences...
The Informal Execution of Soupbone Pew - Damon Runyon
The fate of a vicious criminal called Soupbone Pew, who is hated by the whole of the underworld..
The Owl - Anatole Le Braz
In Brittany, a man who found a missal near the ruins of an old church is made to see the error of his ways.
The Music of Erich Zann - H. P. Lovecraft - 1922
A young student tries to befriend a musician who plays the most unusual violin music.
Riddles in the Dark - J. R. R. Tolkien - Original Version, 1938
In the tunnels that the Goblins built, Bilbo’s encounter with Gollum and the game of riddles that they play.
overdueshrew's review
1.0
Just too dated and the short stories, too long. Awesome Edward Gorey cover, though!
booknerd44's review
2.0
There were some hidden gems in here, and some clunkers, in my opinion. Of course, that's why I like anthologies; it's like looking for buried treasure.
mutantreptile's review
5.0
This collection is perfect. I read it just when I was about to start my freshman year of college, and it made me a fan of Marvin Kaye for life.
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