Reviews

The festive season is the perfect time for spooky ghost stories! It use to be a integral part of the season which has been replaced by more sedate habits as nerves are already fraught with the fear of forgetting a key part of Christmas dinner!

British Library publishing helps us bring the ghost story tradition back to the forefront of festivities with their collection of Christmas Hauntings. Their first collection is ‘Spirits of the Season’ and it was honestly one of the most enjoyable short story collections I’ve ready in a long time.

Every selection within this volume is an absolute gem and I’d thrust it into anyone’s hand should they query on what festively spooky book they should pick up!

“Unpleasant, haunting memories have a way of coming to life again just when the mind least desires them - in the silent watches of the night, on sleepless pillows, during the lonely hours spent by sick and dying beds.” - Algernon Blackwood

mh_books's review against another edition

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4.0

A collection of Ghostly tales set at Christmas and originally published in Christmas magazines and annuals from 1867 to 1940; some are better than others but all show the large range of tales out there as no two are alike.

Recommended for Fans of Kate Mosse's The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales and similar.

alisonburnis's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

I like spooky things but I don’t like being scared. This is probably why I’m very into classical Gothic literature (I know all the tropes) and my favourite Christmas story is A Christmas Carol, which is a ghost story at its heart. So Spirits of the Season: Christmas Hauntings is exactly up my alley, even though as I write this, it’s March.

This is a collection of brilliant ghost stories, focused on Christmas, spanning the 19th and early 20th centuries. They are lovely and cozy and spooky in just the right way - a bit unsettling but not so that you’re too scared to breathe or move. Ah so good. There are haunted houses, unexplained hallucinations, sightings of the macabre, and even a cursed Christmas tree. It’s great. Highly recommend this collection - I’ll definitely be rereading it in December and for many Decembers to come.

farilian's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

marlireads's review against another edition

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3.0

Some stories are more christmas-y than others. But this was an entertaining December read. One thing I really appreciated was the extra information about the writers before each of the stories.

The Four-Fifteen Express by Amelia B. Edwards - 2 stars
Pretty predictable and not at all scary or spooky.

The Curse of the Catafalques by F. Anstey - 3,5 stars
A bit of a cop out at the end, but the vibes are there.

Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk by Frank Cowper - 3,75 stars
A bit of a disappointing ending, but this, too, had all of the vibes!

The Christmas Shadrach by Frank R. Stockton - 2 stars
Okay... That was... kind of boring.

Number Ninety by B. M. Croker - 2,75 stars
Again: vibes. Kind of. I would have preferred it had the story been told from John's perspective. But also: the ending was kind of anti climactic as well...

The Shadow by E. Nesbit - 3,5 stars
Good spooky vibes

The Kit-Bag by Algernon Blackwood - 4 stars
Now THAT was creepy!

The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance by M. R. James - 1 stars
Nah, man. Too boring. While a lot of the stories in this collection are in the format of ghost stories being told to other people along with the reader, this story was written in the form of letters. I think that this didn't help (for me) with the level of entertainment. (Also, a boring title for a boring story, so I guess that fits.)

Boxing Night by E. F. Benson - 2,5 stars
Hmmm... okay. More thriller-y than spooky.

The Prescription by Marjorie Bowen - 2 stars
Hmmm.

The Snow by Hugh Walpole - 5 stars
Short, but spooky and sweet.

Smee by A. M. Burrage - 4,5 stars
I wanted more!

The Demon King by J. B. Priestley - 2 stars
Spooky vibes were okay. Ending was a bit of a let-down.

Lucky's Grove by H. Russell Wakefield - 2,5 stars
Finally some real Christmas vibes. Not a very fun (Christmas-y) ending. Actually, it was pretty savage. Not enough spook, unfortunately.

Adding my individual ratings up, this entire collection would be a 3 stars (2,9 rounded up) for me.

(Note after jotting this all down: I think it's funny how multiple writers that appeared in this collection, were mentioned to have looked up to or are being compared to 'the greatest master of ghost stories' M. R. James. And he's actually in here as well, but apparently his story wasn't for me.)

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