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beytwice's review
3.0
A decent little collection of horror stories - some hit and miss, others sufficiently creepy. My personal favourites were Being a Murderer Myself, The Perfectionist, and How Love Came To Professor Guildea. A nice palate cleanser of a read in between longer books.
innae's review
4.0
Preface by Alfred Hitchcock
A humorous little introduction
Being a Murderer Myself by Arthur Williams
This one was creepy. There was a similar story on Criminal Minds involving pigs
Lukundoo by Edward Lucas White
Kind of gross. I can see why this one wasn't okay to be on television in the 60's -- today, it is a possibility.
A Woman Seldom Found by William Sansom
Just a little weird. Don't necessarily go with the woman you find on the street, they may be more than a woman
The Perfectionist by Margaret St Clair
Leaves you wondering what other subjects the Aunt decided to paint. I may still be a bit haunted by the what happened to the goldfish
The Price of the Head by John Russell
Another tale of putting trust in the wrong person. The prize is a shrunken head - YOURS!
Love Comes to Miss Lucy Q. Patrick
and another tale of mistrust - Makes me wonder what happened to Mr. Hitchcock that these stories drew him. In this case the prize is a ring
Sredni Vashtar by Saki (H.H. Munro)
I have never liked ferrets and their like. This story just reinforces that feeling.
Love Lies Bleeding by Philip MacDonald
A story of what one might do for a friend. Would one even go so far as to murder others - to become Jack the Ripper to protect another?
The Dancing Partner by Jerome K. Jerome
Interesting to read an early tale of technology gone bad - apparently it has fascinated for a long while
Casting the Runes by M.R. James
Really just a tale of dark magic, and how to escape it.
The Voice in the Night by William Hope Hodgson
This one reminded me a bit of Stephen King's "It Grows on You" (which of course came after this story)...you never really get to see the afflicted; so the horror comes from your imagination.
How Love Came to Professor Guildea by Robert S. Hichens
Living a life without connections to the rest of society may seem like a good idea, until love finds you anyway. I like how the parrot fits into the story.
The Moment of Decision by Stanley Ellin
A bit like "The Lady or the Tiger?" - this story leaves you without an ending -- does our hero have a conscious, or is his love of a house more than that of a fellow human being?
A Jungle Graduate by James Francis Dwyer
Treat others how you wish to be treated, or else they might tie you to a tree for the crocs.
Recipe for Murder by C.P. Donnel, Jr
Killing with kindness, or in this case RICH FRENCH food - only a patient woman could make this style of murder work.
Nunc Dimittis by Roald Dahl
A story of revenge for imagined slights - don't believe everything you hear, especially from the local gossip - for your revenge may turn out to be someone else's slight
The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
I have read this story before, but it is such a horrible idea that I had to read it again. A bored hunter looks for the ultimate game - and then finds it.
The Lady on the Grey by John Collier
If you are a dog, then perhaps you should be a DOG
The Waxwork by A.M. Burrage
creepy. Another for your imagination. I kept imagining if I would be able to stay the night in a waxwork museum (Murderer's Row or not) -- my conclusion is likely not - for this poor journalist, he should have stayed away as well.
The Dumb Wife by Thomas Burke
This story really just makes me sad. Poor lady, had to give up her son, and then loses her ability to speak, and really LOSES her son. terribly sad.
Couching at the Door by D.K. Broster a creepy story I didn't quite get
The October Game by Ray Bradbury
I adore Ray Bradbury. His stories just have something that others don't. Maybe it's because he leaves the lights off?
Water's Edge by Robert Block
I am not sure why they wouldn't let Alfred do this one - I believe I have seen a movie or two with this basic idea. I liked the story quite a lot. It would not be good for Dr. Henry Jones Sr though -- he is not so fond of the rats
The Jokester by Robert Arthur
A twist on the boy who cried wolf. A sick sick twist
The Abyss by Leonid Andreyev
Be careful looking into the abyss, for the abyss also looks into you (i am summarizing...I don't recall the actual quote) - that is the basis of this pretty creepy tale
A humorous little introduction
Being a Murderer Myself by Arthur Williams
This one was creepy. There was a similar story on Criminal Minds involving pigs
Lukundoo by Edward Lucas White
Kind of gross. I can see why this one wasn't okay to be on television in the 60's -- today, it is a possibility.
A Woman Seldom Found by William Sansom
Just a little weird. Don't necessarily go with the woman you find on the street, they may be more than a woman
The Perfectionist by Margaret St Clair
Leaves you wondering what other subjects the Aunt decided to paint. I may still be a bit haunted by the what happened to the goldfish
The Price of the Head by John Russell
Another tale of putting trust in the wrong person. The prize is a shrunken head - YOURS!
Love Comes to Miss Lucy Q. Patrick
and another tale of mistrust - Makes me wonder what happened to Mr. Hitchcock that these stories drew him. In this case the prize is a ring
Sredni Vashtar by Saki (H.H. Munro)
I have never liked ferrets and their like. This story just reinforces that feeling.
Love Lies Bleeding by Philip MacDonald
A story of what one might do for a friend. Would one even go so far as to murder others - to become Jack the Ripper to protect another?
The Dancing Partner by Jerome K. Jerome
Interesting to read an early tale of technology gone bad - apparently it has fascinated for a long while
Casting the Runes by M.R. James
Really just a tale of dark magic, and how to escape it.
The Voice in the Night by William Hope Hodgson
This one reminded me a bit of Stephen King's "It Grows on You" (which of course came after this story)...you never really get to see the afflicted; so the horror comes from your imagination.
How Love Came to Professor Guildea by Robert S. Hichens
Living a life without connections to the rest of society may seem like a good idea, until love finds you anyway. I like how the parrot fits into the story.
The Moment of Decision by Stanley Ellin
A bit like "The Lady or the Tiger?" - this story leaves you without an ending -- does our hero have a conscious, or is his love of a house more than that of a fellow human being?
A Jungle Graduate by James Francis Dwyer
Treat others how you wish to be treated, or else they might tie you to a tree for the crocs.
Recipe for Murder by C.P. Donnel, Jr
Killing with kindness, or in this case RICH FRENCH food - only a patient woman could make this style of murder work.
Nunc Dimittis by Roald Dahl
A story of revenge for imagined slights - don't believe everything you hear, especially from the local gossip - for your revenge may turn out to be someone else's slight
The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
I have read this story before, but it is such a horrible idea that I had to read it again. A bored hunter looks for the ultimate game - and then finds it.
The Lady on the Grey by John Collier
If you are a dog, then perhaps you should be a DOG
The Waxwork by A.M. Burrage
creepy. Another for your imagination. I kept imagining if I would be able to stay the night in a waxwork museum (Murderer's Row or not) -- my conclusion is likely not - for this poor journalist, he should have stayed away as well.
The Dumb Wife by Thomas Burke
This story really just makes me sad. Poor lady, had to give up her son, and then loses her ability to speak, and really LOSES her son. terribly sad.
Couching at the Door by D.K. Broster a creepy story I didn't quite get
The October Game by Ray Bradbury
I adore Ray Bradbury. His stories just have something that others don't. Maybe it's because he leaves the lights off?
Water's Edge by Robert Block
I am not sure why they wouldn't let Alfred do this one - I believe I have seen a movie or two with this basic idea. I liked the story quite a lot. It would not be good for Dr. Henry Jones Sr though -- he is not so fond of the rats
The Jokester by Robert Arthur
A twist on the boy who cried wolf. A sick sick twist
The Abyss by Leonid Andreyev
Be careful looking into the abyss, for the abyss also looks into you (i am summarizing...I don't recall the actual quote) - that is the basis of this pretty creepy tale
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