Reviews

I Am Stone: The Gothic Weird Tales of R. Murray Gilchrist by R. Murray Gilchrist

sohxpie's review

5.0

A very interesting collection of short stories from a somewhat unknown author. I am extremely glad that I discovered this British Library Tales of the Weird collection because it is introducing me to so many great writers and fantastic stories. Gilchrist definitely shines in his descriptions of things, his writing is absolutely stunning. When he talks about nature and the landscapes, he creates such a vivid scene that is easy to picture in your head. I really enjoyed reading these stories. I loved how the collection was separated into different themes, it really showcased the range of stories. I absolutely loved 'A Witch in the Peak', I thought it was a very fun little story. 'A Night on the Moor' and 'Midsummer Madness' were stand-out stories for me as well.

smblanc1793's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

caitsidhe's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.25

OK, so most of the short stories in this collection are not great, often very victorian in the worst ways, but there is an extremely effecting story called 'My Friend' which hits especially hard when you know F. Murray Gilchrist was born in the 1800's and lived with a 'male companion' his whole adult life.

In it a man who seems to be planning his own death goes on a maybe last walk with his closest friend, where every conversation they have would make more sense if the words were 'love' and 'lover' instead of 'friendship' and 'friend', and dream together of a future where their souls are reborn together

all in all would suggest this more for people interested in the birth of The Weird, and especially in the queer roots of Weird Fiction rather than for any quality of the stories, most of which fall short of excellence.

jacob_purplegoblin's review

challenging dark slow-paced

2.75

margo415's review

challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

fictionfan's review

2.0

For the most part these aren't really horror stories. They are doomed romances, full of exalted language and melodrama. They are well enough written, and I enjoyed two or three of them, but eventually they all began to feel like repetitions on a theme. Not my kind of thing, unfortunately - sub-Poe without the wild imagination that makes ploughing through the excesses in language worthwhile. At around two-thirds of the way through, I realised I couldn't take any more of it. My rating is entirely subjective - other people may find his style considerably more appealing than I did.

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.

mxreyn0lds's review

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

softrosemint's review

3.25

i must admit - the language, the older english, impeded my fully enjoying this. regardless, it is still pretty clear gilchrist was a talented author - and there are some ideas, some imagery that i thoroughly enjoyed! i just wish i had been able to connect with the stories better.

that being said, some of my favourite were "the crimson weaver", "the lover's ordeal", "a night on the moor", "the basilick", "the grotto at ravensdale", "dryas and lady greenleaf", "the stone dragon", "the noble courtesan", "the holocaust", "my friend", "sir toby's wife" and "a strolling player".