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A review by house_of_hannah
Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories by Roald Dahl
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
The story behind why this novel came to be is more interesting than some of the ghost stories in here. Roald Dahl read over 700 ghost stories in trying to find the top 24 for a new TV show he was to be involved in. Unfortunately, they chose poorly for the pilot episode, so the series was cancelled before it even began. Thus he put 14 of those stories into this collection.
These are seemingly not in any order, and are not chronological. I highly recommend reading the introduction to this one; it's quite funny actually. There are no spoilers in the intro either. I had only heard/read of one of these authors before, Sheridan Le Fanu, which I am actually glad of, as I get to be exposed to new authors I wouldn't have otherwise.
The following is a little description of each story, the year it was written or published, and my rating.
W.S. by L. P. Hartley (written 1954, 1973 published posthumously) - An author receives increasingly alarming postcards from an individual with the same initials as him. 3.5 Stars
Harry by Rosemary Timperley (1955) - A couple adopts a baby whose past is unknown to them. When the little girl is 5 years old she starts talking to a person that only she can see named Harry. 4 Stars
The Corner Shop by Cynthia Asquith (1926) - A man’s luck changes when he purchases a cheap trinket from a corner shop that ends up being worth money. Questions arise though when he tries to share the money with the man who sold him the trinket. 5 Stars
In the Tube by E. F. Benson (1923 UK, 1924 US) - A man sees a figure while taking the last train home that disappears from one moment to the next. When he meets the man in the flesh the next day his confusion grows as he wonders the cause. 3 Stars
Christmas Meeting by Rosemary Timperley (1952) - A woman reminisces about past Christmases, as she is spending this one alone, when a strange man walks into the room. 5 Stars
Elias and the Draug by Jonas Lie (1902) - A man injures a creature that lies in wait to enact its revenge. This is more of a creature story than anything. 2 Stars
Playmates by A.M. Burrage (1927) - An old man adopts a girl after her father passes away. He wishes to conduct an experiment where the girl does not go to school, or interacts with other children, and instead receives her education from what she picks out in the home library. After they move to a new house the girl starts talking and playing with what everyone thinks are 7 imaginary friends. 3.5 Stars
Ringing the Changes by Robert Aickman (1964) - A newlywed couple with a 24 year age gap honeymoon in a town neither of them has been to before. The entire night they are there the church bells will not stop ringing. 2 Stars
The Telephone by Mary Treadgold (1955) - A man’s wife leaves him whe she discovers his infidelity. Shortly after he marries his mistress, his first wife dies. Then they begin to receive mysterious phone calls from the house that man used to live in with his first wife. 2 Stars
The Ghost of a Hand by J. Sheridan Le Fanu (1861) - Essentially what would happen if Thing from the Addam’s Family decided to terrorize a family. 2.5 Stars
The Sweeper by A. M. Burrage (1931) - A young woman is employed to be the companion of an old woman. One evening in autumn she hears the sounds of sweeping on the path outside. When she investigates she comes face to face with a man who she realizes is transparent. 4 Stars
Afterward by Edith Wharton (1902) - A couple moves into a home that is supposedly haunted, but everyone says you won’t realize you saw a ghost until long afterward. 3 Stars
On the Brighton Road by Richard Middleton (1912) - A man wakes up buried in snow on the side of a road. As he walks down the road he meets a boy who poses the question, “How do you know you aren’t dead?” 4 Stars
The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford (1885) - A man boards a ship to cross the Atlantic. Thinking that he is rooming alone, he is surprised to see another man’s things when he goes to bed for the night. By morning though, the second man has disappeared, and the porthole is open. That is when he finds out that for the past 3 trips (now 4th), someone who has slept in that room has jumped overboard. 3 Stars
Averaging all the scores comes out to a 3.3, which is quite normal for a short story collection. I think it provides the ghostly vibes quite well, and is perfect for this time of year.
These are seemingly not in any order, and are not chronological. I highly recommend reading the introduction to this one; it's quite funny actually. There are no spoilers in the intro either. I had only heard/read of one of these authors before, Sheridan Le Fanu, which I am actually glad of, as I get to be exposed to new authors I wouldn't have otherwise.
The following is a little description of each story, the year it was written or published, and my rating.
W.S. by L. P. Hartley (written 1954, 1973 published posthumously) - An author receives increasingly alarming postcards from an individual with the same initials as him. 3.5 Stars
Harry by Rosemary Timperley (1955) - A couple adopts a baby whose past is unknown to them. When the little girl is 5 years old she starts talking to a person that only she can see named Harry. 4 Stars
The Corner Shop by Cynthia Asquith (1926) - A man’s luck changes when he purchases a cheap trinket from a corner shop that ends up being worth money. Questions arise though when he tries to share the money with the man who sold him the trinket. 5 Stars
In the Tube by E. F. Benson (1923 UK, 1924 US) - A man sees a figure while taking the last train home that disappears from one moment to the next. When he meets the man in the flesh the next day his confusion grows as he wonders the cause. 3 Stars
Christmas Meeting by Rosemary Timperley (1952) - A woman reminisces about past Christmases, as she is spending this one alone, when a strange man walks into the room. 5 Stars
Elias and the Draug by Jonas Lie (1902) - A man injures a creature that lies in wait to enact its revenge. This is more of a creature story than anything. 2 Stars
Playmates by A.M. Burrage (1927) - An old man adopts a girl after her father passes away. He wishes to conduct an experiment where the girl does not go to school, or interacts with other children, and instead receives her education from what she picks out in the home library. After they move to a new house the girl starts talking and playing with what everyone thinks are 7 imaginary friends. 3.5 Stars
Ringing the Changes by Robert Aickman (1964) - A newlywed couple with a 24 year age gap honeymoon in a town neither of them has been to before. The entire night they are there the church bells will not stop ringing. 2 Stars
The Telephone by Mary Treadgold (1955) - A man’s wife leaves him whe she discovers his infidelity. Shortly after he marries his mistress, his first wife dies. Then they begin to receive mysterious phone calls from the house that man used to live in with his first wife. 2 Stars
The Ghost of a Hand by J. Sheridan Le Fanu (1861) - Essentially what would happen if Thing from the Addam’s Family decided to terrorize a family. 2.5 Stars
The Sweeper by A. M. Burrage (1931) - A young woman is employed to be the companion of an old woman. One evening in autumn she hears the sounds of sweeping on the path outside. When she investigates she comes face to face with a man who she realizes is transparent. 4 Stars
Afterward by Edith Wharton (1902) - A couple moves into a home that is supposedly haunted, but everyone says you won’t realize you saw a ghost until long afterward. 3 Stars
On the Brighton Road by Richard Middleton (1912) - A man wakes up buried in snow on the side of a road. As he walks down the road he meets a boy who poses the question, “How do you know you aren’t dead?” 4 Stars
The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford (1885) - A man boards a ship to cross the Atlantic. Thinking that he is rooming alone, he is surprised to see another man’s things when he goes to bed for the night. By morning though, the second man has disappeared, and the porthole is open. That is when he finds out that for the past 3 trips (now 4th), someone who has slept in that room has jumped overboard. 3 Stars
Averaging all the scores comes out to a 3.3, which is quite normal for a short story collection. I think it provides the ghostly vibes quite well, and is perfect for this time of year.