Best Ghost Stories of J. S. LeFanu

Rating:
Summary: Best Ghost Stories of almost anyone
Review: The best ghost stories of J S LeFanu are among the best ghost stories ever written. This is an extremely fine collection, including all the stories from LeFanu's greatest book, "In a Glass Darkly", plus more than a dozen others. There are regional tales of the author's native Ireland; traditional tales of supernatural revenge; and, as the title says, much if not all of LeFanu's best work, which prefigures the best modern horror in its psychological sophistication and absolute lack of the sentiment and moralising common to many Victorian ghost story writers (as well as to far too many of the moderns). Is "Green Tea", for instance, the story of a supernatural visitation or merely, as the narrator would have us believe, of "the process of a poison"? Is Captain Barton, in "The Familiar", haunted by guilt alone or by something more? The collection also includes LeFanu's most famous story, the subtle vampire novella "Carmilla"; and the horrifying, tragic, repulsive and wholly inexplicable masterpiece, "Schalken the Painter". Grab it; read it; lie awake at night.

Rating:
Summary: Deceased judges, a vampire, & a nasty supernatural monkey
Review: Until the Dover edition of Sheridan Le Fanu's stories appeared in 1964, this nineteenth-century Irish author's tales were almost impossible to find. This is a shame, since M.R. James considered Le Fanu the best of all ghost story writers (I would put M.R. James at the top of my list, and J. S. Le Fanu, second). According to Jack Sullivan in "Elegant Nightmares: The English Ghost Story from Le Fanu to Blackwood," "...Nearly all of the early twentieth-century writers in the [supernatural story] field paced and structured their narratives in the Le Fanu manner."

This edition has an introduction by E.F. Bleiler who limns a brief biography of the author, and his influence on the ghost story writers who followed him. The sixteen stories in this collection range from 1837 to 1871. One is an essay presented as non-fiction, i.e. "An Authentic Narrative of a Haunted House." Concerning this essay, Bleiler states, "Personally, I am inclined to accept Le Fanu's strong statement that he was not writing fiction in the guise of fact, and that he is simple reproducing what others had told him."

Some of the stories are obscured by dialect, e.g. "Madame Crowl's Ghost" and parts of "The Haunted Baronet." Lines like "...twad gar ye dodder to hear him" can usually be worked out in the context of the plot and Le Fanu's stories are worth the extra effort. Quoting Jack Sullivan again, "Le Fanu's tales suggest a world in which we are unbearably alone in situations of escalating awfulness." The little maid is sleeping alone in one of Madame Crowl's chambers when the old beldame's ghost appears, "her eyes as wide as saucers, and her face like the fiend himself." Rose in "Schalken the Painter" is deserted by her guardian and minister after she begs them not to leave her alone, and she is doomed. In one of my favorite stories, "An Account of some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street," two medical students move into a house once owned by an infamous, hanging judge. They are afraid to tell each other about their supernatural encounters for fear of being mocked--at least until one of them almost dies.

This book is the finest collection of Le Fanu stories ever compiled, and all ghost story connoisseurs should hasten to read it.


Rating:
Summary: stories from "the builder"
Review: when it came to building a ghost story, through dialogues and occurences, noone matches Lefanu. At this, he is a master. he describes the situation before THE happening magnificently. however, when it does happen, the story is over. the horror itself seem to escape Lefanus writing style. his ghost stories are mostly not catching to a modern(living)reader. only 2 of his ghost stories are worth reading. I still recommend this book. the reason are the two stories who are not ghost stories. Carmilla, one of the very best vampire stories, built beautifully through subtle hints, psychology, and descriptions. my favourite gothic story. then it's Lefanu's masterpiece: green tea. in fact, one of the best horror stories ever written! too bad Lefanu insisted on writing so many ghost stories, instead of common horror, otherwise he might be a real master in the genre, as Carmilla and Green Tea proves