Donnerstag, 12. Januar 2012

Great Ghost Stories edited by Philip Van doren Stern

Great Ghost Stories "A superb Anthology edited and with an Introduction by Philip Van Doren Stern"
Washington Square Press. 2nd printing ...July 1962
Contents:
Introduction / [Philip Van Doren Stern] --
The beckoning fair one / Oliver Onions --
The mezzotint / Montague Rhodes James --
Tarnhelm / Sir Hugh Walpole --
The willows / Algernon Blackwood --
August heat / W.F. Harvey --
The mark of the beast / Rudyard Kipling --
Couching at the door / D.K. Broster --
The familiar / Sheridan Le Fanu --
The upper berth / F. Marion Crawford --
The tell-tale heart / Edgar Allan Poe --
The yellow wall paper / Charlotte Perkins Gilman --
Afterward / Edith Wharton --
Full fathom five / Alexander Woollcott.

This is one of the very first paperbacks that I bought with my own money. I ordered it from the back of "Famous Monsters of Filmland" through Warren Publishing's house retailer "Captain Company". I ordered it along with an anthology called "Things with Claws" . This must have been 1971 or so. Delivery time was the classic "6-8 weeks". And believe me, when you're 10 years old 6-8weeks is a veeeeery loooong time!
Taking a look at the contents you see that this is your generic, cliche classic "Ghost Story" anthology of old chestnuts that  have been reprinted so many times that it's not even funny. I have to asdmit though that back then  this was undiscovered country  and they were all new and amazing to me. I think that the only story missing that would make this the ultimate "cliche" collection is W.W. Jacob's "The Monkey's Paw".
To be fair though, this is a solid collection for Horror Story Neophytes.
Take care.
Doug

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