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charlotekerstenauthor's review
So What’s It About?
Ghost stories! By Victorian women!
What I Thought
The Four Fifteen Express by Amelia Edwards - my note for this one just says “train.” I don’t want to reveal the twist but it’s quite fun.
Since I Died by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps - this is a really beautifully and uniquely written story from the perspective of a ghost lingering in the moments after death and talking to the person grieving for them.
The Shadow in the Corner by Mary Elizabeth Braddon - I read this in a previous collection, and here’s what I said there: this one tells the story of a ruthlessly scientific man whose refusal to believe in the supernatural comes that the expense of his servant's life. There is nothing like a Victorian ghost story, is there? This one has the perfect spooky atmosphere of dread.
The Ghost at the Rath by Rosa Mulholland - an Irish story about an evil woman and a weird house. My favorite part is how strange it is that the protagonist’s friend is so happy at the house while he is tormented. The ending features a coincidence that is just too convenient, though.
From the Dead by Edith Nesbit - this one didn’t do too much for me, but the last line about the child never smiling or talking was very creepy.
In The Séance Room - by Lettice Galbraith - a man disposes of a woman he seduced and then his crime comes back to him at a séance. Ooh, there’s nothing I love more than a bit of horrifying karma now and again!
The House Which Was Rent Free by G. M. Robins - this one didn’t stand out to me too much, but I did like the tiny hint of romance and the mysterious allusions to some calamity before the main protagonist was widowed.
The Lost Ghost by Mary E. Wilkins - already read this one too, and here’s what I said: another period story, this one is about a sweet, harmless and tragic little ghost. This one was much sadder than it was spooky, but I enjoyed it a lot, especially the happy ending.
The Striding Place by Gertrude Atherton - this one was very short but was interspersed with some interesting philosophy about life and death and had a killer ending when the drowning friend was pulled out of the water with no face.
The Prayer by Violet Hunt - a monkey’s paw kind of situation that results in a miserable marriage and tragedy for all involved.
Ghost stories! By Victorian women!
What I Thought
The Four Fifteen Express by Amelia Edwards - my note for this one just says “train.” I don’t want to reveal the twist but it’s quite fun.
Since I Died by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps - this is a really beautifully and uniquely written story from the perspective of a ghost lingering in the moments after death and talking to the person grieving for them.
The Shadow in the Corner by Mary Elizabeth Braddon - I read this in a previous collection, and here’s what I said there: this one tells the story of a ruthlessly scientific man whose refusal to believe in the supernatural comes that the expense of his servant's life. There is nothing like a Victorian ghost story, is there? This one has the perfect spooky atmosphere of dread.
The Ghost at the Rath by Rosa Mulholland - an Irish story about an evil woman and a weird house. My favorite part is how strange it is that the protagonist’s friend is so happy at the house while he is tormented. The ending features a coincidence that is just too convenient, though.
From the Dead by Edith Nesbit - this one didn’t do too much for me, but the last line about the child never smiling or talking was very creepy.
In The Séance Room - by Lettice Galbraith - a man disposes of a woman he seduced and then his crime comes back to him at a séance. Ooh, there’s nothing I love more than a bit of horrifying karma now and again!
The House Which Was Rent Free by G. M. Robins - this one didn’t stand out to me too much, but I did like the tiny hint of romance and the mysterious allusions to some calamity before the main protagonist was widowed.
The Lost Ghost by Mary E. Wilkins - already read this one too, and here’s what I said: another period story, this one is about a sweet, harmless and tragic little ghost. This one was much sadder than it was spooky, but I enjoyed it a lot, especially the happy ending.
The Striding Place by Gertrude Atherton - this one was very short but was interspersed with some interesting philosophy about life and death and had a killer ending when the drowning friend was pulled out of the water with no face.
The Prayer by Violet Hunt - a monkey’s paw kind of situation that results in a miserable marriage and tragedy for all involved.
pdonovan's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Medical content
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