| Title | : | Madam Crowl's Ghost \u0026 Other Stories |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1853262188 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781853262180 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 192 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1923 |
Madam Crowl's Ghost \u0026 Other Stories Reviews
-
This is a good posthumous anthology of ghost stories, chosen by no less an authority than M.R. James himself. They were selected primarily from Le Fanu's early "Dublin Magazine" period, when his stories--like those of many of the authors published there by editor Le Fanu--were characterized by a leisurely, folkloric narrative style and the often humorous exploitation of Irish stereotypes.
This anthology is slightly inferior to In a Glass Darkly, the collection of later stories Le Fanu published during his lifetime, but the entire book is nevertheless enjoyable and contains two stories ("Madame Crowl's Ghost" and "Squire Toby's Will") that are masterpieces of the form. A few others are memorable as well, particularly the three short tales in "Ghosts of Chapelizod" and the sophisticated use of Irish folklore demonstrated in "The Child Who Went With the Fairies" and "The White Cat of Drumgunniol."
Even in his most inferior stories--which are still very good--Le Fanu shows a talent for choosing the unsettling detail which can produce a genuine thrill. -
More folkloric and antiquarian than the stories of ‘In a Glass Darkly’.
‘The Child Who Went Away With the Fairies’ will chill the heart of any parent, being more akin to Thomas Ligotti’s ‘The Frolic’ than Yeats’ ‘The Stolen Child’, which seems almost saccharine by comparison. -
I've listed and summarized all of the stories in this book at my
reading journal blog, in case you're interested in what you have to look forward in this book.
Perhaps these aren't the best ghost stories I've ever read, but Le Fanu is a master of atmosphere, which helps to produce the sense of dread or doom I look for when I read these sorts of tales. For the ghost-story aficionado, this collection is definitely one not to miss. While these stories aren't a complete set of terrifying tales by Le Fanu, they've certainly been enough to whet my appetite for more. Most of these tales have to do with vengeance of wrongs brought forth to the present because of actions of someone in the past, while some are folkloric in nature. And, for the haunted house story reader, there are a number of those here -- for example, my favorite of this type found in this book, "An Account of Some Strange Disturbances In Aungiers Street." I really liked the stories set in among the hills of Ireland, largely because Le Fanu steeps these tales in atmosphere from the outset. I also noticed that in many or most of these stories, there are clues at the very beginning that lead the reader toward the climax -- when all is revealed.
While I have all of Le Fanu's novels, I've never before ventured into his shorter tales, but I must say that they are very satisfying for someone like me who loves a good ghostly yarn. -
Average rating: 4.1
These are amongst the most horrifying and wonderfully crafted short stories that I have ever read. All twelve stories were very good in their own way, some truly awesome, none ever boring. And I would love to visit them again after a decade or two. All of these are supernatural based stories. Le Fanu's way of writing is simply superb. He knew the way to terrify the writer. The settings and writing in all of the stories is gothic. A ghost story is not something that terrifies me easily, and personally I look for other terrifying reads than one that involves ghosts. But in this one, Le Fanu knows how to prepare the reader into falling into the setting in the first place, and then make her/him confront his own inner demons within his imagination via the ghastly (ghostly) apparitions.
Highly recommended!! -
5/10
Ghosts, or Phantasms as they called them then, were, certainly, one of the most known subject through the centuries in fiction stories; but it was in the 19th century, and through Sheridan Le Fanu’s stories - the “leader” as they called him - that inspired many writers later and made it even more popular.
Today, of course, with the fantastical genre having seen many changes these stories seem a bit old-fashioned, but we cannot say that they don’t have a particular atmosphere of that era.
This collection, collected and edited by M.R. James almost a century ago, contains some of his lesser-known and rarer ghost stories.
Madam Crowl's Ghost
The first story opens the collection with an old woman as she narrates us the events that brought her, when she was just a little girl then, in the home of the near-dying Madam Crowl, and faced-to-face with her spirit.
With his usual Irish style Le Fanu brings in this story an interesting idea, but nevertheless fails to impress so much in the end as a whole.
Squire Toby's Will
The second story focuses on the Marston family, and particularly on the younger son - Charles who, through some treacherous plans, became the heir of the house of Gylingden Hall and left his older brother out of their father’s will. However, when one day a stray dog starts wandering in his father’s tomb something very strange will happen that will bring him to the discovery of the true will, as also faced-to-face with his spirit.
It is a much bigger story but, even though its central idea is good, it drags too much and becomes more tiring than it should for what Le Fanu wants to point about.
Dickon the Devil
The third story focuses on an unnamed protagonist as he narrates us the events that led him to a remote place of Lancashire after being employed by two rich maids for the partition of a small estate and which brought him against with a mysterious man, and also with the long dead Squire Bowes.
It’s a more satisfying story, though certainly not an exceptional one, with Le Fanu’s writing flowing much better here, and also managing to keep the interest much longer than the previous two stories.
The Child that went with the Fairies
The next story focuses on a family in an old city of Limerick who, as they encouter a beautifully coloured carriage and its strange black woman following it, their lives will change forever when little Billy gets enchanted by her charm, only to find themselves later against with his mysterious disappearance.
It is a mediocre, but small story as the supernatural element here is much weaker and without managing it the end to show something very remarkable.
The White Cat of Drumgunniol
‘The White Cat of Drumgunniol’ follows the Dan Donovan’s narratives as he recounts us, through our unnamed protagonist, the events that took place in his home in Drumgunniol when he was just a little boy and that brought him against with a mysterious woman, and a cat that brings death to anyone who happens to see her.
It's a much more interesting story than the previous one but with its biggest disadvantage being, however, Le Fanu’s writing which, certainly, shows his strengths as also his weaker points.
An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street
The most optimistic idea comes in this story following Dick, a medical student, who along with his cousin Tom decide to stay in one of his uncle empty houses that he bought some time ago. But in this house they will discover along the way that something very strange is happening and will bring them against with a strange spirit.
This story is a perfect example of how a good idea can never surpass mediocrity, and this is because of Le Fanu’s writing as it fails to pass through the necessary emotional elements to this story even more enchanting - which is caused from always concentrating his ideas to the areas/landscapes of the events that take place, rather than the characters themselves.
Ghost Stories of Chapelizod
The ‘Ghost Stories of Chapelizod’ is a different story as it is split into three, loosely connected, parts. The first part follows Larkin, a bully of the small village of Chapelizod, who comes against with the spirits of his victims; the second part follows the adventures of Sexton Martin as he comes, too, against with a strange man and a with very peculiar incident; and lastly, the third part ends with the adventures of young Peter as he encounters an unusual group of soldiers and a strange woman that is seeking for her lost treasure - only to discover later that he they had die long ago.
It is certain that from these three little stories, the second part is the one that stands out most as Le Fanu manages to build a very powerful suspense. Of course, I cannot say, that the other two have also their, own, moments with the first one, despite its small size, having an interesting - if somewhat very common - idea; while the last having a powerful mystery with Le Fanu unfolding very nicely till the end.
Wicked Captain Walshawe, of Wauling
The next one, of the two, of this collection is a story that is in a chapterized format. It follows, through an unnamed narrator, the life of Captain Walshawe and his, unloved, wife; as well his uncle adventures who became the sole heir of their house and who encounters a strangely evil spirit.
One of the better stories as Le Fanu manages here, despite the low expectations that the previous stories brought, to build a good suspense as also to also hold the interest of the plot at a high level.
Sir Dominic's Bargain
This story follows an unnamed businessman and explorer who, as he travels to the south of Ireland, comes against with a man in an abandoned house who narrates to him the adventures of his grandfather, who was in Sir Dominic’s service, and his master’s meeting with an unusual man who offered him a deal - as to solve his economical problems - only to discover later that this was probably also and his biggest mistake.
It is pretty a powerful story with Le Fanu managing to build its mystery very nicely and also bring the suspense to a strong conclusion.
Ultor de Lacy
Another story in a chapterized format that focuses on Ultor, the sole heir of the De Lacy’s castle, and to his two daughters who, after the rebellion in Ireland, he was forced to leave them behind. But, when one day he returns suddenly back to the castle he will discover that something very strange is happening; something that will bring him and his daughters against with the most strange things.
It's a likealbe story, but slightly disappointing after what the two previous stories brought as Le Fanu in this one brings, essentially, a somewhat neutral conclusion. If only he had made a little spookier it would have been a lot better.
The Vision of Tom Chuff
The most strangely phantasmagorical story comes in ‘The Vision of Tom Chuff’ as it follows a cruel husband who brings terrors to his wife and children through violent behaviours. But, when one day he returns home drunk he will find himself in a dream that will take him to a world so similar same with our own, yet so strangely different that will bring against with the most horrendous things - only to discover later that this, perhaps, was much more real than he had believed and may even bring and to his death.
The strongest, and certainly the best, story of this collection shows Le Fanu’s, much greater, imagination as he takes us, through Tom’s dreams, in a world that is very likely the actual horrendously representation of Hell itself.
Stories of Lough Guir
As similarly with the ‘Ghost Stories of Chapelizod’ the last story of this collection is divided into five parts as they follow, through an unnamed writer, the narratives of the protagonists of these events as find themselves against with the strange spirit of the Earl of Desmond.
All these five stories have a, relatively, good idea but they’re too small - with just two pages each - to have any significant impact, in the end, and become somewhat indifferent.
Closing, I would only add that this is definitely a collection that does not impress very much as it has some tough stories, which is mostly from Le Fanu’s particular style, but it is worth a look if you're interested to see more of his other works. -
I’ve been a great fan of Joseph Sheridan le Fanu since reading his classic 1872 vampire story Carmilla years ago. M. R. James was also an admirer and in 1923 edited an important collection of le Fanu’s ghost stories, Madam Crowl’s Ghost and other stories. I’m not sure why I enjoy Sheridan le Fanu’s ghost stories many than M. R. James’s. Perhaps it’s the Irish settings, or perhaps I just find his style a bit livelier. Otherwise they’re not dissimilar to James’s. The stories in Madam Crowl’s Ghost and other stories aren’t really his best stories – none of them are quite in the same league as Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter, or some of the stories in the collection In a Glass Darkly, such as Green Tea. They’re still superb examples of the Victorian ghost story, and if you have any love for ghost stories then you absolutely must read Sheridan le Fanu.
-
Le Fanu has an exceptional talent to convey a certain mood to the reader, whether it is a sense of serene and melancholy enjoyment in the beautiful scenery of Ireland, or a horrific suspense coming from the preternatural occurrences described in his stories.
This collection of short stories doesn't only cause one a great deal of pleasure, but also immerses one into the culture, language and superstitions of the land that the writer comes from, and the fact that most of the places mentioned in this work can be traced on a map of today's Ireland only gives a more real feel to all one reads in this collection.
The picturesqueness of stories such as "Dickon the Devil", "The Child That Went With the Fairies" or "Sir Dominick's Bargain", and the horrific experience of "Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street" makes this a definitive re-read for me. -
These were Le Fanu's lesser works. But even amidst them one can find darkly gleaming jewels like "Madam Crowl's Ghost", and haunting tales that can generate shivers under appropriate atmospheric conditions. However, the languid style of the rest didn't enamour me that much. Hence, only three stars.
-
This book was slow, satisfying, properly spooky reading. I had to pause a lot to review definitions for semi archaic words and to look up a few historical references and Irish words...all quite rewarding. Go on, save this for the dead of night when all else is quiet, and wrap your blanket close.
-
Review from
Badelynge
In judging the quality of this collection of ghost stories by Sheridan Le Fanu I think it's worth mentioning that this particular collection was compiled by M.R. James to bring together all of Le Fanu's anonymously published supernatural short stories. It's not a collection of his best work, far from it. Le Fanu's writings throw up all sorts of obstacles for the more ordered reader wishing to read all of his back catalogue. Many of these stories appeared uncredited in Le Fanu's own Dublin University Magazine or Dickens' famous periodical All the Year Round. James' included notes are invaluable to anybody embarking on a Le Fanu reading list. Though Le Fanu's penchant for publishing his stories, ideas and characters many times, often revised in small ways, completely rewritten, or subsumed into other works, tests even James' extensive study of his works. These stories are often set in the author's native Ireland or in the North of England, some very close to where I live in Lancashire. The English setting, mostly in his later works was an attempt to appeal to the larger English market. Exploiting the English market was probably one of the factors resulting in some of the revised publications.
Le Fanu is rightly acknowledged as one of history's finest writers in the genre of the ghost story. Though none of his very best are included here. His stories are often characterised by a slow build up of atmosphere through the use of highly evocative language, with the supernatural elements often included sketchily or by implication. It's a formula that he made himself master of, though this collection does highlight some of his shortcomings. His syntax sometimes becomes meandering. His habit of transcribing regional dialects directly into the dialogue does add local flavour but more often renders the text almost indecipherable. Sometimes his story structure is undermined by the inclusion of little extras tagged onto the endings. There is still much to be admired. My favourite story from this collection is 'An Account Of Some Strange Disturbances In Aungier Street'. Very creepy. though even this does sport some of those extras I mentioned or as Le Fanu would have it some 'valuable collateral particulars'.
Stories included are:
Madam Crowl's Ghost
Squire Toby's Will
Dickon the Devil
The Child that Went with the Fairies
The White Cat of Drumgunnoil
An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street
Ghost Stories of Chapelizod
Wicked Captain Walshawe of Wauling
Sir Dominick's Bargain
Ultor de Lacy: A Legend of Cappercullen
The Vision of Tom Chuff
Stories of Lough Guir -
This is a combination of traditional Victorian ghost stories, folk tales about "the good people" (fairy tales) of Ireland, and legends concerning ne'er-do-wells, who have sold their souls to the devil. As a preference, I enjoyed the traditional Victorian tales best, but there is some really excellent writing in this collection of stories.
I particularly enjoyed the first two stories: the title story and "Squire Toby's Will", but my favourite, I think, had to be "An Account of Some Strange Disturbances of Aungier Street" just because it was such a wonderful mysterious tale of a haunted house.
There is some real craftsmanship in the writing here although I tend to agree with the introduction by M. R. James (who wrote the introduction in my edition of the book) in that he argues that the later stories (the earlier ones in the book) are the most polished in the collection; just because by that stage Le Fanu had perfected his art. There are some beautiful examples of writing and Le Fanu has a marvellous turn of phrase, particularly as he compares the oral art of story telling to that of the written word. I loved the line: "Pen, ink and paper are cold vehicles for the marvellous, and a 'reader' decidedly a more critical animal than a 'listener.' (p. 68). I found some of the Irish pronunciations a little hard to follow, but this is a lovely collection of stories - well worth a look. -
2007 bookcrossing journal:
I really enjoyed this book. I love these regency and victorian gothic style ghost stories; the whole atmosphere that they create. And these were interesting as well for the location - so many set in Ireland. Some had a real folktale feel as well with the fairies coming into the stories, such as 'The Child that Went with the Fairies'. Oh, and a couple set in Yorkshire (I think) as well!
I liked the first story and the title piece - Madam Crowl's Ghost. What a character she was! Heck, you could really imagine her eating small children for breakfast (unlike a character in another book I'm trying to read at the moment).
All the stories were great, although maybe the last one wasn't one of my favourites - it was a bit bitty and ho diddly hum.... the one with random bits about the wizard's castle that was submerged under the lake. It was a bit random - him doing these horrid magic tricks and telling his wife if she screamed, they'd all be drowned. Why why why? -
Some uncollected, forgotten stories gathered together by M R James some time after Le Fanu's death. A mix of ghosts with unfinished business and Irish folk tales-such as the sad The Child that went with the Fairies, and the omen of death The White Cat of Drumgunniol . In A Glass Darkly is a better collection.
-
Entertaining, plus fascinating as a look into historical superstition.
-
Zacznę od pięknego opakowania w jaki zostały zapakowane te historie, nie powinno się oceniać książki po okładce, ale nie przeszkadza to przecież w jej podziwianiu. Mnie ta okładka akurat urzekła, może mam jakieś dziwne gusta, ale szalenie podoba mi się ten mroczny cmentarz plus pół futrzaste kocię-pół kocia czaszka :) Przy okazji wspomnę też o ilustracjach Rafała Drzycimskiego, które również bardzo cieszyły moje oko w trakcie czytania.
Wróćmy jednak do rzeczy najważniejszej - zawartości tego zbioru. To kolejne historie o duchach z subtelnym klimatem grozy, które cenię za pewien specyficzny charakter. Trudno określić dokładnie o co chodzi, to jest takie pewne enigmatyczne coś, które w podobnych historiach pozwala wskoczyć moim trybikom na miejsce i wprawia mnie w zachwyt. Ten zbiór jednak nie trafi na półkę ulubione, w opowieściach Le Fanu odrobinkę za często pojawiają się stwory takie jak elfy, a za mało jest dreszczyku. Mimo to oceniam całość jako bardzo dobrą, bo niewiele zabrakło do perfekcji.
Moje ulubione opowiadania to "Duch pani Crowl" i "Biały kot z Drumgunniol".
7/10 -
These are Le Fanu's earlier published works, and it's fascinating to look back on his style and see how it progressed and matured into his more effective (and famous) stories later in his career. Nonetheless, these are beautifully written, atmospheric and creepy. Every tale is well deserving of a read, particularly for those who are partial to nineteenth-century horror literature about ghosts.
-
This collection of ghostly and folkloric tales by Le Fanu is not a 'best-of' or even a selection of favourites by compiler M R James, it simply consists of stories that had remained uncollected at the time of the author's death. They represent a few of his last stories, including 'Madam Crowl's Ghost', and early works which had only previously been published in fairly obscure Irish journals. This makes the collection a mixed bag but one which I enjoyed more than I expected to. It's been sitting on my shelf for a while and I thought I'd read it, confused perhaps by the fact that I was fairly familiar with a few of the yarns from other anthologies, so part of the enjoyment was the pleasure of discovery.
Le Fanu can be hard work. His writing is distinctly Victorian and his ghost stories tend to be about atmosphere rather than ideas or originality. His dialogue is frequently stilted, his storytelling can be stodgy and he is overfond of rendering his prose in regional dialects. Hence 'more than I expected to'. Most of the stories here are entirely traditional, with many of the early efforts retellings of more or less familiar ghost- and fairy-lore. As a fan of folklore, I was quite inspired by the pure storytelling here: the way Le Fanu had taken well-worn tropes and legends and made them come to life. These early tales are rather more lively than some of his later work and I admired the way he made them feel like genuine incidents happening to real people.
There are no 'Carmillas' or 'Green Teas' or 'Familiars' here and this collection certainly isn't for everyone. But as a back to basics, distinctly gothic, selection of weird tales 'Madam Crowl's Ghost and Others' thoroughly deserves that place on my shelf. -
I first learned about Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu through Harriet Vane, the detective novelist love interest for Lord Peter Wimsey in Dorothy L Sayers' mystery stories. When Harriet returns to Oxford to help track down a poison pen in Gaudy Night, she uses research into Le Fanu's writings as a plausible cover for her return to college. Her interest sparked mine.
This collection of ghost stories, originally written in the mid- to late-1800s is a bit verbose and slightly dated and the work is a bit uneven. But for those of us who aren't looking for truly horrific ghost stories, these are just right. Perfect for snuggling under the covers late at night and giving oneself a mild case of the shivers. Some of the stories (for instance, "Dickon the Devil" and "The Vision of Tom Chuff") remind me of ghost stories told around the camp fire or at sleep-overs. Meant to make you just a little bit uncomfortable, but not enough to give you the screaming heebie-jeebies and prevent sleep. The best of the lot is the title story, "Madam Crowl's Ghost." It is the longest and the best thought out. The descriptions serve the story well and, unlike some of the stories which appear later in the book (but were written earlier), do not go on forever and bore the reader with too much of a good thing. And the final twist at the end of the story is nicely done. Over all, a pleasant read as I head into October and Halloween season. I read this as my spooky Halloween entry for the Fall into Reading Challenge. Three stars out of five. -
I was really disappointed by this book. It's not that it's dated, I like a lot of other spooky stuff from around the same time, it was just... lame. I almost gave it one star. It was collected and introduced by M.R. James, who really likes it, obviously, but nothing in this book comes close to anything by James. One odd thing about this book was that James says he put the stories in order from best to worst, but I thought they got better as they went along. Which doesn't say much, considering how shitty the first story is. They are all like something a cheesy Christian camp counselor would tell kids 200 years ago. And the vernacular was awful. This probably has to do with me never having heard the kind of language he's imitating in real life, but that didn't make it any less annoying to read. Now that I think about it, it really does deserve one star, but I usually only give that to books I hate on principle as well as content, and I guess in principle, there's nothing wrong with writing ghost stories.
-
There are pure horror stories and then there are ghostly supernatural tales, of which Le Fanu was a specialist. These are the tales which make me sing and whistle as I walk deserted streets alone at night, for I was once told that spirits will stay away if one keeps a steady tune. These are the tales requiring a flashlight at night, because one is hiding beneath the covers in case a ghostly apparition makes an appearance.
The Child That Went With The Fairies and Dickon The Devil had me jumpy, and the rest of the stories thankfully adhere to Victorian decorum. For those who want ghosts but not a bunch of gore, this book is a good fit.
Book Season = Autumn (winds blow, moons turn red) -
I read somewhere that the craft and power of telling ghost stories died out with the advent of electric light. The theory was that creepy tales were the most thrilling when read in flickering candlelight (or gas lighting) when you could never be certain as to what was lurking in the shadows. Perhaps this why the last stronghold of ghost stories today are around the campfire. Anyway, these stories were written in the 1800s and in my opinion are as authentically eerie as you can get. Le Fanu was at the head of the table when it came to such tales, and it is evident to me that he influenced generations of horror and weird fiction writers who came after him.
-
A collection of 12 supernatural short stories first published as a collection in 1923, but originally published over the period 1851-1872. As such, they represent a great selection of Sheridan Le Fanu’s style over that period. Many of the stories are set around the area of Limerick in Ireland, and the use of folklore gives them a really effective atmosphere, uniquely different from the 19th century gothic supernatural stories of the time. Brilliant.
-
3.5 rounded up. They were published posthumously and were never meant to be all published together - some end up being quite similar to others - a Squire dies, the will in nowhere to be found, a handsome young heir comes and takes over the derelict house, the ghost of the Squire starts coming to visit him at night, blowing off his candle and shattering his windows...
They were great stories. But maybe they would have been better in a collection with more varied stories. -
A selection of the Master's best supernatural tales. In Stephen King style but a century earlier, Madame Crowl seems like the sweet old lady next door until she starts hovering outside upstairs windows late at night.
-
Le Fanu <3
I've read "Madam Crowl's Ghost" in another language, when I was about 6-7 years old. It was so scary, so powerful, I've remembered it all those years without even knowing the author's name. Now I found it again. Wow. -
I struggled to get through this, as I felt the writing was thick and sluggish, and it hasn't dated as well as the writing of some of Le Fanu's contemporaries. I loved the Irish dialogue, and regional accents, which were elegantly expressed.
-
Very very dry. Some of the stories were okay but none really stood out for me. They were pretty well written though and I'm curious to check out some of his other stories.
-
There is something lyrical about the way this Irishman writes, which a always enjoy. The detail and the settings make the stories seem all the more timeless.
