British Library, 2022
305 pp
paperback
It's been a while since I've been here -- vacation and then a subsequent case of covid have sucked up my time pretty much since Thanksgiving and I'm just now feeling up to posting again. I couldn't let the year go by without reading at least one volume of Christmas ghost stories, which, ever since Valancourt launched its first book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories has become a tradition I've followed as the holiday approaches. Sadly, they haven't published one in a while, but luckily for me, the British Library Tales of the Weird came up with Haunters at the Hearth: Eerie Tales for Christmas Nights, edited by Tanya Kirk. These stories are not limited to the Victorian era; in this volume there are actually only two in that particuar category, with the entries spanning a whopping 110- year range from 1864 to 1974. In my very humble reader's opinion, this is one of the best Christmas anthologies the British Library has to offer.
from Cincinatti Enquirer |
Another story that stands out comes from D.H. Lawrence. "The Last Laugh," first appearing in 1925 could be an entry in my entirely mythical complete book of Pan-related stories, even though his appearance is not specifically stated here. A bowler-hatted man with a faun-like face and a young, "nymphlike" deaf woman leave a house just as the midnight bell is striking, making their way through the snowy streets of Hampstead. The man hears someone laughing, "the most extraordinary laughter" he'd ever heard; not long after she sees someone she describes only as "him" in the same holly bushes where the laughter had originated. Strange, inexplicable occurrences follow. Obviously there's more happening here under the weird bits in this tale, but all signs definitely point to the return of the goat-footed god. And speaking of weird, Eleanor Smith's story "Whittington's Cat" certainly fits that bill. A young man named Martin is writing a book called Pantomime Through the Ages, although he knows absolutely nothing about the subject. His interest was sparked after a visit to a curiosity shop where he'd picked up "a series of spangled prints representing characters from popular pantomimes." Since then he'd developed "pantomime mania," spending each and every night watching Dick Whittington (which is evidently still going strong) at the Burford Hippodrome. Martin's life takes a strange detour after one particular performance when it's his turn to be the victim of Dick Whittington's Cat as it did its regular thing, climbing up to a stage box where "it was wont to engage one or other of the spectators in badinage, much to the delight of the entire audience." "Whittington's Cat" appears in Smith's collection of stories Satan's Circus, which I will now be pulling from its shelf after reading this tale, which beyond its weirdness is also laced with more than a bit of humor. Perhaps the most Christmas-y of all of these stories is "Christmas Honeymoon" by Howard Spring (1939), which follows the strange adventure of a couple who have chosen to hike in Cornwall for their honeymoon. I really can't say too much about this one without giving away too much, but clearly the term "Christmas miracle" applies. The rest of these tales are also very good, perfect for Yuletide. You can find the entire table of contents here.
from The Newark Advertiser |
There is not a bad story in this anthology, ranging from ghosts, possessions, hauntings and dark humor to other strangeness, so really, there is something for everyone to be found here. The book joins my highly-revered, personal collection of British Library Tales of the Weird volumes, to which I've just
today added two more books (well, pre-ordered them anyway). I can't speak highly enough of Haunters at the Hearth, and once again Tanya Kirk has done a great job selecting terrific stories for the holiday season. Very highly recommended.
I love these British Library Anthologies.
ReplyDeleteTheyr'e great, aren't they? I love them too.
ReplyDeleteI meant "they're" ... pardon me!
ReplyDelete