Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 820
EAN: 9780199556304
ISBN: 019955630X
Label: Oxford University Press, USA
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 528
Publication Date: December 15, 2008
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Sales Rank: 111627
Studio: Oxford University Press, USA

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Related Items:

• The Oxford Book of Victorian Ghost Stories
• The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales (Oxford Books of Prose)
• Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural (Modern Library)
• Casting the Runes and Other Ghost Stories (Oxford World's Classics)
• Best Ghost Stories of J. S. LeFanu
• see more

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
The thrill and chill of the ghost story is displayed in all its variety and vitality through this marvelous anthology. Ranging from the early 19th century to the 1960s, the collection reveals the development of the genre, and showcases many of its greatest expositors - from Sir Walter Scott, H.G. Wells, M. R. James, T.H. White, Walter de la Mare, and Elizabeth Bowen in the UK to Edith Wharton in America. Though its heyday coincided with the golden age of Empire in the nineteenth century, the ghost story enjoyed a second flowering between the two World Wars and its popularity is as great as ever.




Rating: - Very nice, indeed!
_The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories_ includes a few old favorites but--more importantly, I believe--also includes quite a few tales that are less frequently anthologized. If, like me, you love a good book of ghost stories but seem to find the same dozen or so stories in every anthology on the market, you will be pleasantly surprised by the breadth of stories that Cox has chosen to include.

Cox's introduction lends a scholarly air to the volume and prefaces the collection well. ... Read More

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Rating: - Wonderful Ghostly Collection
Having owned this book for many years, it is a treasured part of my library, and is worth at least one re-reading a year. A fantastic collection of English prose, with the emphasis of stories in the 1880s, which marked the highlight of ghostly literature, in my opinion. Those that prefer insightful and introspective literature dealing with the supernatural will feel right at home, but those of a contemporary ilk that require shock and gore over substance are advised to look elsewhere. Highly recommended, ... Read More

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Rating: - A great book for any classic ghost story fan
This is a great anthology for anyone new to classic ghost literature (or even someone who isn't that new). It's a mixed bag of authors, with a smattering of stories by the obligatory writers as well as a number that are harder to find. It's important to note that these are _classic_ ghost stories - they depend largely on atmosphere and subtlety for their effect, and are often better on the second reading than on the first (and the third is just about perfect).

This book provides some great ... Read More

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Rating: - too many dull stories
some of the stories were good enough in this collection, but most were too boring too catch your attention (too obvious, boring descriptions, weak plot etc.). i guess you have to be into the old charm of the english ghost story to really appreciate this. i guess i am too modern to be scared by a guy who talks to a guy who turns out to be a ghost, and that's it.

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Rating: - Another nightmarish collection from Gilbert and Cox
The horror genre is cluttered with hackwork, and imitations of hackwork--H.P. Lovecraft seems to have spawned a particularly virulent strain of the latter. However one of its subgenres, i.e. the ghost story seems to attract a better quality of writer--perhaps because a truly frightening tale of the returned dead is so difficult to write.

(Believe me, I've tried and after almost half a century of trying, have sold exactly one ghost story).

L. P. Hartley, who wrote "The Travelling Grave" ... Read More

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