Seon Manley (1921–2009)

This is an anthology of eerie stories aimed at younger readers. The two stories in the fairy tale vein, Madame d’Aulnoy’s “The Yellow Dwarf” and Mrs. Gaskell’s “Curious If True,” seem misplaced in this collection. Otherwise, the tales are for the most part entertaining albeit on the mild side. The standouts are Shirley Jackson’s “One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts,” a sly take on the source of good and evil in the world; E. Nesbit’s matrimonial ghost story “John show more Charrington’s Wedding”; and Edna St. Vincent Millay’s surprising and somewhat shocking story of loneliness, love, and loss, “The Murder in the Fishing Cat.” show less

This book is not only a collection of short stories, but also gives a short description of the women and the time period that created them. The majority of the women wrote these stories in a time when it was frowned upon for women to do such things because it was thought that she might start to get ideas, so the fact that the fact that they braved the ridicule and wrote any way should be commended. It opened the door for women, such as myself, who are following their souls and writing show more today.

As for the stories themselves, they were a bit predictable, story ideas that have been done over and over since these were first written. That being said, I still enjoyed them, in particular Shirley Jackson's piece. show less

The contents of this anthology are not what would usually be marketed as "fantasy" today. They cover a century's worth of short stories in the gothic fantasy or horror vein--but never so scary that the book didn't serve as pleasant bedtime reading for me and my Other Reader. At least two were written by women who were also notable occultists (H.P. Blavatsky and Jane Roberts). Editors Manley and Lewis provide biographical introductions to each author, along with more such material in an show more appendix. The literary quality of the stories is pretty consistent, and the book provides a useful introduction to an assortment of worthy writers who might otherwise be overlooked by readers in this field. show less

Great read! This is exactly what the title says it is. Great narrative, great pace, great information. The author obviously knows what he's talking about and takes it a step further by making it enjoyable. Loved the illustrations as well. Just wish they were in color. Would definitely recommend as a casual read to anyone interested.