Charles Keeping (1924–1988)

The list of authors chosen for this anthology of short stories is outstanding. Edgar Allen Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, H. P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, Thomas Hardy, H. G. Wells, and more. The genre is not exactly what we would now call horror: it comprises anecdotes related as if by highly privileged (upper class, white, usually British) gentlemen, suitable for telling in the comfort of one's club. As I read this outstanding collection, I realized that these tales belong to a genre that reached show more its zenith in Victorian times. Why did it wither away, I wondered. It must have been (I concluded) the Great War, which exposed the white upper-class male protagonists to scenes and events far more "ghastly, grim, grisly, horrid, morbid" (Keeping used a thesaurus to explain the meaning of "macabre") than the narrations of the Victorian era.

Deliciously creepy stories with ghastly, grim, grisly, horrid deaths suffered by the deserving and the not so deserving, if you like that kind of thing! show less

Almost all of the eight stories collected are from the 19th century so they seem very tame to my modern eyes, with the exception of Poe's truly gruesome "The Black Cat." Despite not finding the stories particularly chilling, they are very well-written and deserve the "classic" title.

This book was the 1967 Kate Greenaway Award winner - beautiful paintings make the experience of city life (urban renewal in inner-city London, England) as lived by Charley and Charlotte into something mystical yet real. In this way it does what only the very best fiction can do, helping children to see their ordinary life as something deeply meaningful.

Trying to read all 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up can be a frustrating experience. It doesn't sound like a hard challenge, does it? After all, these are children's books. Right?

But what about books like Joseph's Yard? It's described as a classic 32-page children's picture book. Yet it was as difficult to find as if it were the Hope Diamond.

Well, maybe not quite that difficult. After all, I did obtain a copy last week. Happily. From Paperback Swap. Thank you for show more sharing this former library book from Tawas City, Michigan. I see now why it is on our 1001 list. Though I'm perplexed not to find it widely available. Perplexed and sad.

Joseph's Yard is the very short story of Joseph and his yard. Joseph cleans up his yard and puts a plant in his yard. The plant puts out a flower and Joseph loves it so much that he snaps off the flower. The plant withers away and Joseph is very sad. After winter, Joseph is surprised to see the plant has come back and another flower has appeared. Birds and insects and cats come to Joseph's yard because of the plant and Joseph becomes fearful and covers his new flower with his coat. Again, the flower dies. And, again, Joseph is sad. Winter comes again, and the plant returns once more. This time, Joseph leaves the plant alone and, soon, the yard is filled with flowers and insects and birds and cats. Joseph is happy.

Beautiful woodcut illustrations. Simple but poignant story. show less