Reread because I forgot I read it and only realised when I got to the story about the unmarked crypt in the cathedral, haha. It's understandable because although *enjoyable* and a few are pretty captivating outside of particular images they're not particularly memorable stories. Each story has 1 image which you'll come away remembering, with the rest of the story building atmosphere. The aforementioned "An Episode of Cathedral History" is probably the best because it goes into the most detail and the Two Doctors is the worst because it feels pretty insubstantial but they're all enjoyable enough. I found the hair monster in the diary of Mr Poynter kind of funny rather than scary, tbh. Although still enjoyably creepy. It's interesting how indirect the supernatural experience is - it's always reported through the experiences of other characters, usually second hand at that, and although the supernatural is obviously important to all the plots usually it's made to feel almost secondary to the events scaffolding it that provide the context. ( )

Disturbing nightmares
relatives up to no good
gossiping townsfolk. ( )

The stage got perceptibly darker as each crime was consummated, and at last there was one murder which was done quite in the dark, so that I could see nothing of the victim, and took some time to effect. It was accompanied by hard breathing and horrid muffled sounds, and after it Punch came and sat on the foot-board and fanned himself and looked at his shoes, which were bloody, and hung his head on one side, and sniggered in so deadly a fashion that I saw some of those beside me cover their faces, and I would gladly have done the same. But in the meantime the scene behind Punch was clearing, and showed, not the usual house front, but something more ambitious—a grove of trees and the gentle slope of a hill, with a very natural—in fact, I should say a real—moon shining on it. Over this there rose slowly an object which I soon perceived to be a human figure with something peculiar about the head—what, I was unable at first to see. It did not stand on its feet, but began creeping or dragging itself across the middle distance towards Punch, who still sat back to it; and by this time, I may remark (though it did not occur to me at the moment) that all pretence of this being a puppet show had vanished. Punch was still Punch, it is true, but, like the others, was in some sense a live creature, and both moved themselves at their own will.

Out of the five stories in this book, my two favourites are An Episode of Cathedral History and The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance. An Episode of Cathedral History takes place in a close-knit community of people who live and work in and around a cathedral which is undergoing restoraton work during the Gothic Revival in the mid-19th century. For once it is not just the person who disturbed the demon who is at risk, as unexpected illness and death is visited on people living nearby as well as people who are directly involved with the cathedral, and I liked the way the churchmen and stonemasons faced the danger together when they decided to open the tomb. The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance is equally atmospheric, with the protagonist's prophetic dream of a real-life Punch and Judy show beng especially chilling.

My least favourite is Two Doctors. The presenters of "A Podcast to the Curious" described it as "famously one of the most tedious of M. R. James' stories", and I have to agree with them. On the first page, the reader is told that "it furnishes a riddle in which the supernatural appears to take a part. You must see what you can make of it", but I had no idea what was going on, and found it dull rather than intriguing.

I'm giving this book 4 stars based on how much I liked my two favourite stories. ( )

Not as good as the first two collections, but there are several good stories in here, including "A Thin Ghost" from the title. ( )

James is very good at writing these creepy little stories. They follow a similar pattern: a text that reveals events, an innocuous beginning, the gradually developing horror, the revelation, the explanation, and a firm decision to look no more into it. The historical elements to many of the stories add dimension. The modern reader will be struck by how few women appear in the stories.

Highly recommended for All Hallow's Read, or a pleasurable Edwardian chill anytime. ( )