In Ghostly Company

Some very well done ghost stories (13 in all), written in a very matter-of-fact way, with several not having a full resolution of matters -- leaving matters nicely to the imagination. I particularly enjoyed "In the Woods" where a lonely teenage girl becomes closer and closer to the seemingly non-sentient woods, until she begins to break through into their world (or they into hers) -- the author repeats the phrase "The woods enthralled her" at key points in the story, with the sense of 'enthalled' shifting subtly as the story goes on. She finally hears entrancing piping coming through the forest towards her, and the trees and landscape moving -- only in her peripheral vision -- to envelop her, and...well, I'll leave you read the story.

In Ghostly Company is an entertaining collection of thirteen supernatural stories by Amyas Northcote published in 1921, eighteen months prior to his death. I found many of these eerie atmospheric tales to be among the best British ghost stories of the era. Highlights include: (1) Alice espies an old-fashioned house at the bottom of a narrow glen, but her sister Maggie is unable to see it; Alice later returns to the spot alone and then disappears in "Brickett Bottom"; (2) A business dispute results in animosity, revenge, and a surprise ending in "Mr Kershaw and Mr Wilcox", though sharp-eyed readers will spot Northcote's tell-tale clues that foretell the final twist; (3) A girl becomes oddly attracted to the woods, and then she learns of show more its dual nature in "In the Woods"; (4) The diary of a man who died under peculiar circumstances reveals a bizarre haunting in "Mr Mortimer's Diary" and (5) Strange footsteps, heard at precisely the same time each night, ultimately reveal a dreadful family secret in "The Governess's Story". show less

Originally published in 1921, this is a pleasingly varied collection of supernatural tales, not all having to do with ghosts. Having read so many of this type of story, it is difficult to impress me with a new sensation or create a shudder. But while I didn't get chill bumps reading this book, I was reasonably well entertained. The best stories here are the ones that require no explanation at the end, such as "Mr. Oliver Carmichael", where a man encounters an unsettling woman who begins to affect his dreams, and "Mr. Kershaw and Mr. Wilcox" involving a business relationship gone bad. Both of these stories are a bit out of the ordinary compared to the more typical stories that make up the rest of the book. Fans of supernatural tales of show more this period will, I suspect, enjoy this book quite a bit. While not a classic, it has that reassuring tone of proper early 20th Century English writing that transports the reader quite effectively to a different time and place. show less

Uninspired if competent collection of classic style ghost stories and haunts. Mostly fun but forgettable with only "Mr. Oliver Carmichael" rising above average. Typical Yule Log yarns.

It appears that almost every middle class English speaking person between 1850 and 1940 must have tried to write a dozen Jamesian ghost stories.

The thirteen ghost stories in this book can on the whole be favorably compared with those of M.R. James. That might be thought an idle claim but there are certainly many similarities of style and subject matter to be found here.
'Brickett Bottom' is a heartrending tale of a young girls disappearance,and is no doubt the best known story in this collection.
Both 'Mr Kershaw and Mr Wilcox' and 'Mr Mortimer's Diary' concern quarrels between two men. 'In the Woods' tells of a girl's unhealthy affinity with the trees.In ''The Governess's Story' ,the protagonist goes to work in Wyke Hall,looking after two children. She begins to hear footsteps at night above her bedroom. It seems however that there is no room at all above her own.Mrs Fowke,in show more 'The Late Mrs Fowke' could well be considered as one of the genre's most evil creations.
All of these stories are quite excellent and most are gruesome in the understated way that the J.R.James stories are.
The small number of tales contained within ''In Ghostly Company' were the only ones written by the unusually named Amyas Northcote. They are well worth searching out and reading,at night of course. show less