Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, Vol. 1

Curl up by the fire and enter the sinister, supernatural world of Montague Rhodes James (1862–1936), the master of the English ghost story. Chillingly atmospheric, quietly terrifying, M. R. James’s stories explore the darkness just beyond the flicker of the candle, behind the creaking door. Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, Vol. 1 comprises graphic adaptations of four of James’s most compelling and unsettling stories, plunging readers into a world of pervasive, creeping disquiet—a world populated by vengeful phantoms, disturbing visions, and spectral works of art. Published on the 80th anniversary of James’s death, this is a graphic novel to be read on a winter’s night, a book to curl up with—but not a book for the fainthearted. The four stories are Canon Alberic's Scrap-book, Lost Hearts, The Mezzotint, and The Ash Tree.

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up—James was one of Britain's preeminent supernatural horror authors and redefined the genre. This is Moore and Reppion's adaptation of James's short story collection of the same name, featuring four pieces from the collection: "Canon Alberic's Scrap-book," "Lost Hearts," "The Mezzotint," and "The Ash-Tree." Largely, the effort to reenergize Jamesian horror for a new audience failed. The art is phenomenal, but the creeping, subtle horror of James's prose is eradicated and replaced with a more modern, more visible scariness, which is arguably less frightening. What made James terrifying was that he could make readers shiver with simple, uncomplicated sentences that forced one to imagine the horror within. In graphic novel form, all of that is laid bare; since the illustrations show the action, the horror is not gone, just different and not as effective. "Lost Hearts" stands out as the best adaptation, as the detailed and haunting visuals don't take away from the plot of a young orphan sent off to live with his eccentric cousin, around whose estate children start disappearing. VERDICT Beautifully told but just simply not as fearsome as James's original language. Nevertheless, budding horror fans would likely pick up this book.—Tyler Hixson, School Library Journal

About the Author

Leah Moore and John Reppion have collaborated on Doctor Who: The Whispering Gallery, The Trial of Sherlock Holmes, and an adaptation of H. P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth for The Lovecraft Anthology, Vol. 1, among other projects. They live in Liverpool.Dan Lockwood is the editor of The Lovecraft Anthology, Vols. 1 & 2. He lives in Wiltshire, England.

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