Epeolatry Book Review: The Damnations – M.R. James Short Stories, A Special Ramsey Campbell Edition

The nights have most definitely drawn in and it’s approaching that time of year associated with the telling of ghost stories, a tradition strong in the UK as evidenced by the BBC’s airing of ‘A Ghost Story for Christmas’ on TV. The latter has featured a number of tales by writer and scholar M.R. James (1864-1936), some of which are in this particular collection. This continuing support for James’ work, as well as its regular appearance in many other anthologies, means that most readers – at least those who are fans of the classic ghost story – will be familiar with his tales. So why read this new collection and why now?

Because, as Ramsey Campbell says in his introduction to the book, ‘James wrote tales to read aloud at Christmas,’ it is also a collection which brings James back to the attention of the modern reader. It doesn’t matter that these tales have been told before; it doesn’t matter that some of us might have read them before. There is just something about curling up, getting cosy, and reading a book which gives you the chills on a winter’s night that is extremely enjoyable.

Out of nineteen stories, I was already familiar with six: ‘Canon Alberic’s Scrap Book’, ‘Count Magnus’, ‘The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral’, ‘The Tractate Middoth’, ‘A View from a Hill’, and ‘A Warning to the Curious’. But still I jumped at the chance to renew my acquaintance with James and expand it further.

This particular edition, selected by the legend who is Ramsey Campbell (who also includes a story of his own at the end), has been chosen with care and with an obvious love for James and his work. Its title, The Damnations, accurately reflects the nature of its contents. There are tales of the demonic but not quite seen, events just beyond your grasp, and the creeping dread as a puzzle unfolds. The first starts at the midnight hour. ‘After Dark in the Playing Fields’ is short, an aperitif to the menu which follows. It sets the mood of fear and dread, of awareness that there is more beyond our own visible world. It reminds us that we are lucky not to have experienced such. Safe and warm in your own home, you turn the page, hungry for more. 

It is hard to choose a favourite as I know this will change according to my mood. 

On finishing the book in this instance, it was ‘The Haunted Dolls’ House,’ with past horror being acted out in miniature – I do have a weakness for miniature worlds and find them fascinating so picturing this as I read it really drew me in. ‘Lost Hearts’ also remained with me because of the harm that befell the child victims simply because their absence would not be noticed, something which is so very sad.

These stories are not fast paced, they are subtle, and by virtue of the time of writing, are old-fashioned in tone but they do not lose anything by this. Instead, they serve to highlight James’s story-telling skills, reminding us that hints and nuance can drive a story along as well as, and I would say better than, the modern tendency to demand jump scares and action. 

A bonus to this collection is a story by Ramsey Campbell himself. ‘Someone to Blame’ is very much set in the modern day but it absolutely reflects the tone and style of M.R. James. The accidental triggering of events by the boy, Frankie. Strange happenings and the feeling of being watched. The tragic finale. Much as ‘After Dark in the Playing Fields’ was an excellent starter course, ‘Someone to Blame’ makes a terrific dessert.

This is a collection that I know I will dip in and out of on a regular basis, especially on a cold winter’s night. Definitely one for those who enjoy ghost stories and tales of the uncanny.

/5

Available from Bookshop, Amazon and Flame Tree Press.