M.R James

[Toby Frost]

I think there are two great moments in "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book": the description of the picture in the book, and the actual appearance of the creature. It makes me wonder if a great ghost story needs both a menacing but slightly vague description (often the back-story of how a place became haunted) and a horrific appearance later on. If I remember rightly, both "Count Magnus" and "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" ("Keep that which is entrusted to thee") have something similar.

James' ghosts are interesting, in that they're often really monsters, and rather Lovecraftian. These days, I find that the lack of a mythos makes the monsters in James' stories feel all the stronger. James also has some very good turns of phrase for describing his creatures: the giant spider in "The Ash Tree" is really as disgusting as the facehugger from Alien (it makes a sound like a kitten when it jumps off a man's bed, which I find weirdly gross), and the demon from "Canon Alberic's Scrap-book" has intelligence more than a beast, but less than a man, which has always stayed with me.

 

[paranoid marvin]

I think there are two great moments in "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book": the description of the picture in the book, and the actual appearance of the creature. It makes me wonder if a great ghost story needs both a menacing but slightly vague description (often the back-story of how a place became haunted) and a horrific appearance later on. If I remember rightly, both "Count Magnus" and "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" ("Keep that which is entrusted to thee") have something similar.

James' ghosts are interesting, in that they're often really monsters, and rather Lovecraftian. These days, I find that the lack of a mythos makes the monsters in James' stories feel all the stronger. James also has some very good turns of phrase for describing his creatures: the giant spider in "The Ash Tree" is really as disgusting as the facehugger from Alien (it makes a sound like a kitten when it jumps off a man's bed, which I find weirdly gross), and the demon from "Canon Alberic's Scrap-book" has intelligence more than a beast, but less than a man, which has always stayed with me.

And after the description of the illustration, we are informed that everyone concluded that the picture was drawn 'from the life'; suddenly a mythical beast becomes much more real! Hair often plays a part in the description of the spirits; it's quite a common theme in hsi stories I think my favourite comes from 'Casting the Runes': 'a mouth, with teeth, and with hair about it'.

I think what I find interesting about M R James' ghost stories that it isn't usually bad or evil people who get their commeuppance; just ordinary scholars who are a little too inquisitive. And the ghosts/sprits are utterly unforgiving and merciless. The person may repent or try to makes amends, but none of that makes any difference.

 

[BigBadBob141]

Lots of his stuff on You Tube, including a lot of the BBC Christmas Specials films, audio readings of his stories plus a 1950s radio version of "Oh Whistle And I'll Come To You, My Lad" starring Michael Horden, in this version the ghost speaks, a very good, chilling effect by the superlative Radiophonic Workshop!

 

[Phyrebrat]

I think there are two great moments in "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book": the description of the picture in the book, and the actual appearance of the creature. It makes me wonder if a great ghost story needs both a menacing but slightly vague description (often the back-story of how a place became haunted) and a horrific appearance later on. If I remember rightly, both "Count Magnus" and "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" ("Keep that which is entrusted to thee") have something similar.

Agreed, 100%. You're given a sense of place (and time) so clearly in terms of mythology or the folklore of the 'thing'. When it comes to the Jamesian wallop (as the Podcast to the Curious has named it) its vagueness works phenomenally well.

ames' ghosts are interesting, in that they're often really monsters, and rather Lovecraftian

Yes, as PM says above there is a preponderance of hair in his entities. Mr Poynter's Diary and An Episode of Cathedral History both have hairy antagonists as well as those mentioned above. The hairy spider-creatures in The Ash Tree, are truly awful, and I find them a remarkably modern kind of invention. He does also refer to black fluid more than once or twice I think. I enjoyed an academic reading recently that slightly disappointed me at the end when they said they suspect An Episode of Cathedral History was James' version of a vampire story (Yaaaawn), as a counter to the sensual antics of Stoker's creation.

I wonder what a psychologist would say about James' fetishisation of hair and fur. I wonder, as such a devout christian and antiquarian, he was just riffing off the illuminated scripts of the Middle Ages. A lot of those demons have hair or are a conflation of humanoid and beasts.

Oh, Whistle..., though, is my hands-down favourite. Especially fond of the Omnibus version from 1960s.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Agreed, 100%. You're given a sense of place (and time) so clearly in terms of mythology or the folklore of the 'thing'. When it comes to the Jamesian wallop (as the Podcast to the Curious has named it) its vagueness works phenomenally well.



Yes, as PM says above there is a preponderance of hair in his entities. Mr Poynter's Diary and An Episode of Cathedral History both have hairy antagonists as well as those mentioned above. The hairy spider-creatures in The Ash Tree, are truly awful, and I find them a remarkably modern kind of invention. He does also refer to black fluid more than once or twice I think. I enjoyed an academic reading recently that slightly disappointed me at the end when they said they suspect An Episode of Cathedral History was James' version of a vampire story (Yaaaawn), as a counter to the sensual antics of Stoker's creation.

I wonder what a psychologist would say about James' fetishisation of hair and fur. I wonder, as such a devout christian and antiquarian, he was just riffing off the illuminated scripts of the Middle Ages. A lot of those demons have hair or are a conflation of humanoid and beasts.

Oh, Whistle..., though, is my hands-down favourite. Especially fond of the Omnibus version from 1960s.

With his occupation as an antiquarian, James definitely had a lot of material to work from. I think what made his work so memorable and chilling is that he presented as fact, in much the same way as he might have with a scholarly work. For example he wrote 'St George's Chapel, Windsor: the woodwork of the choir'; eerily familiar to one of his ghost stories.

As for a tale of vampires, I think that Count Magnus is much closer to a vampire story than An Episode of Cathedral History, and is one of (for me) less interesting stories.

 

[Phyrebrat]

As for a tale of vampires, I think that Count Magnus is much closer to a vampire story than An Episode of Cathedral History, and is one of (for me) less interesting stories.

Yup. In my head-canon, none of MR James’ creations are vampires. I just can’t imagine him being that pedestrian.

 

[Toby Frost]

James doesn't seem to deal in very traditional monsters - I suppose most are ghosts and there are a few demons, but they don't fit the stereotype.

It just occurs to me that two of the most frightening things I've ever seen on film are the appearance of the ghost in the dream, in the old BBC adaptation of "Oh Whistle and I'll Come To You, My Lad", and the mobile phone footage in the Australian film Lake Mungo. Both involve a vague image moving towards the camera in sinister circumstances, accompanied with a low, pulsing noise. I find that both make me think "What the hell is that thing?", which makes me want to lean closer to see. At the same time, I know from the context that something extremely bad is manifesting itself, and that this cannot end well. I suspect that combination of curiosity and repulsion is very powerful.

 

[BAYLOR]

James doesn't seem to deal in very traditional monsters - I suppose most are ghosts and there are a few demons, but they don't fit the stereotype.

It just occurs to me that two of the most frightening things I've ever seen on film are the appearance of the ghost in the dream, in the old BBC adaptation of "Oh Whistle and I'll Come To You, My Lad", and the mobile phone footage in the Australian film Lake Mungo. Both involve a vague image moving towards the camera in sinister circumstances, accompanied with a low, pulsing noise. I find that both make me think "What the hell is that thing?", which makes me want to lean closer to see. At the same time, I know from the context that something extremely bad is manifesting itself, and that this cannot end well. I suspect that combination of curiosity and repulsion is very powerful.

James leaves the monster to the readers imagination . That's one of the reasons his stories work as well as they do.

 

[paranoid marvin]

James leaves the monster to the readers imagination . That's one of the reasons his stories work as well as they do.

There's also often the suggestion that it's the protagonist's imagination, or merely coincidence, rather than a supernatural explanation.

Which is as it should be for stories written in the 'real world'. As any of us that have had (potentially) supernatural encounters know, there isn't any definitive answer or explanation. It is what it is, and it is up to the individual to conclude what really happened and why.