Category: Parapsychological Suspense

Book Review | “The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton” an anthology collection of ghost stories writ with a Victorian era curiosity on specters and parapsychological stories #OTBHorrorOctober

Posted Tuesday, 28 October, 2014 by jorielov , , 2 Comments

Horror October 2014

Parajunkee Designs

The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton

Borrowed Book By: 

After I compiled my reading list for Horror October (of which I blogged about on my post about being a Cosy Horror Girl), I knew that I wanted to borrow this particular collection from my local library. The best resource I have always enjoyed in my life are local libraries, as they have a beautiful outreach for materials outside their collection through the ILL services they provide with other libraries. (I shorten “inter-library loan” to ILL) In my particular case, my local library is part of a consortium of libraries from a portion of the libraries within my state. This means that I can draw books out of collections from larger cities as well as from University libraries. I borrowed “The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton” and elected to blog my ruminations without any obligation to do so. The hardback edition arrived to me via a Community College library within the consortium via ILL.

Encouraged to Read By:

This was one of the novels that was compiled on the List I asked (Mr.) Gregory Fisher @ Riffle Horror to curate for me as a way for me to seek out the cosier side of the Horror genre. I have always had a pure fascination for ghost stories, as there is always such a curious route the individual writer can take as they yield to the supernatural and the presence of each ghost they bring to life on the written page. I personally have a preference for spunky & cheeky ghosts as much as spirits of the recently deceased who are in seek of help from living persons who can either aide them towards finding peace, redemption, and/or justice as a way to transition forward in peace. (I spoke more about this on my review of Lost in Thought)

I have been wanting to read more Classics since 2014 began, as I had all these wicked happy ideas of where I could soak inside the works of the writers’ who not only championed the cause for well-written fiction but who were dedicated to the craft of writing in such a way as to illicit immediate respect and admiration. When I was finally able to join tCC (the Classics Club : my List), I thought for sure each month I’d be reading at least two classic novels! Clearly my year did not pan out as I had forethought it would but that doesn’t discount the fact I knew during Horror October I could finally introduce myself to the writing style of Edith Wharton! As Wharton is already listed on my Classics TBR List due to my interactions with an after canon author during a 2013 blog tour!

The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton
by Edith Wharton
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Laszlo Kubinyi
Source: Borrowed from local library

The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton are a collection of Gothic Literature Shorts set around the parapsychological phenomenon of hauntings by way of ghosts & spirits who are attached to either physical properties, (i.e. houses) or living persons of whom the ghostly spirit has found an attachment. Each of the short stories transcends what is popularly disbelieved and unwilling to become accepted as bonefide fact that there are experiences past our vision of acceptance where the supernatural lies just outside the stretch of the living soul's observational mirror.

The setting of choice for Wharton to place these stories was inside three distinctly different locales: England, Normandy, & America. Her preference was for the inclusion of a family estate to be the central focus of where her characters not only interacted with the ghosts but where the action of the story itself takes place.

Illustrative plates are included per short story to help the reader fuse directly into the heart of where Wharton hoped to take her readers with the vision of the supernatural she wished to convey.

The following short stories are included in this collection:

  • The Lady's Maid Bell
  • The Eyes
  • Afterward
  • Kerfol
  • The Triumph of the Night
  • Miss Mary Pash
  • Bewitched
  • Mr. Jones
  • Pomegrante Seed
  • The Looking Glass
  • All Souls'

Other Works by Wharton listed inside the collection are:

  • The Moose Marathon
  • The Mudslipper (Children's Lit)
  • Mistress & Other Creative Takeoffs (Short Stories)
    with Desmond Sim & Kwan Loh

This summary of a synopsis was written & composed by Jorie @ Jorie Loves A Story.

Genres: Anthology Collection of Short Stories and/or Essays, Ghost Story, Gothic Literature, Historical Fiction, Suspense



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Published by Charles Scribner's Sons

on 1973

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 276

Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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Posted Tuesday, 28 October, 2014 by jorielov in #HorrorOctober, 19th Century, Anthology Collection of Stories, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Bookish Discussions, British Literature, Classic Mystery, Classical Literature, Clever Turns of Phrase, Cliffhanger Ending, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, England, Ghost Story, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Gothic Literature, Gothic Mystery, Haunting & Ethereal, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Library Find, Literary Fiction, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Mental Health, Motion Picture Adaptation, Parapsychological Suspense, Philosophical Intuitiveness, Reading Challenges, Short Stories or Essays, Speculative Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, tCC The Classics Club, the Victorian era, Writing Style & Voice

List | Psychological Suspense and/or Cosy Horror films selected to watch during Horror October {#OTBHorrorOctober}

Posted Monday, 20 October, 2014 by jorielov 0 Comments

Horror October 2014
Psychological Suspense and/or Cosy Horror films selected to watch during Horror October:

This is a selective list of what I may or may not watch & thus will be edited:

The Canterville Ghost (?) starring Patrick Stewart & Neve Campbell

The Woman in Black (?) starring Daniel Radcliffe

Dracula (?)

Ghost Town (2008) starring Grey Kinnear & Tea Leoni

The Ghost & Mrs. Muir

I am not quite certain how many of the films running during the fortnight on Turner Classic I will have the opportunity to watch, but the first one that aired on Tuesday was a Topper film, and as I grew up learning about the Topper tv series by way of my parent’s fond recollections, I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to jump straight into one of the film versions of the story itself. I considered it, but ultimately I decided to wait until I can watch the tv series and then gather the films in succession from that moment forward. The rest of the films are all of the selections TCM is airing between now and Halloween — therefore, if this list aides any participants in knowing which film is airing at which time of day and when, I am thankful I decided to post it! :)

Likewise, I am going to be tuning in and coming back to this post to journal my thoughts underneath each selection I am able to view! I want to keep a running total of the films I am watching throughout the fortnight and therefore, I started by mentioning the one I had seen before I even had the chance to get my posts onto my blog! I must admit, I never thought I’d come to love a ‘campy’ film, but the one I saw this week took me by surprise and gave me a good hour of a laugh! And, in the end, isn’t that just as important as becoming terrified!?

Schedule on Turner Classic Movies:

Thursday, 16th October:

The Ghost Breakers (1940) @ 8p

I positively loved this film! And, it had Bob Hope in the leading role alongside my very first “Zombie”!! I am not a Zombie girl at all when it comes to films or novels, but in this one particular case, I did not even know there was a Zombie in the film until I was already seated and enjoying the music, the old rambling house, and the mystery of how they projected the ghost rising and lowering himself into the ‘makeshift’ casket in the hallway! I loved the texture of the house itself, as much as the haunting ethereal elements of the setting! The fact that the house was as haunted as the cast feared themselves to being made it especially special! I would adore to see this film from the beginning rather than accidentally discovering it was on air towards the end! Hence my favourite part is when Bob Hope’s wife in the film came down the staircase in an elegant black dress and frightened the Zombie!

The Old Dark House (1963) @  9:30p

This is the ‘campy’ film I saw that simply had me smiling into smirks left, right, and otherwise! I never truly understood the idea behind a ‘campy film’, but cheekily this had all the benefit of “Clue” without the sync of plot! I loved Peter Bull the most; he played twins Jasper & Casper, and for me he completely stole the role of the hour! The most incredible part of this film is how the whole presence is how one family has to stay within the walls of a house in order to inherit the inheritance! I had memories of seeing “So, I Married an Axe Murderer” coming back to mind for the comic moments as much as pieces of “Clue” interweaving throughout the plot! The whole idea is absolutely rubbish, and I think it would have lost the ‘campy’ feel if they had made the Femm family GHOSTS! Now that would have been a more uniquely driven plot! Still,… it was an hour or so I can honestly say I thought of nothing but the absurd notion that there was someone killing off the family one person at a time!

Wednesday, 22nd October:

Topper Takes a Trip (1939) @ 4:45p *decided to ILL from my library

Thursday, 23rd October:

The Uninvited (1944) @ 10p

I loved this film!

The Woman in White (1948) @ midnight

Night of Dark Shadows (1971) @ 2a

Saturday, 25th October:

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982) @ 2p

The Haunting (1963) @ 8p

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) @ 11:30p

Sunday, 26th October:

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1941) @ 8p

Gaslight (1944) @ 4:15a

Tuesday, 28th October:

House of Dark Shadows (1970) @ 1p

Horror of Dracula (1958) @ 3p

Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1965) @ 4:30p

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1969) @6:15p

Dead of Night (1945) @ 8p

Twice-Told Tales (1963) @ 10p

Thursday, 30th of October:

House on Haunted Hill (1958) @ 8p

The Legend of Hell House (1973) @ 9:30p

13 Ghosts (1960) @ 11:15p

The Haunting (1963) @ 1a

Reader Interactive Question:

Which films are you hoping to watch between now & Halloween!? Do you have seasonal favourites you like to curl up by the tv and watch annually!? Are there light-hearted comedies intermixed with psychological suspense!? Family or animated movies? Modern vs Classic!? Have you seen any of the films listed on this page that you would recommend that I NOT miss if I can ‘catch’ it on TCM? Do we share a film in common!? Share your thoughts!

{SOURCES: Horror October banner provided by Oh! The Books for participants to promote the event on their book blogs; used with permission. #OTBHorrorOctober badge for Jorie created by Jorie in Canva. Tweets embedded due to codes provided by Twitter.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Monday, 20 October, 2014 by jorielov in #HorrorOctober, Cemeteries & Graveyards, Cosy Horror, Cosy Horror Suspense, Ghost Story, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Good vs. Evil, Gothic Mystery, Haunting & Ethereal, Horror, Horror-Lite, Mummification Practices, Parapsychological Suspense, Psychological Suspense, Superstitions & Old World Beliefs