W. W. Jacobs (1863–1943)

W.W. Jacobs’s The Monkey’s Paw and Other Tales of Mystery and the Macabre includes eighteen of the author’s effective stories that feature a palpable dose of suspense, owing largely to their expert pacing. Jacobs’s stories, however, are largely devoid of any nuance, literary flourishes or memorably eloquent passages; rather these are simply solid, well-constructed, straightforward, workmanlike tales. There are quite a few tales of murder in which the fearful murderer, looking to cover his tracks and escape, inadvertently (or subconsciously!) sets in motion the events which lead to his downfall. And there are a number of stories in which characters initiate a ghostly hoax in order to scare or embarrass a rival. Standouts are the classic “The Monkey’s Paw,” “The Well,” “Jerry Bundler”, “ Three at Table”, “ In the Library” and “The Toll-House.”… (mehr)