Brian J. Showers

I’m a sucker for old school ghost stories and this doesn’t disappoint. None of these are pastiches and partake of the ghostly realm of Le Fanu without trying to imitate too closely.

If I were to have one criticism it is that too many of the stories, at least three from my count, take their inspiration from the same Le Fanu story (Aungier Street). Certainly there were more to choose from.

A nice read for when the electricity goes out.

Sorry, this wasn’t a very inspired review.… (mehr)

This is a very good anthology of supernatural stories by Irish women. They were mostly written from the mid-1800s to the early 20th century and have a range of styles and supernatural elements. The introduction was also helpful and could actually be read before reading the stories (many intros have spoilers to the point where in general I avoid them until I finish the book).

“The Dark Lady” by Anna Maria Hall, published in 1847, is a great example of a Gothic tale–it crammed piles of Gothic tropes into one story and had a few interesting differences. There’s the continental setting, the narrator rhapsodizing about nature, the young virtuous lovers kept apart by her tyrannical guardian, a castle and ruined chapel, storms reflecting the dramatic events, and of course a ghost. Here, the ghost is actually real and seems like a benevolent guardian instead of an evil presence.

“The Child’s Dream” has a sunny fairy-tale-like atmosphere despite the sadness. This one is by Lady Wilde, a poet and folklorist who hosted a well-known literary salon, although she is probably mostly remembered today for being the mother of Oscar Wilde.

“The Unquiet Dead” is different from all the other stories–it’s an excerpt from Lady Gregory’s work collecting first-person accounts of encounters with the uncanny. There are many short descriptions of ghostly meetings, and the piece has an authentic, if sometimes monotonous, feel. Most of the encounters are someone coming back from the dead or with unfinished business, but there are a couple creepily memorable ones.

Much like “The Dark Lady” is a classic Gothic story, “The Woman with the Hood”, by L.T. Meade, is a classic Victorian ghost story. There’s a haunted manor, a sickly girl and a skeptical outsider, the narrator, Dr. Bruce, who has just arrived in the country. Although the haunting is perhaps nothing new and the ending is expected, the story develops in a suspenseful and has a nicely creepy feel. There’s enough left unexplained to leave the reader wondering after finishing this one.

“The Wee Gray Woman” by Ethna Carbery and “The First Wife” by Katharine Tynan are both short and sad stories where the ghost is not malevolent but a reminder of the past. These ones also have nicely detailed settings–the lonely, rural countryside in the former and an isolated island in the latter.

I enjoyed most of the stories and would be interested in reading more by the authors, but there were two that didn’t work for me. There were obvious issues noted even in the introduction for “The Blanket Fiend” by Beatrice Grimshaw - racism and sexism. This one is more of an adventure story, as the narrator seeks out a river monster and encounters superstitious, violent natives. These issues are probably representative of the period covered by the book, but I also thought that the story lacked suspense and there was too much of the narrator’s irritating thoughts. In “Transmigration”, by Dora Sigerson Shorter, a dissolute man finds himself in the body of his generous and kindly neighbor. He wished for a clean slate but continues with his immoral ways after the switch. This one felt too abrupt and unbelievable, not due to the body switching but to the actions of the characters.

Rosa Mulholland’s “Not to be Taken at Bedtime” is also one with a heavy emphasis on the Irish elements. The story is structured as something of a folktale, describing Coll Dhu, a dour and isolated man living alone in the mountains, who has become something of a boogeyman to the locals. He has a grudge against the newly arrived lord of the manor, Colonel Blake, but soon becomes obsessed with the man’s daughter.

“The Red Woollen Necktie” (B.M. Croker) is a short shocker about a girl who has a violent prophetic dream.

“The De Grabrooke Monument” is by Charlotte Riddell (Mrs. J.H. Riddell, as she is sometimes known), the only author I had heard about before I saw this collection. It’s a solid story about a haunted cathedral and family secrets, which are revealed when the narrator, a young girl, finds herself trapped overnight in said cathedral. The story is also notable because this is the first reprinting since it was originally published in 1879.

The last one is “A Vanished Hand” by Clotilde Graves, about a man who has made his long-ago dead love a key part of his personality but finds that the memory doesn’t always live up to reality.

Recommended for anyone interested in this topic.… (mehr)

Brian J. Showers has produced a treasure trove of wondrous details about parts of Dublin that are linked to three nineteenth century Gothic writers: Charles Maturin, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and Bram Stoker. This volume gives the reader biographical information, historical anecdotes and some spine chilling facts about the three authors and the city in which they lived. One can also sample their fiction, as each author related part includes a piece of their work.

The bulk of the material is contained in three sections, one for each of the Gothic authors. Each starts with an introduction to the author’s life, then carries on with discussions on locations where the author lived, worked, studied, and, in the case of Le Fanu, where he rests in peace. (It appears the resting place of Charles Maturin is a much more moot point.) He also includes directions to the locations involved and there are local area maps interspersed with the text to help the reader find their way. Clear, well presented photographs of many of the key locations and landmarks are included and add to the character of the book.

To complete each section Brian has included a sample of the subject’s work for the reader’s delight, and fright. These stories are illustrated, in good character, with fitting illustrations prepared by Duane Spurlock.

The fourth section, “Dublin Directory”, contains lots of useful contact information for tourists to help them organise excursions and to ensure they can have access to the locations they wish to visit.

Don’t forget to read the “Endnotes” which contain some fascinating facts. I’m sure any Dubliner will find something there that they didn’t know about their own city.

Showers’ research has been extensive and thorough. He has presented a detailed bibliography of his research which is not only a testament to the time and effort he invested in this book, but is also a great starting point for anyone who wishes to study the subject matter further.

This book is not only a “must read” for visitors to Dublin and students of the Gothic or macabre, but also for any resident of the city who wishes to find out a little more about where they live, its dark past and its literary heritage.… (mehr)