Classic Ghost Stories

This anthology of 11 mostly gothic, mostly British horror stories features works from such usual suspects as Le Fanu, Stoker, Dickens, Saki, and Poe. Every culture and many leading authors have mined the rich ore of this genre; the amazing variety of styles, moods, and themes is well represented here. Richard Pasco, veteran of the Old Vic, Royal Shakespeare, and National Theatre Companies, makes full use of his classical training and love of rousing tales to invigorate and "spookify" the selections. Apparently his readings are collected from various old and new sources, for the sound quality varies widely from one to the other. But there's nothing deficient in the quality of Pasco's narrations. They are uniformly outstanding. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine


The sensitivity and sentiment of bygone days are evoked with satisfying results. Michael Williams's richly textured British voice perfectly reflects prose crafted by Dickens, Bierce, Stoker, and others. Relive the harrowing and hushed tale of Bierce's "Moonlit Road," the blackly humorous "Judge's House" by Stoker, and the fear and sorrow in "The Mystery of the Semi-Detached" by E. Nesbit. The writing is as engrossing as Williams's close-to-the-mike, sometimes gruff, occasionally strained, sometimes gentle voice. D.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine


These ghost stories are the kind that really haunt you. The images, the beings and the voices stay with the listener after you finally turn it off. Each story features an other-worldly character or spirit. The audio adaptation is carefully and expertly done. The four selections are classics and reflect a nice period quality but their effectiveness is very con-temporary. The full cast reading with sound effects will delight older children and adults. The sound is carefully selected and fits very well with each story. These selections can be seasonal, but are also perennial and will be a wonderful addition to story collections. R.F.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine