The Mezzotint by M R James
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- This is a classic ghost story. M R James has a unique knack of putting weird items in his stories to create horrifying images that are almost surreal. And he does this against a background of Middle Class Edwardian England, set often in a university or School environment: places he knew well from his roles at Eton and Cambridge. The images in The Mezzotint are weird and disturbing. I hope you enjoy!
James is the master of creating subtle, intelligent horror. James's typical stories involve people just like him-academics and antiquarians and clergymen- basically and people at home with dusty books and old churches in remote corners of rural England with backward, backwoods people who don't like change or strangers meddling with things that don't concern them.
Of the generations of English ghost story writers, in my estimation we have J S Le Fanu, then M R James, then Robert Aickman and then Ramsey Campbell. There are other stars I haven't mentioned and Clive Barker must fit in there somewhere.
#mrjames #m.r.james #audiobook
The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast
Excellent reader.
I listen to this (my fave) story every time it comes out on RUclips & whoever narrates it. Tony, your reading is hands down the best. Beautiful & silky & rich.
In the 19th century the British were prolific ghost story writers. I love reading their stories or listening to podcasts with narrators such as this one whose clear and elegant British English, and perfect diction makes listening a great pleasure.
I just left a great story! A detective 🕵️ one. With the greatest narrator ever! Thanx Tony🥳
One of James's best (which says a lot!). Like you say, weird and disturbing in a mundane environment. James himself would re-use a version of this plot (the re-enactment of a crime via representation in miniature) in his later story The Haunted Dolls' House, but The Mezzotint is the superior tale.
The best reader reading the best story! My favorite author of ghost stories, Thank you!
OK down tools and kettle on.... This is one of my favourites. Absolutely brilliant!
I love M R James.. This is the first time I have listened to a podcast of one of his stories... Thank you it gave it that extra bit of creepy you don't quite get when you read it yourself
I think I have read just about most of his stories and love a good podcast based on any of them.
I love this story
I saw this on TV, didn't know it was MR James. Great tale, creepy! Thanks
One of my favorites from James
Glad you liked it M.
It has been ages since I’ve been chilled. So subtle, so insidious, so gossamer...
He’s a master
I listened to this one before done by Bitesizedaudio. It is such a strange story and keeps you curious about its progression. Both versions, this one and the one by Bitesize are so well read. Absolutely fantastic.
M.R. James is the best💀
Oh nice, this is going to be a good one. Thanks friend.
Quite a few similarities with his 'Haunted Dolls' House'. Both excellent.
This is my kind of story. Supernatural. Mysterious and a little macabre. No fresh bones (old bones are good), blood and gore
Just the kind of story for a cup of tea on a chilly, overcast day. Thank you Tony Walker!
M. R. James writes the most masterful and terrifying short stories, and yet I so rarely find people irl who are familiar with them.
A very good reading indeed! Thank you 😃🏴
This is one of my favorite James stories and you read it exceptionally. Cheers.
Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Also there is a short story episode in one of those horror TV series (Twilight Zone?). A nazi war criminal lives in obscurity but is tormented by his memories. He becomes increasingly obsessed with a museum painting. The subject is a solitary man peacefully fishing from his little boat. The surroundings are serene and idyllic. Our haunted criminal projects himself into the painting and it comes alive for him. He is the man in the boat. The river sparkles. The birds are singing in the trees. But soon there is another man who shared the nazi's former life, a Holocaust survivor. The survivor stalks his former tormentor. And we are shown another painting in the same exhibit hall. It is someone's dreadful nightmare and depicts a crucifixion. When the survivor alerts the authorities, the former nazi flees to the museum to evade capture. He kneels before his favorite painting and begs that he be absorbed into that scene. His wish is granted. But what he did not know and could not see in the night hours was that his painting had been switched. The curators had done some rearranging. When the day dawns we see him forever screaming from his cross.
That
Twilight Zone episode was fabulous. So very clever.
@@pchabanowich Night Gallery.
My fav too since I was first introduced to it by Robert Powell narration from _Classic Ghost Stories_
balcony scene
Quite reminiscent of 1 of the Night Gallery Pilot episodes, 'The Cemetery'. Our parents were out for an evening, the sitter let my older brother and myself watch it, I was 4. It scared the bejesus out of me! When our mom found out we'd watched it she was very unhappy. I'm sure my wanting to sleep with she and my dad had much to do with her displeasure. Lol the character Portifoy stuck with me all these 45 yrs later.
I have memories like this of episodes that stay with me
Would love to hear Tony do a story by Aleksey Tolstoy, maybe Count Cagliostro
I will try, but I have to be mindful of copyright strikes and also length of story
Thanks for pointing out your books on Amazon, Tony; just ordered London Horror Stories and Cumbrian Ghost Stories!
Awesome, thank you! Much appreciated.
The second time I listened to this story, I couldn't help but note how naturally the characters take it that the print seems to be alive. They find what's being portrayed as shocking, but not the fact that it's happening at all.
This is true, while we would be off to the doctor
Reminds me of a Rod Sterling, Twilight Zone, stoey of a painting that kept changing, with a man n the picture moving closer and closer to the house, which held the strange painting, with the house owner becoming more and more terrified, as the painting showed his nemesis approaching. Then there's a knock on the door...
Guess I'll be finishing a little earlier this Friday 🤔👍
Hope you like it
Can you pm me your address? I have a book I think you’d like. Inc letters from Monty
+Goochie Gum Girl email
me at classicghostpodcast@gmail.com