Great Classic Ghost Stories

A really nice mix of gothic and ghosts

Would you consider the audio edition of Great Classic Ghost Stories to be better than the print version?

I'm fairly certain that I enjoyed this more as an audiobook than I would have as a print experience.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Great Classic Ghost Stories?

This is hard to answer without ruining the suspense for other listeners. Sufficeth to say, I really enjoyed an elderly aunt drafting her nephew to escort her to a reputedly-haunted house.

What does John Lee and Bronson Pinchot bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They both imbue the tales with tremendous atmosphere. Even though the stories are in prose considered elevated by contemporary standards the narrators give a radio play sense of dynamism.

While on topic of narrators, it bears mentioning that the woman (Jennifer James-Something) also does a very fine job. Instead of "various narrators" the cover art for this volume should list the cast. I didn't know what great talent was on board until I started to listen.

Who was the most memorable character of Great Classic Ghost Stories and why?

Again, I don't want to produce spoilers. I will remember George and his dreams, though.

Any additional comments?

It's a bit misleading to title this a volume of ghost stories. There are ghosts but also gothic tales and a bit of fantasia, or modern fairy tale, as well. Had I known that I might have bought it sooner.

3 people found this helpful

Some stories are great others not so much.

The stories in this collection are all quite different in nature. As a consequence, some will appeal more than others depending on one's taste. Whilst I would have given 4-5 stars to the stories by Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe, some of the others I found quite boring and unengaging, hence an overall score of 3. The narrators all do a great job.

2 people found this helpful

mixed bag

3.5 There are some good stories here, 'Narrative of the Ghost of the Hand' and 'The Empty House' in particular. As in any collection the choices run the gamut and are of course subject to one's taste. The narration is top notch. The Damned Thing by Ambrose Bierce, 2.5 stars, with high marks for eeriness and atmosphere. The Empty House by Algernon Blackwood, 5 stars. The Consequences by Willa Cather, 2.5 stars. How It Happened by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 4 stars, short and sweet. A Ghost by Guy De Maupassant, 2 stars . The Shell of Sense by Olivia Howard Dunbar, 2 stars, a sweet and low key ghost story. Ligeia by Edgar Allen Poe, 2 stars. The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens, 3.5 stars, haunting. The Secret of the Growing Gold by Bram Stoker, 2.5 stars. The Fullness of Life by Edith Wharton, 4 stars, so good and so disappointing. An Old Woman's Tale by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1 star, I'd skip this one. Playing with Fire by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 4 stars, a fun story about a seance. Narrative of the Ghost of the Hand by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, 5 stars, creepy goodness. The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar by Edgar Allan Poe, 3 stars, creepy and weird. My Platonic Sweetheart by Mark Twain, 2 stars, written well but seemed pointless. The Bold Dragoon (or The Adventure of My Grandfather) by Washington Irving, 2 stars, cute.