Masterpieces of Mystery in Four Volumes: Ghost Stories — A Reader’s Guide

The Foreword's Claims vs. the Stories' Evidence

French's foreword asserts that the ghost story 'is as old as human speech' and that 'the theme imposes absolutely no limit on the imagination.' He credits Mrs. Radcliffe and Sir Walter Scott with giving the genre 'a new being and even a certain dignity.' However, the excerpt from 'Number 13' by M.R. James does not feature a ghost in the conventional sense. Instead, it focuses on the phenomenon of automatic writing: Adrian Borlsover, a blind old man, writes nonsensical phrases like 'Beautiful Belinda Borlsover' while asleep. The narrative tension arises from his nephew Eustace's observation of this 'power' and his suspicion that 'the curtain which he was so careful to leave undrawn hid something more than a half-empty chamber.' This psychological ambiguity—where the supernatural may be a product of the mind—contrasts with French's claim of a 'naïve acceptance of the supernatural' as a primal human attribute.

Character and Setting in 'Number 13'

The excerpt from 'Number 13' introduces the Borlsover family with precise detail: Adrian, a blind old man, lives in a seaside town, drawn 'along the sunny sea front' in a bath-chair. His nephew Eustace visits annually, and their relationship is marked by 'reticence' and differing religious views—Adrian holds 'old-fashioned evangelical dogmas' while Eustace has 'been thinking of embracing Buddhism.' The setting is domestic and mundane, yet the automatic writing introduces an uncanny element. The hand writes 'rows of capital letters, short words, long words, complete sentences, copy-book tags,' suggesting a mechanical, almost obsessive repetition. Eustace's discovery that the handwriting improves over time implies a developing agency, but the text does not reveal whether this is a ghost, a psychological quirk, or something else. The story's power lies in this ambiguity, not in a clear supernatural event.

The Collection's Structure and Editorial Choices

The table of contents lists stories by authors such as Algernon Blackwood ('The Listener'), M.R. James ('Number 13'), and Katherine Rickford ('Joseph: A Story'). French's foreword acknowledges assistance from figures like Brander Matthews and Anna Katharine Green Rohlfs, a noted mystery writer. Despite the catalog subject 'Detective and mystery stories,' the excerpts contain no detective elements; the focus is entirely on the supernatural. The inclusion of Pliny's letter—described as 'the naïve narration of Pliny the Younger'—serves as a historical anchor, but the modern stories in the collection seem to treat ghosts with more sophistication. French's editorial note emphasizes 'the growth in art' over fifty years, yet the excerpted story relies on suggestion rather than spectacle, aligning with the early 20th-century trend toward psychological horror.

Readers approaching this anthology should expect a range of ghostly encounters, from the subtle to the overt. The excerpt from 'Number 13' demonstrates that French's definition of 'ghost story' includes tales of psychic phenomena and family secrets, not just apparitions. The foreword provides context for the genre's literary history, but the stories themselves often subvert expectations. To appreciate the collection, focus on how each author builds atmosphere and ambiguity rather than looking for clear supernatural resolutions.

I’ve shelved both many a quiet evening, and I find Masterpieces of Mystery holds its breath the way old friends do. That hush before a ghost speaks—it lingers, too, in Across the Years — A Reader’s Guide, where time itself feels like the softest, most patient whisper between pages. A kinship of stillness, really.