[Rarebooks] FS: Nice 1905 M.R. James "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary"

[Joslin Hall Rare Books, ABAA]

James, M[ontague].R[hodes].  "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary"  London;
Edward Arnold: 1905. 2nd prtg.

The second printing of the author’s first book. This classic creepy
collection was published a few months after the first printing of 1904.
M.R. James was the prototypical English antiquarian- a scholar of
apocryphal Biblical literature and Medieval manuscripts, he served as
provost of both King’s College and Eton. In his spare time he turned his
antiquarianism to the creation of some of the creepiest, most
perfectly-realised ghost stories in the English language, and his work is
considered by many to mark the beginning of modern ghost stories.

James’ stories were distinctly understated- no wailing goblins here. His
main characters were usually antiquaries much like himself, often visiting
small churches, cathedrals or libraries where they stumbled onto books or
artifacts which it would have been better if they had left alone. One
famous story, included here, centers on a haunted mezzotint.

If the stories are understated, the singular vindictiveness of his ghosts
is not. James’ spirits, though not usually described in detail, remain
perfect examples of the supremely creepy and malignantly evil. Even a
hundred years after he wrote them, these stories will still send chills up
your spine and should definitely not be read after 10 p.m. in an old,
creaky house with shadowy corners...

Hardcover. 6”x8.5”, 270 pages, 4 b/w plates by James McBryde. Publisher’s
oatmeal-colored coarse cloth, black lettering with red rules; covers with
the tiniest wear at the tips, bookplate on the front pastedown with slight
offsetting shadow on the endsheet; a few tiny finger smudges on some page
edges, etc., but a very nice, tight, clean copy.  [09760]  $600.00

The covers-
<http://www.joslinhall.com/images09/th-09760-cover.jpg>

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