A selection of six classic tales by the early 20th century master of the ghost story, M. R. James. The stories are already available on the channel as individual uploads if you prefer to listen that way, although I've taken the opportunity while producing this anthology to remaster and reedit some of the older recordings.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:32 Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad (1903)
00:55:07 The Treasure of Abbot Thomas (1904)
01:45:58 The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral (1910)
02:31:59 Mr. Humphreys and His Inheritance (1911)
03:42:37 A View from a Hill (1925)
04:33:20 A Warning to the Curious (1925)
(Story teasers and more details below)

Narrated/performed by Simon Stanhope, aka Bitesized Audio. If you enjoy this content and would like to help me keep creating, there are a few ways you can support me:

* Occasional/oneoff support via Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bitesize...
* Monthly support on Patreon:   / bitesizedaudio  
* Visit my Bandcamp page to hear more of my performances of classic stories, and you can purchase and download high quality audio files to listen offline: https://bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com/
* Become a Bitesized Audio Classics member on YouTube, from $1 per month:
   / bitesizedaudioclassics  

About the author: Montague Rhodes James (1862–1936) was a medievalist and scholar, and is probably the best known and most celebrated English ghost story writer of the 20th century, although he actually began composing supernatural tales in the late Victorian era, beginning with 'Canon Alberic's ScrapBook' (1893). He was born in Kent, but spent most of his childhood in Suffolk, a county which features prominently in many of his stories, including 'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'. Several of James's protagonists also reflect his own antiquarian interests, with academics and historians featuring regularly. James published four volumes of ghost stories in his lifetime: 'Ghost Stories of an Antiquary' (1904), 'More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary' (1911), 'A Thin Ghost and Others' (1919) and 'A Warning to the Curious and Other Stories' (1925).

During a long academic career which encompassed several positions at King's College, Cambridge, and Eton College, M. R. James developed a tradition of reading his ghost stories aloud to a group of friends, most famously on Christmas eve, and the majority of his published stories were first heard in that setting.

Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad | 1903 | 00:01:32

Professor Parkins is not superstitious. So when he digs up an old whistle while investigating the site of some ancient ruins, he is not afraid to blow it. He would have been wiser to take heed of the cryptic inscriptions...

The Treasure of Abbot Thomas | 1904 | 00:55:07

For centuries, clergy and scholars have puzzled over the whereabouts of the treasure hidden by Abbot Thomas of Steinfeld, until antiquarian Mr. Somerton discovers some stained glass which appears to hold the key to the mystery. He hastens to Germany to follow the clues amid the Abbey ruins... but has the Abbot set a trap for the unwary treasure seeker?

The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral | 1910 | 01:45:58

When Dr. Haynes is appointed Archdeacon of Barchester, his zeal and enthusiasm is in marked contrast with his elderly predecessor. But he has something on his conscience, and the grotesque carved figures in the choir stalls appear to seek retribution for his sins...

Mr. Humphreys and His Inheritance | 1911 | 02:31:59

Mr. Humphreys unexpectedly inherits a country house and estate from an uncle he never met. On his arrival to take up residence he is charmed by the gardens – and intrigued by the overgrown maze, which has been locked up, with entry forbidden on the orders of his uncle, for more than 40 years...

Note: this story contains a number of Latin tags and phrases, which James does not translate. I have made a glossary of them here:

Dolebat se dolere non posse: Sorry that he could not feel sorry
Penetrans ad interiora mortis: Penetrating to the interior of death
Princeps tenebrarum: The Prince of Darkness
Quid multa?: Need I say more?
Secretum meum mihi et filiis domus meae: My secret for me and the sons of my house
Umbra mortis: The shadow of death
Vallis filiorum Hinnom: Valley of the Sons of Hinnom at Gehenna

A View from a Hill | 1925 | 03:42:37

When Mr Fanshawe visits his new friend, Squire Richards, he is entranced by the spectacular scenery and determines to explore the countryside. But the binoculars he borrows prove less than ideal for his purpose...

A Warning to the Curious | 1925 | 04:33:20

A visitor to Seaburgh is fascinated by the local legend of an AngloSaxon crown buried nearby, guarding against invaders. He follows the clues to see where they lead, but soon finds himself wishing he'd left well alone...

Recordings © Bitesized Audio 2020–22.