The Ghost Stories of Henry James

By: Henry James

Narrated by: Antonia Beamish, Mark Zeisler, Anne Undelund, Jonathan Epstein, Alison Larkin, James Warwick, Corinna May, Jim Frangione

Before H.P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson, Stephen King and Anne Rice, Henry James wrote hair-raising stories that made horror a popular, sometimes controversial, widely-read literary form, and set the bar for all who followed. Stephen King considers James’ The Turn of The Screw one of the best horror novels ever penned. This book includes: The Turn of the Screw, The Way It Came, The Ghostly Rental, The Third Person, The Jolly Corner, Owen Wingrave, Sir Edmond Orme, The Romance of Certain Old Clothes, and The Real Right Thing.

Public Domain (P)2021 Jason Brown

Henry James comes to life

These stories are so rich with language and plot every single one is a delight. James is known for his lengthy sentences; nevertheless, I found the stories an easy listen. This can only be due to the skill of the narrators and I feel they should each be noted.

Jonathan Epstein deserves a medal for The Jolly Corner, very Jamesian, with an unexpected and fitting ending. It’s a complicated and fascinating story and Epstein handles the material admirably.

Alison Larkin provides fine acting; a dash of comedy, emotion and chill in The Third Person. Larkin’s reading is spot on.

Anne Undeland reads with a voice perfect for James. It's a shame the Master isn't able to hear her read The Romance of Certain Old Clothes. What a title. A story of legacy and neglect of same, and the somewhat horrific aftermath which ensues.

I was so happy to hear the narrator of At The Existentialist Cafe on this audio! Antonia Beamish’s rich and thoughtful reading of the following two stories is a treasure. I do believe The Turn of the Screw she narrates is one of the best audio editions out there. This audio version presents this masterpiece in a whole new and very interesting light. She also narrates The Way It Came: the story concerns a very odd not so romantic threesome.

The delightful James Warwick (I’ve been an admirer since the Agatha Christie series Tommy and Tuppence) creates a battlefield amongst a traditional military family; a fascinating stately home in England, complete with glowering ancestors leering from the portraits lining the halls. Owen Wingrave, the title character of the story is a most appealing character; the house is spooky for sure, but nevertheless I loved being in it.

Corinna May’s voice is pure pleasure. The Real Right Thing is a story about stirring up old bones and a biographical undertaking.

Jim Frangione, one of my favorite narrators, in The Ghostly Rental tells of a student curious and obsessed with the possibly haunted house he has rented. The ending of this one is most interesting. Frangione reads it to perfection.

Mark Zeisler’s reading of Sir Edmond Orme is chilling to the bone and yet oddly enjoyable. His portrayals of the various characters involved with a silent ghost with a doomed romantic past is captivating and realistic.

All in all, a wonderful way to spend time with Henry James.

Terrific

These stories are great listening. I thought I knew Henry James from reading him but the way all these actors dramatize emotional and psychological nuances begins to build a basis for ghostly sensations right from the start of each story. So much pleasure in the fluency and flair of the human voice in action! Bravo to all of the actors. Once I started I just kept going, story after story, one narrator after another. I was mostly in the car but when the story didn't end on the road I took it indoors and kept it playing off the phone.

Elegant Henry James

Such a pleasure to hear these atmospheric stories read beautifully by Beamish, Zeisler, Epstein, Larkin, Warwick, etc. More Henry James stories, please.

Didn't Like

Very slow start, hard to follow, not recommended, boring, doesn't make any sense to me