I’ve been a fan of Christmas ghost stories ever since learning about them a few years ago. This is the third anthology of Christmas hauntings from the British Library Tales of the Weird that I’ve read. Like the previous volumes, while I didn’t care for a couple stories, I enjoyed the majority of them.
Sunless Solstice: Strange Christmas Tales for the Longest Nights edited by Lucy Evans and Tanya Kirk (British Library Publishing, 2021)
The Ghost at the Cross-Roads by Frederick Manley (4/5)
After a traveler seeks shelter from a snowstorm, he tells a tale of playing a card game with a mysterious black-clad stranger. A nice example of crossroads folklore.
The Blue Room by Lettice Galbraith (4/5)
The housekeeper of a stately home narrates a story of a room that is said to be haunted. Eventually a feisty university student investigates, and the housekeeper attempts to help her. A suspenseful story with two strong female characters.
On the Northern Ice by Ellia Wilkinson Peattie (5/5)
A man ice skating across a lake at night follows a mysterious figure. As short and simple as the story is, I loved the prose, the atmosphere, and where the story led.
The Black Cat by W. J. Wintle (3/5)
A man afraid of cats becomes haunted by the spectre of a cat. Straightforward.
Ganthony’s Wife by E. Temple Thurston (4/5)
A man tells an unsettling ghost story to a group of people sitting around a fire on Christmas. I really enjoyed the descriptions of snowbound London.
Mr. Huffam by Hugh Walpole (2.5/5)
A light-hearted story about the effect a mysterious stranger has on a household that has lost Christmas cheer. While I enjoyed the prose, I felt the story was slow moving and overly sentimental.
The Man Who Came Back by Margery Lawrence (4/5)
Things get creepy when a seance is held at a party. After a quick set up the tension is built up well leading to an exciting finale.
The Third Shadow by H. Russell Wakefield (3/5)
A mountain climber tells the story of a mysterious incident during a climb with a fellow climber who had lost his wife after an accident. Straightforward with some great atmosphere at the end.
The Apple Tree by Daphne Du Maurier (5/5)
A recent widower, who found his wife irritating, tries to enjoy his new freedom but keeps getting reminded of her by a tree in his yard. Is he being haunted or is he experiencing guilt? A chilling story with engaging prose. Outstanding from start to finish.
The Leaf-sweeper by Muriel Spark (2/2)
A man sent to an asylum for his obsession with abolishing Christmas meets his doppelgänger who is obsessed with Christmas. A little too surreal for me.
The Visiting Star by Robert Aickman (5/5)
A once famous actress with a secret visits a mining town to appear in a play. Atmospheric, haunting, original, and I loved the prose. This was my first Robert Aickman story and I'm still thinking about it.
A Fall of Snow by James Turner (5/5)
A man tells the story about something frightening he saw during a toboggan ride one Christmas in the countryside during his childhood. The story captures bittersweet memories of childhood well and makes snowfall something dark and mysterious.
This was a pretty good mix of stories. I’m looking forward to reading more from the British Library Tales of the Weird series.
