A Thin Ghost and Other Stories,

First edition, first impression. 8vo, 152pp. Original grey cloth, upper cover adorned with spiderweb design and lettering in light grey, the same light grey lettering to spine. London, Edward Arnold. 

M.R. James' third collection of ghost stories, which features five tales, including 'The Diary of Mr Poynter' (haunted curtains!) and 'The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance'.

'The Diary of Mr Poynter' involves a manuscript diary bought from a London book auction: a fabric design found therein has ghostly consequences.

Many of James' ghost stories were initially conceived to be read aloud as evening entertainments at Christmastime, but 'The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance' is one of his only tales to take place during the festive season. A rector (the uncle of the storyteller) goes missing and the quest to find him takes on supernatural, nightmare-esque proportions involving a "satanic" Punch and Judy show. The resolution is conclusive but half-baked; yet the figure of nightmare Punch at the close of of the dream-show lingers on ("Punch came and sat on the foot-board and fanned himself and looked at his shoes, which were bloody, and hung his head on one side, and sniggered ...")

Upper and lower portions of upper joint slightly rubbed, otherwise in very good condition.

Stock Code: 244021