The Oxford Book of Twentieth-century Ghost Stories by Michael Cox

The Oxford Book of Twentieth-century Ghost Stories by Michael Cox

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Summary

Even in the age of the motor car and the electric light, ghosts continue to flourish. These 33 stories demonstrate the ingenuity of modern writers in adopting a classic genre to the 20th century. Contributors include Scott Fitzgerald, A.S. Byatt, Angela Carter, E. Nesbit and Graham Greene.

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The Oxford Book of Twentieth-century Ghost Stories by Michael Cox

Ghosts are resilient creatures. They thrive in an atmosphere of candlelight and decay, in antique manors, graveyards and cloisters, and yet, as this anthology triumphantly demonstrates, they are equally at home under the harsh light of the electric bulb. The advent of the motor car and the invention of the telephone have merely tested their ingenuity, and exercised the talents of a host of writers. The fractures and schisms of 20th century are reflected in the current proliferation of literary genres, and in the variety that a single genre can embrace. Leading exponents of ghost fiction such as M.R. James and Algernon Blackwood are joined by authors such as Scott Fitzgerald, A.S. Byatt, William Trevor, and Alison Lurie; women, in particular, have embraced the form with skill and versatility. As well as the returning dead there are haunted typwriters, malevolent furniture, and urban ghosts, phantoms of smoke and soot. Occasionally with humour, but more often with obliquity and restraint, these stories both entrance and terrify. This collection shows how ghost stories have successfully utilized the landscapes, technologies and consciousness of contemporary life to adapt to the modern age with imagination and flair.
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780192142603
ISBN 10 0192142607
Title The Oxford Book of Twentieth-century Ghost Stories
Author Michael Cox
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Hardback
Publisher Oxford University Press
Year published 1996-11-01
Number of pages 444
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.