The Ash-Tree (Fantasy and Horror Classics)

M. R. James

Jan 2016 · Read Books Ltd

Ebook

Pages

Tools

Eligible

Switch to the audiobook

About this ebook

Below a particular ancient ash-tree centuries ago, a woman was executed for witchcraft. The tree now stands outside a room where the present owner of the estate finds himself in increasing peril.

A vengeful infestation of a terrifying, unnatural kind begins to breed and manifest in the branches outside, acting as a macabre, living extension of the curse. The horrifying presence serves as a visceral reminder that some acts of injustice are never truly over.

From the mind of M. R. James, the acknowledged master who redefined the ghost story for the 20th century and founded the 'antiquarian ghost story' genre, comes a chilling tale where the sins of the past take root in the present.

This story is a quintessential example of James' genius for combining creeping dread with unsettling, visceral horror. It is essential reading for fans of classic ghost stories and supernatural fiction, proving that some curses are carried by the very land itself.

Below a particular ancient ash-tree centuries ago, a woman was executed for witchcraft. The tree now stands outside a room where the present owner of the estate finds himself in increasing peril. A vengeful infestation of a terrifying, unnatural kind begins to breed and manifest in the branches ...

Discover more

About the author

M. R. James was born in Goodnestone, Kent, England on August 1, 1862. He was an English mediaeval scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905-1918) and of Eton College (1918-1936). He is best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature. He began writing his ghost stories as an entertainment for his friends; he would read these stories each year at Christmas to his colleagues at King's College. The earliest of these tales include Canon Alberic's Scrap-book and Lost Hearts, both of which were later collected in his first anthology of supernatural fiction, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904). Perhaps his single greatest story is the profoundly disturbing Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad (1904). He died on June 12, 1936.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets

Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.

Laptops and computers

You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.

eReaders and other devices

To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.

Flag as inappropriate