The pick of the litter (ary)

[cleolinda]

From an evening browsing litgothic.com:

"The Bell in the Fog." More Gertrude Atherton here; her work comes recommended.

"Lost Hearts," M.R. James. Another story in that Mostly Ghostly anthology/picture book that I need to read again in this version, because I know for a fact that "Rose Rose" was also in it but rather edited down.

"On Brighton Road," another story I really liked from that book.

"Rappaccini's Daughter,"  Nathaniel Hawthorne. I have a deep affection for this one from the movie version we watched in high school--was Vincent Price playing Rappaccini? I can't remember.

"A Symphony in Lavender," Mary E. Wilkins Freeman. Description: "A story of premonitory dreams; the tale's deliberately genteel surface is in marked contrast to its powerful sexual subtext."

"Let Loose," Mary Cholmondeley. Description: "A masterful example of the "descent into the crypt" tale; a personal favorite here at LitGothic."

"The Red Room," H.G. Wells. Description: "'The Red Room' is a powerfully psychological ghost story that actively deconstructs the traditional Gothic."

"An Eddy on the Floor," Bernard Capes. Description: "A truly disturbing psychological ghost story of twisted persecution and revenge — with its jailhouse setting and sadistic perversity, it may bring to mind The Silence of the Lambs. There's no cannibalism, but prepare to be haunted. An underappreciated gem."

Gina Montani, Ellen Price Wood (Mrs. Henry Wood). Description: "Wood's take on a classic Gothic tale: a long-ago Italian setting, a protagonist whose very name references the villain in that most famous of Gothic novels, Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho, a love triangle (well, actually a love quadrangle), jealousy, religious bigotry, deception, murder (by walling up someone alive, a la Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Cask of Amontillado'), a ghost and a family curse — it doesn't get much better than this."

"The Beckoning Fair One," Oliver Onions. Description: "Published in 1911, this work is regarded by some — Algernon Blackwood, H. P. Lovecraft, E. F. Bleiler — as one of the very best classical ghost stories in English."

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, James Hogg. Description: " '...a marvelous document of psychopathology,' according to E. F. Bleiler, who goes on to identify this novel as 'one of the great classics of supernatural fiction.' When Bleiler speaks, we all should listen; besides, there's no question this one's a stunner."



A seasonal favorite: the haunted eBay painting (the second link has an interview with the owner). Warning: it WILL give you the jibblies.

More from eBay, but just funny:

You are bidding on a mistake. We all make mistakes. We date the wrong people for too long. We chew gum with our mouths open. We say inappropriate things in front of grandma. And we buy leather pants.

Q: Are these pants worthy of cruising for transvestites while in my Maserati? I just got one and need an outfit that would go with my new car. 
A: I think leather pants would accent that mid-life crisis quite nicely. 

Q: you enjoy stereotyping people that wear leather dont ya, you think owning leather is gay, let me tell you something i am not gay, i am not famous, dont ride a bike, and unlike i aint a coward. i do own 2 pairs of them, to me they are more comfy than blue jeans ever will be, i where them anywhere i want including church, no ones ever said nothing about them 
A: More important: Do you need a pair of 34x34 leather pants? 
 
Q: [...]  By the way, the last person that claimed that you were stereotyping, did you for some reason envision Dueling Banjos playing in the background with a man sporting a greased back mullet and a makeshift spittoon, and, of course, comfy leather pants, or was that just me?  
A: Yes, the grammar and tone said 'Deliverance' but the leather pants in church said 'Wham UK'. So I'm confused. 

The writer lives at banterist.com, which I think you will also enjoy. Particularly if you're interested in new CSI series. Don't miss the profile/interview with The Guy Who Wrote the "Tiny House," The Best Commercial on TV (Which It Really, Really Is). I basically put my head down on my desk and snorfled when he got to the "three occasions you could name-drop that credential" question.
 
Hey! There are Dionaea House updates! Specifically, the LJ of one loreenmathers.


Completely unrelated to spooky booky links:

US judge sets December date to execute Nobel Peace Prize nominee. "Williams, who co-founded Los Angeles' deadly Crips gang, was convicted in 1981 for the murders of four people and has been incarcerated in a small cell on the death row of San Francisco's San Quentin prison since then. But since receiving his death sentence, Williams, 51, has renounced his gang past, penned children's books, been the subject of a television movie starring Jamie Foxx and been nominated for the world's top peace prize."

thornae: "I don't know whether this holds true for other capital cities, but here in Adelaide I found two copies of The Book in the CBD Dymocks bookstore today. I immediately bought one and gave it to my friend Nett as her early Christmas present. If the other one's still there when I go back, I may have to grab it as well... So, somehow Dymocks have beaten the November 1st deadline, despite them not having the book listed in any way, shape or form on their website. When I next get to my favourite bookshop, who have The Book on order from the UK for me, I shall heartily berate them for not being as clever as Dymocks."

From Esther: "A little message from Europe: You can order M15M at the site of Bol.com Holland."


Off to class I go!

Comments

[laurenly.livejournal.com]

Hello! I was wondering if it would be alright for me to send a copy of M15M Troy to my mythology professor... personal enjoyment only. Let me know! And I may break down and by your book on Amazon UK ;)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

As long as I'm credited, that's totally fine. I've spoken to a number of people who passed it on to professors. : )

[laurenly.livejournal.com]

thanks so much!