’31 Tales of Terror’ #18: A School Story

*Title: A School Story by M. R. James
Date Read: 25 October 2008
Available Online?: YES
Briefly: Two friends discuss ghost stories relating to their old schools, and one relates the tale of a teacher, Mr. Sampson who was receiving horrifying (to him) messages in Latin; first through one of the pupils in the class and then on a piece of submitted class-work from an unknown source.
Afterthoughts: This is the second short I’ve read by M.R. James for this challenge (the first being Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad), and I found it to be quite entertaining, and not a little creepy. One thing James does seem to have an affinity for though, is windows – you’ll see what I mean when you read both of the tales. :)
Notable Quote: “I have hardly thought of it since then!–that he had a charm on his watch-chain that attracted my attention one day, and he let me examine it. It was, I now suppose, a gold Byzantine coin; there was an effigy of some absurd emperor on one side; the other side had been worn practically smooth, and he had had cut on it–rather barbarously–his own initials, G.W.S., and a date, 24 July, 1865.”

Rating: ★★★★☆

*Story read as part of the 31 Tales of Terror reading challenge.

Related posts:

  1. ’31 Tales of Terror’ #10: Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad
  2. ’31 Tales of Terror’ #6: The Whisperers
  3. ’31 Tales of Terror’ #16: Earl Beardie’s Game At Cards
  4. ’31 Tales of Terror’ #13: The Curse of the Fires and of the Shadows
  5. ’31 Tales of Terror’ #12: Protection
About Rob

Rob, a self-confessed bibliophile, is without any hope of rehabilitation. He gets unnaturally excited over anything book-shaped, and if book sniffing were a crime then he would have been locked up years ago (which wouldn't bother him in the slightest provided his cell was lined with books)

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