The

CLASSIC HORROR BLOG

Literary Essays on Gothic Horror, Ghost Stories, & Weird Fiction

— from Mary Shelley to M. R. James —

by M. Grant Kellermeyer

W. W. Jacobs' The Toll-House: A Two-Minute Summary and Literary Analysis

Second to “The Monkey’s Paw” and the similarly-themed “Jerry Bundler,” “The Toll-House” is Jacobs’ most anthologized horror story, and...

W. W. Jacobs' The Brown Man's Servant: A Two-Minute Summary and Literary Analysis

“The Brown Man’s Servant” belongs to that same category of tales as J. S. Le Fanu’s “The Familiar,” M. R. James’ “Casting the Runes,” and...

W. W. Jacobs' The Well: A Two-Minute Summary and Analysis of the Classic Ghost Story

Although “The Monkey’s Paw” is without a doubt Jacobs’ most popular tale the following story is my absolute favorite of his. It also had...

W. W. Jacobs' Jerry Bundler: A Two-Minute Summary and Literary Analysis

“Jerry Bundler” is, in all likelihood, Jacobs’ second most famous spook tale other than “The Monkey’s Paw,” which – once you arrive at...

W. W. Jacobs' The Monkey's Paw: A Two-Minute Summary and Literary Analysis

“Be careful what you wish for…” The truism has been this tale’s defacto subtitle since it charged into popular culture, becoming one of...

W. W. Jacobs' Bitter, Tragically Ironic Horror Stories

William Wymark Jacobs (1863 – 1943) is an example of a very rare literary phenomenon: he is an unquestioned master of horror fiction, and...

31 Classic Horror Stories Every Fan Should Read in October: A Literary Advent Calender for Halloween

Why should Christmas have all the fun? Oldstyle Tales proudly presents a literary advent calendar for your favorite season. Each day has...

7 Great Edwardian Ghost Story Writers

While the weird tale and horror fiction existed in Britain long before the Edwardian Era (fl. 1895 - 1919), this period was certainly the...