L P Hartley - The Travelling Grave

[allthingshorror]

The Travelling Grave and other stories by L P Hartley (First pub by James Barrie 1951 - this edition Barker Dragon Books 1959.)



CONTENTS:

A Visitor from Down Under
Podolo
The Travelling Grave
Feet Foremost
A Change of Owndership
The Thought
Conrad and the Dragon
Night Fears
The Killing Bottle

The book states that the original editon features 3 stories that are not in this edition. Which is a shame, as reading this the last couple of days has made me realise that this is one of the best single author collections I've read for a long, long time. It's The Killing Bottle that does it for me. Finished that half an hour ago, and I immediately want to read it again.

What were the three stories that were missed out, does anyone know?

[dem]

He's one of the greats and no mistake. The original The Travelling Grave from Arkham House also includes The Island, he Cotillon and Three, or Four, for Dinner.

L.P. Hartley - Collected Macabre Stories

[lobolover]

I have the killing bottle from Intrnet Archive AT LEAST.Believe me, geting these books is quite expensive nowadays and by chance, as I said, the only brit I found sells em for a good price indeed doesnt send it to my country.Bummer.

[Knygathin]

I have been reading the first few pages of "The Travelling Grave" story. I find the writing style chatty, and not essential, profound, or memorable. It is emotionally oversensitive and fickle in the characteristic coquettish manner of the male homosexual community.

Still, he has such high critical esteem. And his reputation for taking people's fears and neurosisses and manifesting these into hauntings seems interesting. I guess I'll give him a go.

[Knygathin]

I was wrong about the writing being chatty, it quickly improved after a few pages. The fickle characters remained, as part of the setting.

Great stuff. Not much of atmosphere. But bizarre enough! It is not a very realistic concept, but still convincing in a nightmarish way. I wonder if Lovecraft read this one, and if he valued it or found it too outre'.

"Knives underneath", and "parquet inlaid on top, so it blends invisibly with the floor". Brilliant.

"The shoes were flattened against the floor", and the ankles were crushed—. It is so very brutal, in a physical way.

Did he write more stories grim and relentless like this?

[dem]

Podolo, Visitor From Down Under, Someone In The Lift, The Island, The Two Vaynes and 'W. S.' are grim enough for most of us. You really should try and read all his genre work if you get the chance.

[Knygathin]

Thanks demonik. I will keep an eye open for those stories.

[Knygathin]

I guess Hartley's ghost stories will be released by Wordsworth Editions sooner or later.

[Knygathin]

Nice historic setting too in that story—endless of free time for Victorian frivolity. Hide and Seek among grown ups. I'll say. Those were the days!

[cw67q]

This is a great collection. The title story isn't the strongest in the collection, but works as a sort of black comedy. I can't read it without visualising the protagonists as Vincent Price & Peter Lorre in a high camp, low budget B movie.

Try A Change of Ownership, A Visitor from Down Under, Three or Four for Dinner, the Cotillion, heck most of his tales are great.

Many become increasingly sinister on revisiting, Three or Four for Dinner being a good example of this, the dialogue is funnier and yet darker every time I reread this tale.

- Chris

[Knygathin]

May 30, 2012 12:17:28 GMT cw67q said:

. . . Many become increasingly sinister on revisiting, Three or Four for Dinner being a good example of this, the dialogue is funnier and yet darker every time I reread this tale.

- Chris

I envy all you fast readers. I am going to finalize my book collection now! So I too can find time to start revisiting my favorites. L. P. Hartley will be the last addition! (I also have a few anthologies of "unknowns", but for the authors in those books a single story per author will have make do!!!)

[Knygathin]

May 28, 2012 0:05:03 GMT Knygathin said:

I guess Hartley's ghost stories will be released by Wordsworth Editions sooner or later.

I see now that L. P. Hartley was not even included among the 20 most popular authors in the Wordsworth New Author Poll. You weren't even allowed to vote for him.

I guess Hartley will never be reprinted - at least not in my lifetime.

[cauldronbrewer]

Jun 17, 2012 21:48:37 GMT Knygathin said:

May 28, 2012 0:05:03 GMT Knygathin said:

I guess Hartley's ghost stories will be released by Wordsworth Editions sooner or later.

I see now that L. P. Hartley was not even included among the 20 most popular authors in the Wordsworth New Author Poll. You weren't even allowed to vote for him.

I think that might be because he only died in 1972, so his works are still under copyright. My understanding is that Wordsworth usually sticks to authors whose works are out of copyright.

[Dr Strange]

Jun 17, 2012 21:48:37 GMT Knygathin said:

I guess Hartley will never be reprinted - at least not in my lifetime.

Reprint of The Travelling Grave from Valancourt (2017) - www.valancourtbooks.com/the-travelling-grave-1948.html

Has all 12 stories from the 1948 edition.

[Knygathin]

Apr 17, 2020 13:41:56 GMT Dr Strange said:

Jun 17, 2012 21:48:37 GMT Knygathin said:

I guess Hartley will never be reprinted - at least not in my lifetime.

Reprint of The Travelling Grave from Valancourt (2017) - www.valancourtbooks.com/the-travelling-grave-1948.html

Has all 12 stories from the 1948 edition.

Very fine writer. I finally got a copy of The Complete Short Stories of L. P. Hartley (760 pages). Nice collection of both supernatural and non-supernatural stories.

Although I found the dust-jacket so lame I had to make my own dust-jacket from marbled paper, which I wrapped over it, it nevertheless has a nice photograph of Hartley on the back.




Edit: This is the Hamish Hamilton edition.