May Sinclair - Uncanny Stories

[dem bones]

May Sinclair - Uncanny Stories (Wordsworth Editions May 2006)

Paul March-Russell - Introduction

Where Their Fire Is Not Quenched
The Token
The Flaw In The Crystal
The Nature Of The Evidence
If The Dead Knew
The Victim
The Finding Of The Absolute
The Intercessor


Blurb
May Sinclair was an innovator of modern fiction, a late Victorian who was also a precursor to Virginia Woolf. In her Uncanny Stories (1923), Sinclair combines the traditional ghost story with the discoveries of Freud and Einstein. The stories shock, enthral, delight and unsettle.

Two lovers are doomed to repeat their empty affair for the rest of eternity... A female telepath is forced to face the consequences of her actions... The victim of a violent murder has the last laugh on his assailant... An amateur philosopher discovers that there is more to Heaven than meets the eye.

Specially included in this volume is The Intercessor (1911), Sinclair's powerful story of childhood and abandoned love, a tale whose intensity compares with that of the Brontës.


A very early entry in the Wordsworth Mystery & the Supernatural series, and you get the impression that were it to be published today, they'd probably throw in the entire supernatural content of The Intercessor & Other Stories (Hutchinson, 1931) which includes probably her most frequently anthologised ghost story, The Villa Desiree.

The Nature Of The Evidence: "She'll keep on coming as long as we don't ...". As far as i'm aware, the 'twenties aren't exactly noted for surprisingly upbeat supernatural sex comedies, but that's the best i can do to sum up The Nature Of The Evidence. When his incomparably beautiful Rosamund dies, Edward Marston, still deeply in love, remembers her words of their honeymoon night.

"Rosamund said she hated to think of his being lonely and miserable, supposing she died before he did. She would like him to marry again. If, she stipulated, he married the right woman."

And so, a year later, Marston takes a second wife, gay divorcee Pauline Silver, reasoning that, as he is only attracted to her sexually, this does not constitute unfaithfulness toward Rosamund.

It should come as no surprise to the reader that Rosamund takes a very different view. Especially when he moves Pauline into the flat they shared in Curzon Street. Especially when he moves Pauline into the bed they shared in the flat in Curzon Street.

In short, Rosamund's ghost makes it her business to prevent them consummating the marriage.

Michel 'Linda Lovecraft' Parry included The Nature Of The Evidence in the hastily banned More Devil's Kisses (Corgi, 1977), although it's only fair to say this delightful romp wasn't the story which attracted the attentions of Scotland Yard.

[Johnlprobert]

Just out of interest here's the contents of the corresponding (and considerably more expensive) Ash-Tree Press volume The Villa Desiree and Other Stories:

Where Their Fire Is Not Quenched
The Token
The Flaw in the Crysta
The Nature of the Evidence
If the Dead Knew
The Victim
The Finding of the Absolute
'Khaki'
Portrait of My Uncle
The Pictures
The Pin-Prick
The Bambino
The Mahatma's Story
Jones's Karma
Heaven
The Intercessor
The Villa Désirée.

[cw67q]

"the Victim" is another fine tale, a good example of Sinclair's twisted psychological approach to a common set up, albeit less bleak than most of her stories.

But my favourite is "The Villa Désirée" which I first read in "the (First) Ghost Book" ed by Cynthia Asquith, a great little collection that can usually be found for a couple of quid as a decaying paperback not unlike my own copy. I think this volume was also the first publication of a ghost story by Aickman ("Ringing the Changes"), or at least the first printing in a book (but I stand to be corrected here).

By way of enticement: imgaine "Villa Desiree" as an extremely seedy and sinister (perverse even?) pronounciation of "Vile Desire" and you cut to the core theme of this wonderful piece.

It is a real pity that Wordsworth didn't add tVD to "Uncanny Stories".

- Chris

[dem bones]

May 19, 2010 8:13:10 GMT cw67q said:

I think this volume was also the first publication of a ghost story by Aickman ("Ringing the Changes"), or at least the first printing in a book (but I stand to be corrected here).

The Ghost Book came too early for Aickman, Chris - Ringing The Changes had to wait until 1955 and The Third Ghost Book (the one with the L. P. Hartley introduction).

I've a first edition of The Ghost Book (Hutchinson, 1926) picked up dirt-cheap from the much missed Fantasy Center on account of the pages are rancid with leprous brown splotches, like the Visitor from Down Under was reading it when he went into decomposing mode.

[cw67q]

Thanks Demonik, I knew I wouldn't have to stand around too long :-)

actually I had forgotten just how old the first ghost book was (1926! Aickman was probably still in his nappies!)

[Johnlprobert]

Time to start reviewing this one!

Where Their Fire Is Not Quenched - I've already mentioned this on the Fontana GG 6 thread but here's my review again, especially as I re-read the tale last night and it really is very good indeed:

Here's another cracker, with our unlucky-in-love heroine whose suitors either die or marry other women, eventually entering into an unsatisfactory affair with married Oscar Wade. His death allows her to move on, but when she dies they find themselves in hell, which for them is the hotel room where they used to meet up for their ultimately empty and unsatisfactory indiscretions. There's a very cruel 'morality' to this tale. It's not really our heroine's fault that she ends up as she does and yet she then finds herself condemned forever.

The Token - A far quieter, gentler tale than the above. Poor, delicate young wife dies convinced her husband loves his 'token' (a little statue of a Buddha on a brass plate) more than her. Her best friend can see her ghost but he can't, being a 'typical insensitive Scot'. All she wants to know is that he loved her, but he's the 'unable to express his feelings' type. It all ends happily though, which after the first story was quite surprising!

[weirdmonger]

In case anyone is interested, here is my review of May Sinclair's stories (in a different collection):
weirdmonger.blog-city.com/the_villa_dsire_and_other_uncanny_stories__by_may_sinclai.htm

[Johnlprobert]

Thanks Des - I'm going to read your comments after each story.

The Flaw in the Crystal - As Des says in his review, there are touches of DH Laurence, Algernon Blackwood, HP Lovecraft and John Cowper Powys in this one (I picked up on the first three!). It's a long story but well worth the read, not least because the story can be read on so many levels, from the purely allegorical (Ms Sinclair does seem to have a bit of a thing about infidelity and you can read it just on that level and get a lot out of it) to its very interesting examination of the 'gift that destroys' and different people's reaction to it. I especially liked the idea of the gift / abyss staring back and causing the central character harm. Seriously good stuff

[Johnlprobert]

The Nature of the Evidence - As Dem says above, this is a good-natured upbeat sex comedy which is rather charming and totally unexpected in view of what we've had so far in this book. Delightful.

[Johnlprobert]

If the Dead Knew Crappy third rate organist Wilfred Hollyer wants to marry Effie Carroll but Wilfred's aging mother is in the way. When mumsie falls ill and may die Wilfred discovers that there's more power in a wish than he might have thought. Unfortunately Mrs Hollyer comes back from the grave because no-one loves you like your mother does. The end of this one is the most disturbing so far, mainly because Wilfred welcomes his fate. Brrrr......

By the way, Ms Sinclair must have known some awful men. Cads, bounders, weaklings and mummy's boys abound in these stories and so far the male sex has come off terribly in this book!

[Johnlprobert]

The Victim - A tightly constructed murder tale evolves into something rather different with an ending that's entirely unexpected.

The Finding of the Absolute - The last thing I was expecting to find in a book of mid 1920s ghost stories was a fairy long tale dealing with a philosophical view of heaven, with a guest appearance by Immanuel Kant as well! All a bit heavy for me but I waded through it nonetheless. Those searching for purely ghost and / or horror stuff could give this one a miss.

[cw67q]

Sheesh but you're fair rattling through this John.

Do you ever take a coffee break ? :-)

- Chris

[Johnlprobert]

I read and drink at the same time!

The Intercessor - 'No doubt it's what's given Sarah Falshaw this idea of hers that her baby will be born dead. Shouldn't wonder if it was. Good thing too, when you think how she made the other one suffer'

Garvin stays with the Falshaws while he writes up a county history for the Blackadders (!) and starts seeing the ghost of a little girl, the child of Sarah Falshaw who is pregnant again and looks anything but happy about it.

This is a cracking dead baby story that's really pretty grim right up till the final couple of pages and rounds off one of the best Wordsworth volumes I've yet read.