Haunted Castles

I didn’t study Gothic fiction as part of my university English Literature course. I don’t even think it was part of the course.

But I wish it had been, because then I would have been introduced to Ray Russell a lot earlier and had more time to set about acquiring all his books. Which will now become a new Life Project.

As it is, I only discovered this book when I noticed that it includes an introduction by Guillermo del Toro. Since he’s one of the three film directors whose work I’d rescue from a blazing house, anything he puts his name attracts my attention. And oh boy, am I glad he did.

It’s a slim book containing seven stories, all written in what I can only describe as a modern – 1960s – rendering of Gothic language. By which I mean that while they look and sound – at first glance – to be authentic Gothic, they’re actually written to be read by a readership accustomed to a crisper, livelier style. It’s a peculiar balancing act, but it’s carried off beautifully.

The stories themselves are all gems. Very readable – I went through the book in a day – and genuinely creepy and unsettling. Any fan of horror fiction – or any fan of good storytelling – is missing out if they don’t pick this up.