M.R.James - What's the big deal?

Rizla · 01-16-2013, 05:35 PM

I've heard readers on here singing his praises. Seriously, what's the big deal? I've read three of his stories and I was disappointed by all three. One was the story the famous Rolling the Runes story and movie is based on. The story was...thin compared to the TV and movie adaptions. I read one about a haunted dolls-house. This was better. The description of the goings-on in the doll's house were good, but the story went absolutely nowhere. No explanation, no ending as such. I was looking for the next page. The last one was about some Cambridge academic ranging across Spain looking for illuminated texts, finding one which produced a ghost of some sort, and that was it. Again, no real ending. What is the big deal about this guy? Has he written something really good that I don't know about. Please feel free to recommend me some stories of him that live up to his reputation.

jgaiser · 01-16-2013, 07:02 PM

Don't know a lot about M. R. James, though he seems to be a contemporary of H. P. Lovecraft (Lovecraft admired his works). Early Horror writer. As with a lot of early "Classics", tastes change. If he isn't working for, it's probably time to move on to another author.

01-16-2013, 05:35 PM	#1
Rizla Member Retired Posts: 3,183 Karma: 11721895 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Nook STR (rooted) & Sony T2	M.R.James - What's the big deal? I've heard readers on here singing his praises. Seriously, what's the big deal? I've read three of his stories and I was disappointed by all three. One was the story the famous Rolling the Runes story and movie is based on. The story was...thin compared to the TV and movie adaptions. I read one about a haunted dolls-house. This was better. The description of the goings-on in the doll's house were good, but the story went absolutely nowhere. No explanation, no ending as such. I was looking for the next page. The last one was about some Cambridge academic ranging across Spain looking for illuminated texts, finding one which produced a ghost of some sort, and that was it. Again, no real ending. What is the big deal about this guy? Has he written something really good that I don't know about. Please feel free to recommend me some stories of him that live up to his reputation.

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01-16-2013, 07:02 PM	#2
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,281 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	Don't know a lot about M. R. James, though he seems to be a contemporary of H. P. Lovecraft (Lovecraft admired his works). Early Horror writer. As with a lot of early "Classics", tastes change. If he isn't working for, it's probably time to move on to another author.

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