Ingulphus

I found this via [a:Rosemary Pardoe|15283|Rosemary Pardoe|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]’s book of essays on thr ghostly tradition: [b:The Black Pilgrimage & Other Explorations: Essays on Supernatural Fiction|40164900|The Black Pilgrimage & Other Explorations Essays on Supernatural Fiction|Rosemary Pardoe|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527016669s/40164900.jpg|62305804]. These are two collections of stories by different authors brought together. These are not pastiches of [a:M.R. James|2995925|M.R. James|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1254798756p2/2995925.jpg] but stories that partake of the same ghostly tradition of the early 20th century. The [a:E.G. Swain|1648907|E.G. Swain|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] stories are the best, being closer to the James’ tradition, while the Tedious Brief Tales by “Ingulphus” are more like odd goings on in the distant past of Jesus College. There is no attempt in the latter to any sort of scare. Lots of the stories feature lost treasures with various revenants either pointing things out or maliciously preventing acquisition of said treasure, or meteing out punishment for the treasure finders. There is also one touching tale that breaks this mold right at the end.

These stories while not great actually rise above the bulk of the late Victorian ghost stories where anyone that could lift a pen seemed to be compelled to write a collection. But hey, they didn’t have the Kardashian’s to distract them back then so entertainment had a different meaning than it has today.… (more)

This collection of nine short ghost stories is written in the style of M.R.James. The author Arthur Gray (1852-1940) was Master of Jesus College,Cambridge and it is here that these stories are set.
They range from 'The Everlasting Club',in which a group of young men meet and find themselves unable to leave the club except by their deaths. (and perhaps not even then)
In 'The True History of Anthony Ffryer', a deadly sickness is abroad in Cambridge,and Ffryer,who is an Alchemist working against the clock on a cure
for the plague,finds himself in rather an unfortunate situation.
Then there is the wonderful 'The Burden of Dead Books' where everlasting life is found to be not as desirable as at first thought.
In the story,'The Sacrist of Saint Radegund', the servant and only friend of this Sacrist ,lives out her years keeping a terrible secret.
For anyone who likes the academic type of ghost story this may well be to your taste.… (more)