"Collected Ghost Stories", by MR James

Fiction, 1931

Supernatural tales, most of which stick close to established formulae (mysterious books and texts, eerie buildings) and can merge and blend a little into each other, but pepped up here and there with either humorous touches or the appearance and meta-fictional disruption of a narrator barrelling into proceedings. These are therefore stories to be enjoyed over a long period of time. More often than not, the stories are satisfying and, if a little old fashioned, can nonetheless conjure quite an atmosphere. There are, however, a few less powerful. 

"The Woman in Black", by Susan Hill

Novel, 1992

Effective ghost story, packing suspense and creating an evocative, oppressive atmosphere. Much of this is probably attributable to the first person narrative, taking the reader into a world which is written in what appears to be very deliberately 'olde worlde', with a groaning bucket load of mist, marshes, haunted houses and phantoms. While the style occasionally threatens the power of the narrative, in the final analysis, it doesn't, leaving a feeling of a good read by the end of the story.

"The Sundial", by Shirley Jackson

Novel, 1958

A book which roars out of the traps, mixing Gothic sensibilities with dark humour, and which builds an intensity through looking at a family house whose inhabitants believe they're going to be saved from purgatory. This is an offbeat and excellent idea for the narrative, which in the main, trips along nicely, although occasionally perhaps gets a little tongue tied and clumsy in places. The comic elements are cruel although very amusing, with a whole host of odd, although often pretty likeable characters.