M.R. James, the writer of a highly cultivated series of ghost stories, including the once-famous

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary

(1904), remains a lesser-known name in the pantheon of horror, overlooked by the roughly contemporary success of Stoker’s

Dracula

(1898). Nevertheless, he remains the true godfather of the English ghost story, consciously reinventing Victorian horrors for a 20th century audience. This might seem a curious occupation for the son born in 1862 to an Evangelical clergyman and his wife in the bucolic surroundings of Goodnestone, Kent. James’ early life was spent entirely ensconced by the world of the church: a daily regimen of prayers, hymns, and Bible study etched Christian beliefs deep in his psyche, where they would color even his most fantastic stories. Though…

2977 words

Citation: Grasso, Joshua. "M. R. James". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 April 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2338, accessed 29 March 2024.]

2338 M. R. James 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

If you need to create a new bookshelf to save this article in, please make sure that you are logged in, then go to your 'Account' here

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.