Tales of Mystery and Horror

the long version

Admirers of Mrs. Gaskell's immensely popular novel *Cranford* may not realize that the celebrated Victorian novelist also wrote short stories of a high quality. The seven stories in the present volume, representing her complete output in the field of fantasy, range from classic ghost stories through psychological suspense, melodrama, and Gothic crime to what can only be described as a very early and embryonic example of the detective story. It is a pleasure to encounter the charm, tenderness, and pathos of Mrs. Gaskell's writing in this unfamiliar genre one that provides so much Old World delight. Michael Ashley, in his foreword, comments on the particular part played by women writers in the horror and fantasy literature of the nineteenth century and shows Mrs. Gaskell's place in it. He also introduces each story, relating it to her life and other works.