Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch
Today, November 21, is the birthday of Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch (1863-1944). Quiller-Couch wrote ghost stories. The last time a collection of his was in print was when Ash-Tree Press published The Horror on the Stair and Other Weird Tales. That was back in 2000. I’m somewhat surprised that some other publisher hasn’t come out with a collection since. “The Roll-Call of the Reef” is currently available in The Third Ghost Story Megapack.
Tonight’s selection is a nice little tale about a friendship between the trumpeter of a cavalry unit and the drummer boy from the British marines. They were the only survivors of their respective ships, both wrecked on the same night. The trumpeter is unable to return to his duties because of his injuries. The drummer boy recovers and goes back to the service. But not before they become the best of friends who play their instruments together whenever they can.
The drummer boy isn’t heard from for a few years. When he does return, he’s now a young man. He and the trumpeter have one final duty to perform.
I’ll not say anymore about the ending except to say I rather liked it. The roll-call aspect was a nice way to handle things, I thought.
Ghost stories at Christmas aren’t really an American tradition (yes, I know it’s not Thanksgiving yet), but I’m going to try to read more through the rest of the year. I have a collection that has an E. F. Benson story in it that hadn’t been reprinted since its original publication.
I tend to read a lot of horror around Halloween. This year I read The Night Class by Tom Picarelli which I would not recommend (The plot was a mess.) and the Best Ghost Stories of Algernon Blackwell which I would. (Particularly The Willows and The Wendigo.)
Around Christmas, I will get Circles of Dread by Jean Ray, who is considered the Belgian version of Poe or Lovecraft, so I will read some spooky stuff around then, but until then I want to cleanse my pallet.
Cleansing the pallet makes perfect sense. I’m going to have to check Jen Ray out. Thanks for the tip.
I had to cleanse my pallet a lot actually which is widely across genres.
Ray is an uneven writer (so for that matter was Poe and Lovecraft) but his best is stupendous. I particularly recommend his collection Cruise of Shadows which contains a lot of his best work. There is also his novel Malpertuis, but that goes for around 50 bucks online. Though Wakefield Press will be reprinting it next year.