Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories (Penguin Horror)

Haunted Castles is "The Complete Gothic Stories" of Ray Russell. Published by Penquin as one of a series, edited by Guillermo del Toro, and a modern edition of the original USA publication from 1985. Contents; Sardonicus, Sagittarius, Sanguinarius, Comet Wine, The Runaway Lovers, The Vendetta, The Cage. Plus; Book and Series Description, About the Author, Title, Copyright, Dedication, Epigraph, Haunted Castles Dark Mirrors; On the Penquin Horror Series by Guillermo Del Toro. Ray Russell was born in the early 1920s. His novels are now mostly out of print, keep your eyes open for stray copies, I was surprised and delighted to find this short story collection. It's probably worth mentioning much of Russell's work heralds from the 1960s - 1970s. It has that vibe and you need to approach his stories without prejudice. What you'll find is an odd blend of the mysterious and grotesque wrapped in a thick blanket of modern Gothic; castles, deformity, torture chambers, beautiful women and insanity feature large. Scary?. Not for any fan of contemporary horror but; Ray Russell regularly crossed the boundaries between what was or wasn't acceptable. He mixed it up. His style of Modern Gothic/Classic Horror/Playboy was 'horror for the masses' and influenced some of the most popular of our current crop of horror writers. I can't recommend highly enough. A must for fans of real horror writing.

I'm really looking forward to reading this collection of Gothic Horror stories! As this edition is in the Penguin Classics range, I'm in for a good read! The book arrived quickly. Very good. Thanks.

I had been looking for Ray Russell's short stories ever since I read 'The Cage' in an old anthology when I was little. The gothic story got under my skin and the image of the ending never left me. It is an excellent short story: perfectly formed, gothic atmosphere, great ending. Re-reading it after a decade or so, it lived up to the memory. I am really looking forward to reading Russell's other gothic horror stories in the book.

Excellent Gothic style stories. A twist on the Jekyll and Hyde theme and a tale of Elisabeth Bathory...in the first person. I love 'Sardonicus' though. I thought it might be a play on 'The Man Who Laughs' . But it isn't...

I must admit that I bought this book on spec. I was writing a piece about modern ghost stories and thought that I should read up Ray Russell. I find it too psychological, too kinky, too... American. After all, he was published in Playboy. That's just me. The author's style is elegant and dramatic where it needs to be dramatic. But it is not my scene.

Arrived quickly and in good condition. Look forward to reading it.

The stories are absorbing, disturbing and utterly captivating. A very chilling read

A great collection of stories. All are variation on themes of other horror stories, but with an additional twist or a clever story telling to keep you on your toes.If you like Blackwoord, Fanu, et al, you'll love these.

Para um livro novo a capa tinha alguns riscos e a lombar pequenos danos mas sem ser isso impecável.

An excellent read..I highly recommend this novel

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Let me first say that I had never read any Russell before, so if you're a newcomer like me, listen up! (And if you're in a rush, just go ahead and buy it, it's worth your time and money.) Russell can only be labelled "modern" gothic in the sense that he was writing in the 20th century. Otherwise, his stories are set during fascinating, terrible lifespans anywhere from the 1500s to the late 1800s. His period language is meticulously researched and correct, while his grammar and writing style are gorgeous, first-rate. This rich, sometimes dense prose is balanced (I can't say lightened) by pulpy thrills: horrifically unflinching details, an unsavory but irrepressibly sexual atmosphere, and grisly motives & plot twists that will make you wince -- all of a thoroughly sadistic bent. Sardonicus, arguably the most original of the 'S' trilogy, fully deserves its reputation as a masterpiece, but it was Sanguinarius that most impressed me. When I finished that story, I had to immediately read more about Elisabeth Báthory; yet, in the end, the world Russell created is inkier, redder, more saturated and enchanting than the true history. Sagittarius had a bit of a clunky frame narrative which I can only partly endorse, but the story within was more than enjoyable. So the frame can be forgiven. I was sad and a little apprehensive after completing the 'S' trilogy -- would I be disappointed by the other stories? Rest assured, the remainder of the collection is solid. Comet Wine and The Vendetta tie in subtly to the same fictional universe by means of a minor character from Sardonicus. The Cage and The Runaway Lovers, somehow less detailed, could be called sketches. But it is probably more useful to think of them as dark parables, and they are quite effective despite having less meat on their bones. Last, I just want to add that I'm grateful to Penguin for making Russell available. It would be unjust to see a talent like his lost to dust. While other genre fiction has enjoyed increasing respect from the publishing and academic worlds, horror & supernatural literature still remain undervalued. That said, Penguin has made real efforts to correct this (usually, though not in this case, with the help of S.T. Joshi). The Oxford World Classics series has some good anthologies as well.

Muy buena compilación de historias de Russell. Por el tamaño y tipo de edición, el precio me parece un poco excesivo.