Books by M. R. James

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online.Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content.The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary.Ghost Stories, a Level 3 Reader, is A2 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to three clauses, introducing first conditional, past continuous and present perfect simple for general experience. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear on most pages.A strange whistle, a dangerous curse, a buried crown and a hotel without a room 13. Don't read these four frightening ghost stories by M.R. James late at night!Visit the Penguin Readers websiteExclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.

Mr. Edward Dunning is a researcher studying "The Truth of Alchemy" by Mr. Karswell. He starts seeing the name "John Harrington" everywhere he goes and finds out that Harrington was working on the same book before suddenly dying in an accident. Dunning gets in touch with Harrington’s brother who is ready to help out. He wants to save Dunning but what from? It turns out that Karswell has cursed both the researchers by casting runes over them. Harrington could not save himself. Will Dunning succeed? B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.M. R. James was an English writer who lived in the period 1862-1936. He is one of the best ghost story writers and he transformed the genre by introducing a new way of writing. He avoided the gothic clichés and set his tales in a more realistic contemporary settings so that he could make the reader afraid of encountering similar supernatural or terrifying events. M. R. James’ works gained wide popularity and some of his best known ghost story collections are "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary", "A Thin Ghost and Others" and "A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories". M. R. James’ talent impressed even the great horror stories writer H. P. Lovecraft, who described James’ ghost stories as the peak of the genre.

Cuori spezzati fu pubblicato per la prima volta in Italia da Dino Buzzati nella sua celebre antologia Pesanervi. Cuori spezzati è una storia di fantasmi terrificante che racconta di Stephen Elliott, un giovane orfano mandato a vivere da un vecchio cugino in una casa sperduta in camppagna. Suo cugino è un alchemista ossessionato dalla ricerca dell’immortalità. Stephen è perseguitato dalla visione di una giovane ragazza zinara e un giovane ragazzo italiano a cui manca il cuore. La storia è stata adattata per la televisione dalla ABC come episodio della serie "Mistery and Imagination" nel 1966. Successivamente è stato adattato da Robin Chapman nel 1973 come parte della serie della BBC A ghost story for Christmas. Montague Rhodes James è stato uno scrittore, storico e medievista britannico, noto studioso di paleografia e archeologia, bibliofilo e antiquario, ricordato oggi per i suoi racconti vittoriani di fantasmi. James fin dall'infanzia sviluppò una forte passione per le antichità, in particolare per il mondo medievale, per i manoscritti e i libri antichi. Successivamente iniziò i corsi ad Eton per poi iscriversi al King's College di Cambridge; qui divenne assistente di archeologia classica al museo Fitzwilliam. Sempre nel King's College guadagnò un importante incarico grazie alla sua opera L'Apocalisse di S. Pietro, inerente alla storia del cristianesimo. Intrapreso il cursus honorum nel suo college, M. R. James raggiunse l'apice della sua carriera nel 1905 quando ne divenne rettore.

This charming fantasy story for children is by the famous writer of ghost stories, M. R. James. The author of a letter reveals how he finds five mysterious jars, hidden since Roman times, and samples the contents one by one, gaining magical powers in the process. But he is not the only one who knows about the jars - dark forces are eager to claim them for themselves.This lovely new edition from Benediction Classics reproduces all the original line drawings in this unusual tale that still has the power to fascinate and send a shiver down the reader's spine.