The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories, Volume Three - Paperback

Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories Volume Three

This third volume in Valancourt Books' acclaimed series presents twenty ghostly tales of Yuletide terror, carefully collected from rare Victorian periodicals. Following the tradition established by Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843), Victorian newspapers and magazines regularly published ghost stories during the Christmas season, creating a beloved tradition of reading supernatural tales by candlelight and fireside.

What's Inside This Collection

The collection features twenty stories, most never before reprinted, representing the diverse styles and themes that defined Victorian ghost fiction. You'll find works by once-popular authors including Ellen Wood and Charlotte Riddell, alongside contributions from anonymous and wholly forgotten writers whose tales deserve rediscovery. Each story captures the atmospheric dread and moral complexity characteristic of Victorian supernatural literature.

The volume includes a new introduction by Professor Simon Stern, providing scholarly context for these rediscovered tales.

Featured Stories Include

Frederick Manley's "The Ghost of the Cross-Roads" delivers visceral terror: "Before me, with the sickly light from the lantern shining right down upon it, was--a cloven hoof. Then the awfulness of the compact I had made came to my mind with terrible force..."

Lillie Harris's "19, Great Hanover Street" presents domestic horror: "By the fireplace there was a large hideous pool of blood soaking into the carpet, and leaving ghastly stains around. I am not ashamed to confess that my brain reeled; the mysterious horror overcame me..."

Hugh Conway's "A Dead Man's Face" explores psychological terror: "A fearful white face comes to me; a horrible mask, with features drawn as in agony--ghastly, pale, hideous. Death or approaching death, violent death, written in every line. Every feature distorted. Eyes starting from the head."

Perfect for Victorian Literature Enthusiasts

This anthology serves multiple purposes: as a scholarly resource for students of 19th-century literature, as seasonal entertainment for ghost story enthusiasts, and as a thoughtful gift for readers who appreciate classic supernatural fiction. The stories range from subtle psychological horror to explicit Gothic terror, offering something for every taste within the Victorian ghost story tradition.

Continue the Tradition

Valancourt Books preserves the Victorian Christmas tradition of gathering around the fire to share tales of supernatural terror. Whether you're discovering these stories for the first time or collecting the complete series, Volume Three offers hours of atmospheric reading perfect for dark winter evenings.

A new collection of twenty ghostly tales of Yuletide terror, collected from rare Victorian periodicals

Seeking to capitalize on the success of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843), Victorian newspapers and magazines frequently featured ghost stories at Christmas time, and reading them by candlelight or the fireside became an annual tradition, a tradition Valancourt Books is pleased to continue with our series of Victorian Christmas ghost stories. This third volume contains twenty tales, most of them never before reprinted. They represent a mix of the diverse styles and themes common to Victorian ghost fiction and include works by once-popular authors like Ellen Wood and Charlotte Riddell as well as contributions from anonymous or wholly forgotten writers. This volume also features a new introduction by Prof. Simon Stern.

"Before me, with the sickly light from the lantern shining right down upon it, was--a cloven hoof Then the awfulness of the compact I had made came to my mind with terrible force ..." - Frederick Manley, "The Ghost of the Cross-Roads"

"By the fireplace there was a large hideous pool of blood soaking into the carpet, and leaving ghastly stains around. I am not ashamed to confess that my brain reeled; the mysterious horror overcame me ..." - Lillie Harris, "19, Great Hanover Street"

"A fearful white face comes to me; a horrible mask, with features drawn as agony--ghastly, pale, hideous Death or approaching death, violent death, written in every line. Every feature distorted. Eyes starting from the head. Thin lips moving and working--lips that are cursing, although I hear no sound." - Hugh Conway, "A Dead Man's Face"