This collection really grew on me. Walpole touched some places with me where I felt he must understand just how I feel. Some of the stories were truly frightening while others were just melancholy or quietly joyful. All were well written and captivating and not all of the same character, quite a variety in the end. A very good read. ( )

Hugh Walpole’s All Souls’ Night: A Book of Stories, is a fine collection of stylish thought-provoking tales. Most have supernatural elements, and those with only the faintest hint of the supernatural still offer a healthy dose of chills. Walpole is well attuned to the psychological hindrances - shyness, fear, insecurity, etc. - that limit personal growth and fulfillment, stifle relationships, and ultimately dictate the fate of those afflicted. And Walpole exhibits a curious affinity for unemotional characters who repress incredibly strong emotions: those conflicted souls who secretly love another or secretly loathe another or endlessly tamp down their deep unhappiness but can never quite express their true feeling. One can surmise that the author himself had difficulty bringing those sort of emotions to the surface. The theme of unquenched desire is also prevalent among these stories: intense longing for someone, for friendship, or for some other life entirely. The occasional homoerotic undercurrents reflect the repression that Walpole assuredly experienced as a gay man in early 20th century England. Note: Be advised that John Howard’s introduction contains spoilers for a couple of the stories, so one may wish to read that last.

The Whistle- The adoption of a handsome Alsatian dog seems to fill a void for Blake, the taciturn chauffeur. But their close relationship seems to unsettle those around them.

The Silver Mask - The benevolent Sonia Herries performs an act of kindness for a man in need, and unfortunate consequences ensue.

The Staircase - An anthropomorphic house known as Candil Place sees all, knows all, and has its figurative fingers on the pulse of its inhabitants. A subtle foreshadowing gives away the climax, but it still doesn’t spoil this little gem, a winning variation on the haunted house story.

A Carnation for an Old Man - In this gentle, touching story, an elderly man discovers a new world for himself during a trip to Seville.

Tarnhelm; or The Death of My Uncle Robert - Decades after witnessing that harrowing titular event as a child, the narrator recounts the vivid details. This is one of Walpole’s often anthologized stories, which packs a mighty punch, though the climax is marred a bit by a fairly obvious giveaway early on.

Mr. Oddy - A chance meeting in a bookshop results in a growing friendship between Tommy Brown, an aspiring young writer and an elderly gentleman who seems vaguely familiar to him. A pleasant story, but nothing remotely supernatural here.

Seashore Macabre: A Moment’s Experience - The narrator relates a bizarre incident from his childhood, which has haunted him since.

Lilac - Frederick Anstey encounters a host of dueling omens as he anxiously awaits word from the love of his life whether she will accept his proposal of marriage.

The Oldest Talland - Through a chance occurrence, the effervescent Mrs. Comber stops by the residence of the elderly Mrs. Talland, the bitter matriarch of that clan, feared and reviled by all - including the rest of the Tallands. An unpredictable family upheaval ensues.

The Little Ghost - A married man, deeply affected by the loss of a close friend, seeks solitude to grieve, and then accepts an offer to stay with the Baldwins, a family teeming with children. Here he finds solace from an unexpected source. An touching story of the joy of companionship.

Mrs. Lunt - Another effective and atmospheric ghost story told with great flair.

Sentimental But True - A sublimely heartwarming and heartbreaking story of Mrs. Comber and the odd little dog that befriends her.

Portrait in Shadow - Though well-intentioned, a decision born of youthful inexperience has devastating, life-altering consequences for all concerned parties. A thought-provoking story brimming with all of Walpole’s signature elements.

The Snow - The second Mrs. Ryder, she the young one with the uncontrollable temper, has has frightening visions of an old gray woman stalking her. And she hears a voice which seems to say “I warned you. This is for the last time…” Elinor, the first Mrs. Ryder, did always say she would watch over Herbert until he rejoined her in the next world. A classic ghost story.

The Ruby Glass - This slice of childhood life is a little comic gem that stands out from the rest in this anthology for its completely different tone. The wonderfully sardonic Jean Shepherd may well have drawn inspiration from this story of Jeremy and his Poor Cousin Jane.

Spanish Dusk - A dreamlike and richly atmospheric story of a young man’s first romantic encounter. ( )

All Souls' Night is an excellent collection of stories, originally published back in the 1930's. I listened to the audio version, narrated by the outstanding Matt Godfrey.

Not all of these tales were dark fiction or ghost stories, but-of course, those were my favorites. The ones that I enjoyed the most were found right at the beginning, namely:

Whistle I love tales about dogs and people that don't care for them. Dogs always know.

The Silver Mask Nothing outright horrific, really, but most definitely unsettling and surprising.

The Staircase Easily my favorite story in this collection. Featuring extremely keen insights into human behavior, (that stand up, even to this day), as viewed and acted upon, by the house itself. This one blew me away.

Lastly:

Lilac I thought this was going to be one kind of story, but it didn't go the way I thought it would at all.

As I said above, I listened to the audio of this book and I thought the narrator did a great job of bringing these tales alive. I could easily picture everything going on and the English accent was appropriate for the time and age in which the stories were set.

Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. If you decide to try it out, don't expect all of the stories to be macabre, or to involve the supernatural. These tales vary widely, but all of them feature startling insights into the nature of humanity, and they are still true today. Highly recommended, especially the audio version!

You can get your copy here: All Souls' Night (Valancourt 20th Century Classics)

*I was provided this audio book free of charge from the narrator, (through Audio Boom!) in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it. Thanks to you both for the opportunity!* ( )