Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Excellent, 21 May 2008
Year 6 - there are not enough hours in the day to read a chapter every afternoon such as my old teachers used to do when I was at school. Moreover, I wanted to illustrate to Year 6 children that they can write or read a short story without compromising on the quality of writing. These stories illustrate the point very well. Use adventurous vocabulary. My class really loved the story about the Greenfly - all stories have a twist in the tale and are great for writing frames. Both genders adored them. Short enough to read a story a day. Perfect to give examples of genres of writing. Incorporate into your literacy hour. I found the children trying to take it from my desk and read it at break. Buy it.

Excellent, 09 Oct 2007
There is a whole series of these books and they are truly excellent. They are highly entertaining in their own right but illustrated to my KS2 kids that a short story can be really interesting and effective. Fabtastic.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Excellent, 21 May 2008
Year 6 - there are not enough hours in the day to read a chapter every afternoon such as my old teachers used to do when I was at school. Moreover, I wanted to illustrate to Year 6 children that they can write or read a short story without compromising on the quality of writing. These stories illustrate the point very well. Use adventurous vocabulary. My class really loved the story about the Greenfly - all stories have a twist in the tale and are great for writing frames. Both genders adored them. Short enough to read a story a day. Perfect to give examples of genres of writing. Incorporate into your literacy hour. I found the children trying to take it from my desk and read it at break. Buy it.

Excellent, 09 Oct 2007
There is a whole series of these books and they are truly excellent. They are highly entertaining in their own right but illustrated to my KS2 kids that a short story can be really interesting and effective. Fabtastic.

A stocking filler that's bound to please., 04 Dec 2008
Wordsworth Editions have done it again!
Another excellent volume at dirt cheap prices. And just because it's cheap does not mean a sub standard product. Far from it in fact.
"The Haunted Hotel & Other Stories" is a wonderful volume. Running to 317 pages this book is big enough to keep even the most avid reader quiet for some time.
The book contains 9 wonderful tales by Wilkie Collins. These are;
"The Haunted Hotel"
"The Dream Woman"
"Mrs Zant and The Ghost"
"A Terribly Strange Bed"
"Miss Jeromette and the Clergyman"
"The Dead Hand"
"Blow up with the Brig!"
"Nine O'Clock"
and
"The Devil's Spectacles".
All are marvelous tales and are the perfect antidote to those dark, boring evenings.
Buy two, one for yourself and one for the lover of ghostly tales. It'll fit perfectly in a Christmas stocking.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Excellent, 21 May 2008
Year 6 - there are not enough hours in the day to read a chapter every afternoon such as my old teachers used to do when I was at school. Moreover, I wanted to illustrate to Year 6 children that they can write or read a short story without compromising on the quality of writing. These stories illustrate the point very well. Use adventurous vocabulary. My class really loved the story about the Greenfly - all stories have a twist in the tale and are great for writing frames. Both genders adored them. Short enough to read a story a day. Perfect to give examples of genres of writing. Incorporate into your literacy hour. I found the children trying to take it from my desk and read it at break. Buy it.

Excellent, 09 Oct 2007
There is a whole series of these books and they are truly excellent. They are highly entertaining in their own right but illustrated to my KS2 kids that a short story can be really interesting and effective. Fabtastic.

A stocking filler that's bound to please., 04 Dec 2008
Wordsworth Editions have done it again!
Another excellent volume at dirt cheap prices. And just because it's cheap does not mean a sub standard product. Far from it in fact.
"The Haunted Hotel & Other Stories" is a wonderful volume. Running to 317 pages this book is big enough to keep even the most avid reader quiet for some time.
The book contains 9 wonderful tales by Wilkie Collins. These are;
"The Haunted Hotel"
"The Dream Woman"
"Mrs Zant and The Ghost"
"A Terribly Strange Bed"
"Miss Jeromette and the Clergyman"
"The Dead Hand"
"Blow up with the Brig!"
"Nine O'Clock"
and
"The Devil's Spectacles".
All are marvelous tales and are the perfect antidote to those dark, boring evenings.
Buy two, one for yourself and one for the lover of ghostly tales. It'll fit perfectly in a Christmas stocking.

The best English ghost story anthology in print., 29 May 2001
Lest five stars seem excessive for yet another "ghost book", I must say that I think that Cox and Gilbert have produced simply the best one-volume anthology of English-language ghost stories that there has ever been. For all that supernatural fictions have long been popular choices for the anthologist, this collection features more of the best and most enduring English ghost stories than have ever before appeared between two covers. Cox and Gilbert have included virtually all of the necessary favourites and many lesser-known gems as well. All of the major authors in the field are represented by some of their very best work and all the major movements within the English ghost-story are represented as well. For all that I could quibble about one or two inclusions and omissions, I honestly don't think that a better introduction to the English ghost story exists. Unreservedly recommended.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Excellent, 21 May 2008
Year 6 - there are not enough hours in the day to read a chapter every afternoon such as my old teachers used to do when I was at school. Moreover, I wanted to illustrate to Year 6 children that they can write or read a short story without compromising on the quality of writing. These stories illustrate the point very well. Use adventurous vocabulary. My class really loved the story about the Greenfly - all stories have a twist in the tale and are great for writing frames. Both genders adored them. Short enough to read a story a day. Perfect to give examples of genres of writing. Incorporate into your literacy hour. I found the children trying to take it from my desk and read it at break. Buy it.

Excellent, 09 Oct 2007
There is a whole series of these books and they are truly excellent. They are highly entertaining in their own right but illustrated to my KS2 kids that a short story can be really interesting and effective. Fabtastic.

A stocking filler that's bound to please., 04 Dec 2008
Wordsworth Editions have done it again!
Another excellent volume at dirt cheap prices. And just because it's cheap does not mean a sub standard product. Far from it in fact.
"The Haunted Hotel & Other Stories" is a wonderful volume. Running to 317 pages this book is big enough to keep even the most avid reader quiet for some time.
The book contains 9 wonderful tales by Wilkie Collins. These are;
"The Haunted Hotel"
"The Dream Woman"
"Mrs Zant and The Ghost"
"A Terribly Strange Bed"
"Miss Jeromette and the Clergyman"
"The Dead Hand"
"Blow up with the Brig!"
"Nine O'Clock"
and
"The Devil's Spectacles".
All are marvelous tales and are the perfect antidote to those dark, boring evenings.
Buy two, one for yourself and one for the lover of ghostly tales. It'll fit perfectly in a Christmas stocking.

The best English ghost story anthology in print., 29 May 2001
Lest five stars seem excessive for yet another "ghost book", I must say that I think that Cox and Gilbert have produced simply the best one-volume anthology of English-language ghost stories that there has ever been. For all that supernatural fictions have long been popular choices for the anthologist, this collection features more of the best and most enduring English ghost stories than have ever before appeared between two covers. Cox and Gilbert have included virtually all of the necessary favourites and many lesser-known gems as well. All of the major authors in the field are represented by some of their very best work and all the major movements within the English ghost-story are represented as well. For all that I could quibble about one or two inclusions and omissions, I honestly don't think that a better introduction to the English ghost story exists. Unreservedly recommended.

Tales of Unease, 08 Jan 2009
Fourteen modern writers were sent Freud's essay on "The Uncanny in Literature" and were asked to produce a story in response. Freud's essay concludes with a list of eight principle causes of the uncanny in fiction, a rather ragtag set that seems unequal to the task of summing up the realm of horror literature, but perhaps understandable considering Freud really only concentrated on the work of one writer, E T A Hoffmann, and in particular his masterpiece of weird nightmare, "The Sandman", which bagged all but two of Freud's eight causes (inanimate objects mistaken as animate, animate beings behaving as if inanimate or mechanical, doubles, being blinded, the all-controlling genius, and confusions between reality and imagination -- and the last two are: being buried alive (for which, of course, see Poe) and the rather vague "coincidences or repetitions"). A nice enough stab from a man who wasn't, after all, working in his chosen field, and certainly an interesting point to kick off an anthology of new writing.

This book is subtitled "Tales of Unease", but most of the authors have taken their inspiration from the items on Freud's list rather than striving for the uncanny itself, meaning that some of the stories don't necessarily produce the feeling of unease. But this is not a complaint, as one of the better stories is Hanif Kureishi's mostly angstless "Long Ago, Yesterday", in which a man meets his long-dead father in a pub and has an amiable drink with him.

But it's that feeling of not so much horror, as the unrelieved tension of unease which I was hoping for. Too often horror fiction anthologies lump the gory with the subtler, weirder, more ghostly stories, although I'm not convinced the readership for the two types is all that mixed. The New Uncanny certainly caters for the latter taste. Ramsey Campbell's excellent opener, "Double Room" (one of two of the book's stories set in a hotel, and one of many about people returning to old haunts) perhaps raises the bar unfairly, as Campbell is an old hand at the uncanny, and here he is certainly on form. Many of the subsequent stories update Hoffmann's automata theme, with Tamagotchi in Adam Marek's story, Sims in Frank Cottrell Boyce's, and an automated massage device in Jane Roger's "Ped-O-Matique", though none of the writers provide merely an update. The award for the best title surely goes to Ian Duhig's "Un(heim)lich(e) Man(oeuvre)", (though perhaps without the brackets!)

Inevitably in an anthology, some of tales weren't to my taste -- I found the less experimental, more straightforward approach captured the uncanny feeling most effectively, with A S Byatt's "Doll's Eyes" being a highlight -- but everyone who comes to the volume will have their own likes and dislikes.

Overall, it's one for those looking for that rare subtle strangeness in their fiction rather than out and out horror, and perhaps with a more literary bent -- the disturbing, or simply the weird, in the tradition of, say, Robert Aickman and Walter de la Mare.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Excellent, 21 May 2008
Year 6 - there are not enough hours in the day to read a chapter every afternoon such as my old teachers used to do when I was at school. Moreover, I wanted to illustrate to Year 6 children that they can write or read a short story without compromising on the quality of writing. These stories illustrate the point very well. Use adventurous vocabulary. My class really loved the story about the Greenfly - all stories have a twist in the tale and are great for writing frames. Both genders adored them. Short enough to read a story a day. Perfect to give examples of genres of writing. Incorporate into your literacy hour. I found the children trying to take it from my desk and read it at break. Buy it.

Excellent, 09 Oct 2007
There is a whole series of these books and they are truly excellent. They are highly entertaining in their own right but illustrated to my KS2 kids that a short story can be really interesting and effective. Fabtastic.

A stocking filler that's bound to please., 04 Dec 2008
Wordsworth Editions have done it again!
Another excellent volume at dirt cheap prices. And just because it's cheap does not mean a sub standard product. Far from it in fact.
"The Haunted Hotel & Other Stories" is a wonderful volume. Running to 317 pages this book is big enough to keep even the most avid reader quiet for some time.
The book contains 9 wonderful tales by Wilkie Collins. These are;
"The Haunted Hotel"
"The Dream Woman"
"Mrs Zant and The Ghost"
"A Terribly Strange Bed"
"Miss Jeromette and the Clergyman"
"The Dead Hand"
"Blow up with the Brig!"
"Nine O'Clock"
and
"The Devil's Spectacles".
All are marvelous tales and are the perfect antidote to those dark, boring evenings.
Buy two, one for yourself and one for the lover of ghostly tales. It'll fit perfectly in a Christmas stocking.

The best English ghost story anthology in print., 29 May 2001
Lest five stars seem excessive for yet another "ghost book", I must say that I think that Cox and Gilbert have produced simply the best one-volume anthology of English-language ghost stories that there has ever been. For all that supernatural fictions have long been popular choices for the anthologist, this collection features more of the best and most enduring English ghost stories than have ever before appeared between two covers. Cox and Gilbert have included virtually all of the necessary favourites and many lesser-known gems as well. All of the major authors in the field are represented by some of their very best work and all the major movements within the English ghost-story are represented as well. For all that I could quibble about one or two inclusions and omissions, I honestly don't think that a better introduction to the English ghost story exists. Unreservedly recommended.

Tales of Unease, 08 Jan 2009
Fourteen modern writers were sent Freud's essay on "The Uncanny in Literature" and were asked to produce a story in response. Freud's essay concludes with a list of eight principle causes of the uncanny in fiction, a rather ragtag set that seems unequal to the task of summing up the realm of horror literature, but perhaps understandable considering Freud really only concentrated on the work of one writer, E T A Hoffmann, and in particular his masterpiece of weird nightmare, "The Sandman", which bagged all but two of Freud's eight causes (inanimate objects mistaken as animate, animate beings behaving as if inanimate or mechanical, doubles, being blinded, the all-controlling genius, and confusions between reality and imagination -- and the last two are: being buried alive (for which, of course, see Poe) and the rather vague "coincidences or repetitions"). A nice enough stab from a man who wasn't, after all, working in his chosen field, and certainly an interesting point to kick off an anthology of new writing.

This book is subtitled "Tales of Unease", but most of the authors have taken their inspiration from the items on Freud's list rather than striving for the uncanny itself, meaning that some of the stories don't necessarily produce the feeling of unease. But this is not a complaint, as one of the better stories is Hanif Kureishi's mostly angstless "Long Ago, Yesterday", in which a man meets his long-dead father in a pub and has an amiable drink with him.

But it's that feeling of not so much horror, as the unrelieved tension of unease which I was hoping for. Too often horror fiction anthologies lump the gory with the subtler, weirder, more ghostly stories, although I'm not convinced the readership for the two types is all that mixed. The New Uncanny certainly caters for the latter taste. Ramsey Campbell's excellent opener, "Double Room" (one of two of the book's stories set in a hotel, and one of many about people returning to old haunts) perhaps raises the bar unfairly, as Campbell is an old hand at the uncanny, and here he is certainly on form. Many of the subsequent stories update Hoffmann's automata theme, with Tamagotchi in Adam Marek's story, Sims in Frank Cottrell Boyce's, and an automated massage device in Jane Roger's "Ped-O-Matique", though none of the writers provide merely an update. The award for the best title surely goes to Ian Duhig's "Un(heim)lich(e) Man(oeuvre)", (though perhaps without the brackets!)

Inevitably in an anthology, some of tales weren't to my taste -- I found the less experimental, more straightforward approach captured the uncanny feeling most effectively, with A S Byatt's "Doll's Eyes" being a highlight -- but everyone who comes to the volume will have their own likes and dislikes.

Overall, it's one for those looking for that rare subtle strangeness in their fiction rather than out and out horror, and perhaps with a more literary bent -- the disturbing, or simply the weird, in the tradition of, say, Robert Aickman and Walter de la Mare.

Classic page-turner, 13 Nov 2008
This book has everything - murder, mystery, suspense, romance, wit. Collins is a master of narrative style and it keeps you on the edge of your seat right to the end. The characters are expertly and convincingly portrayed and the book contains universal truths, wit and humour which are appealing to the modern-day reader. This is no long, boring 19th century melodrama, rather it is a high-class, brilliantly-written blockbuster.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Excellent, 21 May 2008
Year 6 - there are not enough hours in the day to read a chapter every afternoon such as my old teachers used to do when I was at school. Moreover, I wanted to illustrate to Year 6 children that they can write or read a short story without compromising on the quality of writing. These stories illustrate the point very well. Use adventurous vocabulary. My class really loved the story about the Greenfly - all stories have a twist in the tale and are great for writing frames. Both genders adored them. Short enough to read a story a day. Perfect to give examples of genres of writing. Incorporate into your literacy hour. I found the children trying to take it from my desk and read it at break. Buy it.

Excellent, 09 Oct 2007
There is a whole series of these books and they are truly excellent. They are highly entertaining in their own right but illustrated to my KS2 kids that a short story can be really interesting and effective. Fabtastic.

A stocking filler that's bound to please., 04 Dec 2008
Wordsworth Editions have done it again!
Another excellent volume at dirt cheap prices. And just because it's cheap does not mean a sub standard product. Far from it in fact.
"The Haunted Hotel & Other Stories" is a wonderful volume. Running to 317 pages this book is big enough to keep even the most avid reader quiet for some time.
The book contains 9 wonderful tales by Wilkie Collins. These are;
"The Haunted Hotel"
"The Dream Woman"
"Mrs Zant and The Ghost"
"A Terribly Strange Bed"
"Miss Jeromette and the Clergyman"
"The Dead Hand"
"Blow up with the Brig!"
"Nine O'Clock"
and
"The Devil's Spectacles".
All are marvelous tales and are the perfect antidote to those dark, boring evenings.
Buy two, one for yourself and one for the lover of ghostly tales. It'll fit perfectly in a Christmas stocking.

The best English ghost story anthology in print., 29 May 2001
Lest five stars seem excessive for yet another "ghost book", I must say that I think that Cox and Gilbert have produced simply the best one-volume anthology of English-language ghost stories that there has ever been. For all that supernatural fictions have long been popular choices for the anthologist, this collection features more of the best and most enduring English ghost stories than have ever before appeared between two covers. Cox and Gilbert have included virtually all of the necessary favourites and many lesser-known gems as well. All of the major authors in the field are represented by some of their very best work and all the major movements within the English ghost-story are represented as well. For all that I could quibble about one or two inclusions and omissions, I honestly don't think that a better introduction to the English ghost story exists. Unreservedly recommended.

Tales of Unease, 08 Jan 2009
Fourteen modern writers were sent Freud's essay on "The Uncanny in Literature" and were asked to produce a story in response. Freud's essay concludes with a list of eight principle causes of the uncanny in fiction, a rather ragtag set that seems unequal to the task of summing up the realm of horror literature, but perhaps understandable considering Freud really only concentrated on the work of one writer, E T A Hoffmann, and in particular his masterpiece of weird nightmare, "The Sandman", which bagged all but two of Freud's eight causes (inanimate objects mistaken as animate, animate beings behaving as if inanimate or mechanical, doubles, being blinded, the all-controlling genius, and confusions between reality and imagination -- and the last two are: being buried alive (for which, of course, see Poe) and the rather vague "coincidences or repetitions"). A nice enough stab from a man who wasn't, after all, working in his chosen field, and certainly an interesting point to kick off an anthology of new writing.

This book is subtitled "Tales of Unease", but most of the authors have taken their inspiration from the items on Freud's list rather than striving for the uncanny itself, meaning that some of the stories don't necessarily produce the feeling of unease. But this is not a complaint, as one of the better stories is Hanif Kureishi's mostly angstless "Long Ago, Yesterday", in which a man meets his long-dead father in a pub and has an amiable drink with him.

But it's that feeling of not so much horror, as the unrelieved tension of unease which I was hoping for. Too often horror fiction anthologies lump the gory with the subtler, weirder, more ghostly stories, although I'm not convinced the readership for the two types is all that mixed. The New Uncanny certainly caters for the latter taste. Ramsey Campbell's excellent opener, "Double Room" (one of two of the book's stories set in a hotel, and one of many about people returning to old haunts) perhaps raises the bar unfairly, as Campbell is an old hand at the uncanny, and here he is certainly on form. Many of the subsequent stories update Hoffmann's automata theme, with Tamagotchi in Adam Marek's story, Sims in Frank Cottrell Boyce's, and an automated massage device in Jane Roger's "Ped-O-Matique", though none of the writers provide merely an update. The award for the best title surely goes to Ian Duhig's "Un(heim)lich(e) Man(oeuvre)", (though perhaps without the brackets!)

Inevitably in an anthology, some of tales weren't to my taste -- I found the less experimental, more straightforward approach captured the uncanny feeling most effectively, with A S Byatt's "Doll's Eyes" being a highlight -- but everyone who comes to the volume will have their own likes and dislikes.

Overall, it's one for those looking for that rare subtle strangeness in their fiction rather than out and out horror, and perhaps with a more literary bent -- the disturbing, or simply the weird, in the tradition of, say, Robert Aickman and Walter de la Mare.

Classic page-turner, 13 Nov 2008
This book has everything - murder, mystery, suspense, romance, wit. Collins is a master of narrative style and it keeps you on the edge of your seat right to the end. The characters are expertly and convincingly portrayed and the book contains universal truths, wit and humour which are appealing to the modern-day reader. This is no long, boring 19th century melodrama, rather it is a high-class, brilliantly-written blockbuster.

A mixed bag, 15 Jun 2005
The best tale in this lengthy compilation of nineteenth century 'spinechillers' is probably the last one, Algernon Blackwood's 'The Kit Bag', a cracking piece of macabre atmospheric suspense that could've been written yesterday. Unfortunately it is preceded by a fair number of inferior - and sometimes poorly executed - stories that may prove interesting to academics but are likely to cause you to fall asleep prematurely rather than lie awake with the light on. The more notable names, such as Dickens, MR James, Conan-Doyle and so forth, turn in excellent work (the latter's 'Captain of the Pole Star' is unforgettable) but the less familiar authors vary with dramatic unevenness from genuinely scary to wholly indifferent and forgettable. Probably half of the thirty or so tales on offer are worth a look. You'd probably be better off checking out the best of MR James. That's my plan anyway.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the