An Episode of Cathedral History (Fantasy and Horror Classics)
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An Episode of Cathedral History details the events that follow the restoration work on a grand old cathedral. During the process, workers discover a large, ancient, and unnervingly plain stone chest sealed into the wall, which is quickly moved and stored in the Chapter House. When the chest begins to emit unsettling noises and strange scratching sounds, the scholarly officials realise they have inadvertently freed a terrifying presence that was sealed away centuries ago. The mystery deepens as they find a horrifying link to the cathedral's dark past and a creature that demands to be fed.
From the mind of M. R. James, the acknowledged master who redefined the ghost story for the 20th century and founded the 'antiquarian ghost story' genre, comes a chilling tale where the quiet history of a cathedral conceals a monstrous secret.
This story is a quintessential example of James' genius for combining creeping dread with ecclesiastical settings, making it essential reading for fans of classic ghost stories and supernatural fiction, and proving that some aspects of history were deliberately and terrifyingly locked away.
M. R. James
Montague Rhodes James was born in 1862 at Goodnestone Parsonage, Kent, where his father was a curate, but the family moved soon afterwards to Great Livermere in Suffolk. James attended Eton College and later King's College Cambridge where he won many awards and scholarships. From 1894 to 1908 he was Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and from 1905 to 1918 was Provost of King's College. In 1913, he became Vice-Chancellor of the University for two years. In 1918 he was installed as Provost of Eton. A distinguished medievalist and scholar of international status, James published many works on biblical and historical antiquarian subjects. He was awarded the Order of Merit in 1930. His ghost story writing began almost as a divertissement from his academic work and as a form of entertainment for his colleagues. His first collection, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary was published in 1904. He never married and died in 1936.
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