The Diary of Mr. Poynter (Fantasy and Horror Classics)
Report an issue
Tell us what's wrong and we'll take a look.
Thanks – we got it. We'll review and follow up if needed.
The Diary of Mr. Poynter follows a scholar who acquires a simple, innocuous scrap of fabric design; a seemingly harmless illustration torn from a discarded old volume. But this pattern carries with it a malignant presence from the past. Slowly and subtly, the spectral force attached to the design begins to invade the scholar's quiet, rational home. As the design becomes an obsessive fixation and the atmosphere turns cold, the scholar realises he has invited a genuine, palpable terror into his life.
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 of insidious haunting.
This story is a quintessential example of James' genius for building creeping dread from mundane objects, making it essential reading for fans of classic ghost stories and supernatural fiction, proving that the most terrifying haunts are often the quiet, calculating ones.
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.
More by M. R. James
Why Readwise Books?
Readwise Books is an ebook & audiobook platform that automatically logs how much you and your friends read, making it fun and easy to read more. Learn more →