This weekend I read two short stories by two female British authors whose novels I've read before and enjoyed. Both stories once again are from The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century Ghost Stories edited by Michael Cox. Although neither story was particularly hair-raisingly frightening, there was a certain psychological fear that the stories evoked.
Earlier this year I read Marghanita Laski's The Victorian Chaise Longue. It was creepy verging on the macabre in a "what if" sort of way, much like her ghost story, " The Tower". This is another story set in Italy--this time in Florence. The story begins:
"The road begins to rise in a series of gentle curves, passing through pleasing groves of olives and vines. 5 km. on the left is the fork for Florence. To the right may be seen the Tower of Sacrifice (470 steps) built in 1535 by Niccolo di Ferramano; superstitious fear left the tower intact when, in 1549, the surrounding village was completely destroyed."
This is the description in Caroline's guide book. She's recently moved to Italy to be with her husband, Neville, who works for the British Council. Caroline had hoped to appease her husband by dutifully making the museum rounds so later she could concentrate on the shops, but he has a particular fascination with Italian art. His position gives him entree into private art collections in Florence. It is in one of these that Caroline sees a portrait of a lovely young woman who died very young, Giovanna di Ferramano. Next to this portrait is an unnamed work of a sinister looking young man--it's assumed he is Giovanna's husband, Niccolo.
While Caroline's husband is off to his meetings, Caroline visits places in her guide book. It's her intention to not be an ordinary tourist. She hopes to discover a unique Italian landmark that her husband has not yet found. Di Ferramano's Tower seems just the ticket. The Tower is barren, however. She decides to undertake the long climb up all 470 steps to the top, but it is a harrowing experience. I'm not going to share the twist this time around. I really liked this story and recommend it. While it is not overtly frightening, what is chilling is what you fill in with your mind. There are just enough details given to give you a visual image, and it is creepier the more you think about it. I plan on reading more of Laski's work.
I believe Elizabeth Bowen is known as much for her short stories as for her novels. She seems to be one of the great neglected authors of the 20th century (notice also her appearance on the Outmoded Authors list). I was looking forward to reading "The Cheery Soul", but I feel like I missed something. I think there is more to the story than I have been able to decipher, or perhaps Bowen meant to leave things open for the reader's interpretation. I have been looking for criticism on this story, but I've had little luck so far. If anyone has read it, I'd love to hear your take on the story. (Spoilers may follow).
It takes place sometime during WWII. It is Christmas, and our narrator, a soldier, has been invited to spend Christmas with the Rangerton-Karney's at their large house in the Midlands. It's a bit of a fait accompli to have been invited as they are highly regarded. The Rangerton-Karney's consist, by the way, of Etta, Max and Paulina. Strangely, when the soldier arrives no one is there to greet him. As the door is unlocked, he lets himself in and finds the Rangerton-Karney's aunt in the drawing-room. She's a bit of a character. She had been "turned out" of Italy (she thought being interned might have been better...) and was resentful and unhelpful. The soldier takes his gift, which is his rations, to the kitchen where he expects things to be bustling in preparation for the holiday meal. Instead of Christmas delicacies he finds a note reading: I AM NOT HERE. And no one is there. The place is empty, not a single pot on the stove, not a scrap of food to be found anywhere. The note, however, instructs him to "look in the fish kettle". Someone didn't like the Rangerton-Karneys...inside the fish kettle he finds yet another note: "Mr. and the 2 Misses Rangerton-Karney can boil their heads. This holds 3". I take it the cook was not fond of them.
And here lies the mystery. The cook didn't like the family and left them a year ago during the last Christmas season. The next day her body was found floating in a nearby canal. This the soldier finds out from a police man who happens by. This is where my confusion sets in. Why has the policeman come? Where are the Rangerton-Karneys anyway. What exactly did the policeman mean when he replied to the soldier's explanation that the family invited him: "Oh they did? Well, that is a laugh. Seen much of them?". And what is the significance of the Wartime setting? And who is "the cheery soul"? The dead cook? You see, I have more questions now that concrete observations! I feel like Bowen included these elements very carefully. Unfortunately this story is not online, and I'm not sure if it is included in any other anthology. There's lots of things to wonder about in this one!
In any case, I like the subtlety of these sorts of ghost stories. I prefer it to the shock value that you get in horror films say. A good story plants a little seed of uncertainty in your mind and lets the inner workings of the brain do the rest. By the way LK has announced her horror short story reading challenge. Go over and choose a short story to read this October. I will likely choose a story from the list for next week's reading.