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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 academic rivalry uncovers a terrifying spectral curse.
A young, unassuming librarian is tasked with locating a specific, obscure book known as the Tractate Middoth for a wealthy, peculiar client. The request draws him into a convoluted plot involving a bizarre will, an immense inheritance, and a relentless legal quest. Soon, the librarian realises the text is guarded not just by legal documents but by a grotesque, spirit figure whose elongated form and terrifying visage appear in the shadows of the library stacks. The pursuit of the ancient text becomes a frantic, chilling struggle for survival against a highly malevolent guardian.
This story is a quintessential example of James' genius for combining scholarly investigation with palpable creeping dread. It is essential reading for fans of classic ghost stories and supernatural fiction, proving that some knowledge is eternally cursed.
A propos de l'auteur
Montague Rhodes James (1862 - 1936), who published under the name M. R. James, was an English author, medievalist scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905-18) and of Eton College (1918-36). Though James's work as a medievalist is still highly regarded, he is best remembered for his ghost stories, which are regarded as among the best in the genre. James redefined the ghost story for the new century by abandoning many of the formal Gothic clichés of his predecessors and using more realistic contemporary settings. However, James's protagonists and plots tend to reflect his own antiquarian interests. Accordingly, he is known as the originator of the "antiquarian ghost story".
