Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror

Uncle Montague’s tales, told to his nephew Edgar, are strung together in an evening’s telling. Over the course of the evening these chillers include tales of hauntings, talismans and curses that are truly reminiscent of those old Hammer Horror portmanteau films. Like the portmanteau the stories lead to a realisation that the very act of narration is, itself, part of a horror story. Yet if they bear similarity to Hammer, they also resemble the older tradition of chiller found in Edgar Allan Poe and M R James. Blood and gore are kept at bay. These stories are the sort of winter night tales where the very ideas grab the reader.

They are ideal for children who want a good thrill, cleverly building up suspense and atmosphere while remaining just this side of appropriateness for the age group. The mediation of the tales through both Montague and the listening Edgar provide an interaction that ropes us in, almost as if we pull up a chair at the fireside.

The tales are complemented by David Roberts’ Goreyesque illustrations which also play little games with the reader making for a delightfully unnerving volume.