M. R. James

Joshua Grasso (East Central University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.08: English Writing and Culture of the early Twentieth Century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Peter Childs (Birmingham Newman University), Louise McDonald (Birmingham Newman University), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow)

Dates

Born 1 Aug 1862
Died 12 Jun 1936
Activity 1882-1936

Places

Born in England
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Story-writer

Resources

James' Works

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M.R. James, the writer of a highly cultivated series of ghost stories, including the once-famous

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary

(1904), remains a lesser-known name in the pantheon of horror, overlooked by the roughly contemporary success of Stoker’s

Dracula

(1898). Nevertheless, he remains the true godfather of the English ghost story, consciously reinventing Victorian horrors for a 20th century audience. This might seem a curious occupation for the son born in 1862 to an Evangelical clergyman and his wife in the bucolic surroundings of Goodnestone, Kent. James’ early life was spent entirely ensconced by the world of the church: a daily regimen of prayers, hymns, and Bible study etched Christian beliefs deep in his psyche, where they would color even his most fantastic stories. Though…

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2977 words

Citation: Grasso, Joshua. "M. R. James". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 April 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2338, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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