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The Travelling Grave and Other Stories
- Valancourt 20th Century Classics
- Narrated by: Guy Bethell
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
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The Travelling Grave and Other Stories
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Summary
Though best known for his classic novel of Edwardian childhood The Go-Between, L. P. Hartley was also a master of supernatural and macabre fiction, the best of which is collected in The Travelling Grave and Other Stories.
This volume demonstrates Hartley's versatility, ranging from traditional ghost stories like "Feet Foremost" and "The Cotillon" to the wonderfully black humor of the horror masterpieces "The Travelling Grave" and "The Killing Bottle". Originally published in 1948 and long out of print, this collection features 12 of Hartley's best tales.
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Critic reviews
Narrator Guy Bethell deftly renders these supernatural and macabre stories, originally published in 1948. In "Podolo," the standout, Bethell's mature voice and conversational style describe a couple who go to an island near Venice. When they see a starving feral cat, the woman decides she'll either capture it or kill it. The conclusion is eerie in its uncertainty. In the title story, Richard Mount sounds cruel as he suggests a game of hide-and-seek to his guests. As the game progresses, they become uncertain whether an oblong container is a bathtub or a coffin, and listeners will share their foreboding. In "Cotillon," a masked ball gives a humiliated man an opportunity for revenge. Bethell's spirited narration keeps listeners on edge to the last moment. S.G.B. © AudioFile
What listeners say about The Travelling Grave and Other Stories
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- BClose
- 02-01-23
Some interesting stories.
Some interesting stories, a couple of them are very good indeed.Narration is sometimes uneven, hard to listen to in parts because of mumbling and distinct croakiness.Perhaps the narrator was reading for far too long without a break.It certainly sounded like the narrator was weary but determined to plough on.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Janey May
- 16-10-19
Unusual Tales.
On the whole good stories to listen to although a couple were slightly meandering. Enjoyable narrative.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Barbara
- 09-09-18
The dread is creeping softly along the corridor
Who knew that L P Hartley could write such creepy, ghastly stuff? Not me, till now. He's quite prepared to create some really nasty fates for people, and you listen when you kind of wish you could stop, sometimes. Guy Bethell has the perfect voice for this period horror: a kind of creaky, pleasant but ominous deep voice, the voice of a public-school educated surgeon on a battlefield explaining with impeccable manners that he has to amputate but unfortunately there's no morphine. I wish I could stop thinking about that pair of shoes. And the man on the bus.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Leon van Schoonneveldt
- 10-01-18
Fine stories - less than ideal performer
Any additional comments?
I like British ghost stories from the early part of the twentieth century and some of Hartley's macabre tales collected here are among the best of their kind. Valancourt is to be greatly commended for their new edition of this classic collection - and especially for publishing an audiobook version of it as well! Audible's catalogue can't contain enough of such short stories.
I also like my ghosly tales to be performed by an elderly male voice with an accent from the British isles - I don't know why exactly, but there you have it. Derek Jacobi reading M.R. James' ghost stories on two BBC collections; Simon Callow on Audible's free Christmas gift of 2017 - that's the way to do a good, old-fashioned spook story in my book.
Performer Guy Bethell fits that bill of an an elderly male voice with British accent nicely, but unfortunately he is hardly in Jacobi's or Callow's league as an actor/performer. (But then again, who is?) Most damningly, however, is that his pronunciation is very careless and sloppy throughout - whole syllables are mumbled or held back altogether. This makes the listening experience not nearly as enjoyable as it could have been, and non-native speakers of English should definitely be prepared to be forced to make an extra effort of concentration when listening to these stories as performed by Bethell.
So, all in all: fine collection of stories, let down by a less than fine performer. Let's hope Valancourt makes a better casting choice for their next collection of classic British ghost stories. There's a wealth of great material out there - all out of copyright - and with a first-rate reader performing them, we'd be in for a real treat!
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5 people found this helpful