Book Review
Oct. 10th, 2021 06:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariWeird Women: Classic Supernatural Fiction by Groundbreaking Female Writers, 1852-1923
edited by Leslie S. Klinger and Lisa Morton
This collection of short stories by women focuses on the supernatural and uncanny. The authors featured are mostly lesser known writers, many of whom were successful and acclaimed during their lifetimes but fell into obscurity after their deaths - a common trajectory for creators who weren't white men. As with most anthologies, the quality is not uniform, but there were more gems than duds. Plus, I do enjoy the rediscovery of neglected works.
I enjoyed all seven of the ghost stories, but my favorites were Charlotte Riddell's "Nut Bush Farm" and Mary Freeman's "The Wind in the Rose Bush" for their combination of eerie manifestations and murder mysteries. For stories of the weird, I especially liked "The Moonstone Mass" by Harriet Spofford - it was really trippy and atmospheric. "What Was the Matter?" by Elizabeth Phelps and "An Itinerant House" by Emma Dawson were enjoyable for their creative premises.
edited by Leslie S. Klinger and Lisa Morton
This collection of short stories by women focuses on the supernatural and uncanny. The authors featured are mostly lesser known writers, many of whom were successful and acclaimed during their lifetimes but fell into obscurity after their deaths - a common trajectory for creators who weren't white men. As with most anthologies, the quality is not uniform, but there were more gems than duds. Plus, I do enjoy the rediscovery of neglected works.
I enjoyed all seven of the ghost stories, but my favorites were Charlotte Riddell's "Nut Bush Farm" and Mary Freeman's "The Wind in the Rose Bush" for their combination of eerie manifestations and murder mysteries. For stories of the weird, I especially liked "The Moonstone Mass" by Harriet Spofford - it was really trippy and atmospheric. "What Was the Matter?" by Elizabeth Phelps and "An Itinerant House" by Emma Dawson were enjoyable for their creative premises.
