Mystery stories were read avidly by people in the Victorian era.

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C/W                                                                                                                          06.06.05     

Mystery stories were read avidly by people in the Victorian era. Writer’s, such as M.R. James, author of “The Red Room”, H. G. Wells, author of “Lost Hearts”, used a number of different features to create tension in their stories. These two novelists will be the focus of this essay, and it will take a look at the ways they build tension. However it will first have brief biographies of the author’s, and a short summary of their stories.

H.G. Wells was born in 1866 and died in1946. He worked as a writer, in London, his works include, “The Time Machine”, “The Invisible Man”, and “The Wonderful Visit”, to name but a few. He also managed to survive through both WW1 and WW2.

The story opens in a gothic castle, the narrator is standing by a fire, an old woman and a man with a withered arm is present. The narrator is there to spend a night in the supposedly haunted red room. He is sceptical of the old people’s beliefs and is doubtful of the existence of any ghostly apparitions. A second man enters, even more withered than first. A list of warnings ensues, but the narrator light heartedly brushes them off. He asks if they could show him to the haunted room, they give him directions, saying he must go alone. Taking his lighted candle he follows their directions, down chilly passages, and arrives at the door to the red room, located in a shady corner with steps leading up to it. He is reminded of the young duke who had met his death falling down the steps he had just ascended. He to, had been on a vigil trying to conquer the ideas of ghosts inhabiting this castle. As soon as the narrator entered he fastened the door, and satisfying himself that he had no unwanted company, he proceeded to place light candles in the numerous shadow infested corners and crevices of the room. Just after midnight a candle suddenly goes out, as he walks over to relight it a further two more go out. The night continues in this fashion, the narrator struggles to keep the candles alight, in an effort to prevent the impending darkness. In his frenzy the candle is dropped, darkness comes upon him, as he stumbles to reach the door, and the comfort of the moonlit corridor. In his frantic efforts he crashes into the furniture, and somehow stains a blow to the head. He wakes up to daylight, a bandaged head, and the unexpected kindness of the old people, who only yesterday seemed so hostile. The narrator concludes that there is no real ghost which haunts the red room, only fear and the darkness which empowers it.

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M.R. James was born in 1862 and died in 1936, in Cambridge. He was the vice chancellor of the University of Cambridge. Among his writings are ‘Ghost Stories Of An Anti-quarry” as well as “A Thin Ghost”.

The story of “Lost Hearts” opens on a September evening, outside an old gothic manor house. A post-chaise arrives and a little boy emerges, ready to meet his new guardian, his elderly cousin Mr Abney. Stephen Elliot is an orphan, and it is strange why his cousin would suddenly take an interest in bringing up a child. Stephen meets Mrs Bunch, ...

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