I forget where I first spotted Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror, but I do remember that I was completely captivated by the cover.
And I was delighted to discover that it was a gothic and a portmanteau book – two things I can never resist.
Edgar is a solitary child – his parents are distant and, because he has been sent away to school, he is not close to the neighbourhood children. As the story opens with young Edgar walking through the woods to visit his Uncle Montague. The author takes you along on that walk, and you never leave Edgar’s side, through everything that is to come.
Menace is so cleverly hinted at with very small details – a slow-moving kissing-gate, silent children lurking in overgrown woods, a cold and heavy garden gate …
Finally Edgar and Uncle Montague settle down for tea, cake and stories in Uncle Montague’s wonderfully gothic house. And what stories! Each one is simple, clear, and perfectly-formed. And they are strange tales, each with a child protagonist, and each escalating to a striking twist.
A boy enters the house of a woman he believes to be a witch and meets a most unexpected fate; a girl opens a forbidden door and is trapped in a dolls’ house; a boy chased off a cliff by a demonic version of himself; a girl granted three wishes who finds that those wishes have dark consequences…. It would be unfair to say too much.
Some of the stories are stronger than others but they all work. And, while each is distinctive, they come together well as a set.
But that’s not all. Edgar and Uncle Montague talk between stories, and their own story develops. Edgar begins to wonder. Is there is truth in the stories? Where have the artefacts that Uncle Montague shows him come from? And who are the strange children trying to gain access to the house?
All becomes clear in the astonishing final story – Uncle Montague’s own.
Everything comes togethere just perfectly.
Tribute is paid to many great writers of ghost stories and the volume itself is a lovely little hardback, beautifully illustrated by David Roberts.
Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror is a chilren’s book but it makes wonderful reading for adults too – and it would be lovely for parents or grandparents to read to children with a love of scary things.
This sounds wonderful, and I love the cover…but have to ask, what is a portmanteau book?
JoAnn – A portmanteau book is basically a set of short stories with something to link them together. So the book works as a whole, but there are elements that are complete in themselves too.
Thank you! I hate to show my ignorance, but had never seen that term before.
Linked short stories might have been a simpler wy to express myself, but I particularly like the word portmanteau!
…and now I have a new word to love, too!
I think I said linked short stories when I reviewed this, but I liked that about it too. But I liked it all! My favourite stories were the dolls house one and the boy who turned into a tree! There is a follow up too which my son said was still creepy but not quite as good.
I agree – the cover is definitely captivating and after reading the review I am also intrigued about the writing. I look forward to reading it.
what a great find. I think the cover is captivating too, wonderful review. If you want to peek at my reviews they are here.
I’m totally drawn in by the cover. It sounds like the book is great too!
I really dig that cover too!!! I want to read these stories!!
I’d love to read these! The cover is lovely. I’d buy it to read to my nephews but I think they’d just be terrified rather than enchanted!