All Hallows Walter de la Mare (1926)
Sunday’s Gothic Short Story, October 30, 2022
READING FICTION BLOG
Here is a perfect story to read aloud for Halloween. Walter de la Mare is a dazzling author famous for his ghost stories and psychological drama. This is a fast short story and absolutely classic. We have a traveler visiting a deserted cathedral. The cathedral is not just haunted.
“Devils are creatures made by God, and that for vengeance.”
Why would devils haunt a deserted cathedral?
“We then turned inward once more, ascending yet another spiral staircase. And now the intense darkness had thinned a little, the groined roof above us becoming faintly discernible. A fresher air softly fanned my cheek; and then trembling fingers groped over my breast, and, cold and bony, clutched my own.”
You got to read this one. Author de la Mare is one of the finest writers of the supernatural.
Walter de la Mare (1873 – 1956) was an English poet, short story writer, and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem “The Listeners”, and for a highly acclaimed selection of subtle psychological horror stories, amongst them Seaton’s Aunt and The Return. He was considered one of modern literature’s chief exemplars of the romantic imagination.
Read All Hallows at Gutenberg.ca (page 288 in Table of Contents):
https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/delamarew-beststories/delamarew-beststories-00-h.html#Page_288
Listen to the audio at BBC Radio:
Don’t forget to view the INDEX OF AUTHORS’ TALES above for more free reading at Reading Fiction Blog. This is a compendium of over 250 short stories by more than 150 famous storytellers of mystery, suspense, supernatural, ghost stories, crime, sci-fi, romance, ‘quiet horror,’ and mainstream fiction.
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Paula Cappa 
Thank you for the YouTube link to the BBC reading. How atmospheric and dramatic! It’s an excellent reading!
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I love audio short stories. Great for a quickie at lunchtime.
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