Best Stories of Walter de la Mare (Annotated)

Enriched Edition. Dreamlike Uncanny Fiction, Edwardian Ghost Stories, and Classic Weird TalesBy Walter de la Mare

Listen with Sir Michael Caine™ and 1,000+ voices

Try for $0.00 Get for $2

Length0m

About this audiobook

Best Stories of Walter de la Mare gathers exemplary short fiction from one of English literature's most subtle explorers of the uncanny, the dreamlike, and the psychologically elusive. These stories move through haunted rooms, childhood perceptions, strange visitations, and moments when ordinary life trembles into mystery. De la Mare's prose is lyrical yet restrained, shaped by symbolism, folklore, and the late Victorian and Edwardian ghost-story tradition, while anticipating modernist inwardness in its attention to consciousness, ambiguity, and atmosphere. Walter de la Mare (1873–1956) was a poet, novelist, and short-story writer whose imagination was deeply nourished by childhood, solitude, memory, and the suggestive power of the unseen. His long career, including celebrated works for both adults and children, reflects a rare ability to make fantasy intellectually serious and emotionally precise. His experience as a poet is evident in the musicality of his sentences and in his preference for implication over explanation. This collection is highly recommended to readers who value fiction that unsettles quietly rather than theatrically. Admirers of Henry James, M. R. James, and Algernon Blackwood will find here a distinctive master: elegant, mysterious, and profoundly attentive to the shadows cast by the human mind. This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions. - A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation. - A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists. - A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths. - Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts. - Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.