Ghost Story (1 of 5) : Number 13 by M.R. James

Ghost Story
Number 13
M.R. James
(1 of 5)

• Category

  Entertainment

[steerpike66]

This one is crap; too much meddling in basic themes; and the insertion of all those sexual subtexts would have depressed and alienated James. Why are the people in these modern adaptations always played as rude, aggressive or aloof? James' men are always friendly and civilized. I don't recognize this dickhead at all.

[steerpike66]

I blame the emphasis in modern life on aggressive tension and 'conflict' the stories aren't dark enough already; they have to be Eastenderised, with everyone acting like assholes to each other.

[TungstenKid]

I liked this tale because the paranormal phenomena was witnessed by several people, making it all the more believable.

Usually in ghost stories only one witness sees it and doesn't tell anybody else which seems silly to me

[Jing Lin]

I think the issue's better addressed in the original story--the story explains that rooms 12 and 14 each had 3 windows in the daytime, but only 2 windows at night, strongly implying that room 13 only comes into existence at night by taking 1/3 of the space from each of rooms 12 and 14. Presumably people are sleepy and rather incoherent at night and don't really notice the missing space in their rooms/the additional door in the hallway.

[jimtrueblue99]

Isn't it just a little improbable that in one of the oldest buildings in the town and in a hotel with many guests and staff, nobody had ever noticed that between room 12 and the next room down the hall, there was a big space that was part of neither room? Wouldn't somebody with a measuring tape have noticed that sums of the dimensions of the rooms and the length of the hallway were very different? Wouldn't somebody want to know why and try to find out? How can an entire room be hidden?

[janknuckey]

yes, very disappointing....not a patch on the terror of the old programmes

[waimun85]

i feel so boring

[randomdave30]

Unfortunately it's 'modern' which means it's got to have sexuality and attitude and bad manners.

[TheEmperorBokassa]

Those are dessert spoons, one of the women appears to be eating with a serving spoon- or possibly even a ladle !

[Fraterculae]

i live in a village often used for filming .. everything from agatha christie to MR james to midsomer murders to eastenders. Many of the actors live around here. I had hoped the old tales would rub off on the village, instead the modern villagers have rubbed off on the old stories. Eastenders actors popping up in Christie stories .. "oi, did you spill my pint" .. :(