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Antique Dust: Ghost Stories
‘Dealers are undertakers of a sort. When a man dies, the undertaker comes for the body, and the dealer comes for the rest. I deal in dead men’s clocks, pipes and swords. Passing through my hands, they give off joy, loneliness, fear . . . I have known more evil in a set of false teeth than in any so-called haunted house in England.’
So speaks Geoff Ashden, a regular guy trying to make an honest living as an antique dealer, but who has an uncanny knack for finding cursed objects and haunted places: a sinister Georgian clock carved with obscene and Satanic designs, a hideous doll with deadly powers, a pair of old spectacles that let their wearer see a little too clearly, an ugly house with a terrifying secret, a church full of graffiti scrawled in decomposing human flesh. In this collection, award-winning children’s author Robert Westall delivers a set of chilling tales for adults and proves himself, as Orrin Grey writes in the new introduction to this edition, ‘an obvious successor to that godfather of the English ghost story, M.R. James .’
CONTEMPORARY REVIEWS
‘[C]reepy . . . develops a sense of palpable evil . . . well worth the time of readers who prefer slyly civilized British ghost-stories’ – Kirkus Reviews
‘Fiendishly clever, spine-tingling short fiction’ – Publishers Weekly
‘Marvelous M. R. Jamesian-style ghost stories’ – Michael Dirda, Washington Post
Contents
The Devil and Clocky Watson • (1989) • novelette by Robert Westall
The Doll • (1989) • novelette by Robert Westall
The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneaux • (1989) • novelette by Robert Westall
The Dumbledore • (1989) • short story by Robert Westall
The Woolworth Spectacles • (1989) • short story by Robert Westall
Portland Bill • (1989) • short story by Robert Westall
The Ugly House • (1989) • novelette by Robert Westall
So speaks Geoff Ashden, a regular guy trying to make an honest living as an antique dealer, but who has an uncanny knack for finding cursed objects and haunted places: a sinister Georgian clock carved with obscene and Satanic designs, a hideous doll with deadly powers, a pair of old spectacles that let their wearer see a little too clearly, an ugly house with a terrifying secret, a church full of graffiti scrawled in decomposing human flesh. In this collection, award-winning children’s author Robert Westall delivers a set of chilling tales for adults and proves himself, as Orrin Grey writes in the new introduction to this edition, ‘an obvious successor to that godfather of the English ghost story, M.R. James .’
CONTEMPORARY REVIEWS
‘[C]reepy . . . develops a sense of palpable evil . . . well worth the time of readers who prefer slyly civilized British ghost-stories’ – Kirkus Reviews
‘Fiendishly clever, spine-tingling short fiction’ – Publishers Weekly
‘Marvelous M. R. Jamesian-style ghost stories’ – Michael Dirda, Washington Post
Contents
The Devil and Clocky Watson • (1989) • novelette by Robert Westall
The Doll • (1989) • novelette by Robert Westall
The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneaux • (1989) • novelette by Robert Westall
The Dumbledore • (1989) • short story by Robert Westall
The Woolworth Spectacles • (1989) • short story by Robert Westall
Portland Bill • (1989) • short story by Robert Westall
The Ugly House • (1989) • novelette by Robert Westall
238 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Robert Westall
111 books103 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Robert Westall was born in North Shields, Northumberland, England in 1929.
His first published book The Machine Gunners (1975) which won him the Carnegie Medal is set in World War Two when a group of children living on Tyneside retrieve a machine-gun from a crashed German aircraft. He won the Carnegie Medal again in 1981 for The Scarecrows, the first writer to win it twice. He won the Smarties Prize in 1989 for Blitzcat and the Guardian Award in 1990 for The Kingdom by the Sea. Robert Westall's books have been published in 21 different countries and in 18 different languages, including Braille.
From: http://www.robertwestall.com/
Robert Westall was born in North Shields, Northumberland, England in 1929.
His first published book The Machine Gunners (1975) which won him the Carnegie Medal is set in World War Two when a group of children living on Tyneside retrieve a machine-gun from a crashed German aircraft. He won the Carnegie Medal again in 1981 for The Scarecrows, the first writer to win it twice. He won the Smarties Prize in 1989 for Blitzcat and the Guardian Award in 1990 for The Kingdom by the Sea. Robert Westall's books have been published in 21 different countries and in 18 different languages, including Braille.
From: http://www.robertwestall.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
September 6, 2024
3.8 stars
short review for busy readers: a collection of 7 loosely related stories centring around a mildly roguish English antiques dealer in the 1950s-60s and the spooky things that either happened to him, or he heard about. Bold and enjoyable narrative voice. Longer chapters. I found only 2 of the stories to be *really* frightening, the rest are enjoyable but on the mild side. Pleasant read.
in detail:
Robert Westall was mid-20th century award-winning writer of children's and middle grade novels. Towards the end of his life, he became interested in antique dealing which inspired this collection of antiques-based stories.
The collection's narrator, Geoff Ashden, and subject matter will immediately remind any reader who knows British author Jonathan Gash of his "Lovejoy" mystery series. Those who have seen the BBC series of the 1980-90s that were based on the books, doubly so. This collection could easily be a Lovejoy Halloween special!
Link to the Wiki article about the BBC Lovejoy series (which can be watched on YouTube): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovejoy
"Antique Dust" was Westall's only publication for adults.
A run-down of the individual stories:
The Devil and Clocky Watson (2.5) a weak introduction to our narrator, relating a story he heard from rival dealer, Clocky Watson, about a haunted clock. Not too well-crafted, highly awkward in parts and more like a story for 10-year olds, but with adult themes. Must have been the first Ashden story where Westall was getting used to an adult style.
The Doll (4) Dolls are fave haunted objects and this very valuable collection of antique china dolls Ashden gets his hands on falls very much into that bracket. Very spooky and with a good ending.
The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneaux (4) Never ever ever take a group of unruly school kids on an educational outing to an old church with a resident malign spirit. Might just lead to some very off-putting results for kids, adults and the entombed dead. (But it also introduces Ashden to his future wife.)
The Dumbledore (3) Not really a ghost story, more Ashden's revisitation of the places he 'haunted' in WW2 and how so many men never got over their time in the service. Nostalgic and sad.
The Woolworth Spectacles (3.5) Nice little spooky tale about a pair of glasses that makes the owner see the world in a very peculiar light. The end reveal, which is very on-the-nose and highly unlikely as an explanation, ruins it.
Portland Bill (5) Highly enjoyable ghost story about Ashden trying to help a woman find her lost child...only to find out he's not the first middle aged gallant knight she's turned to in her pretty, tearful desperation since her death!
The Ugly House (5) Best of the collection, IMHO. Modern story about local gov men infighting over the demolition of a house owned by the local cunning man. Cross him and bad stuff happens. Real bad. And in this day and age!!! 😱 This one doesn't include Ashden, but a much more interesting character called Mr Dobson.
Taken together: 3.8 stars. Rounded up to 4.
short review for busy readers: a collection of 7 loosely related stories centring around a mildly roguish English antiques dealer in the 1950s-60s and the spooky things that either happened to him, or he heard about. Bold and enjoyable narrative voice. Longer chapters. I found only 2 of the stories to be *really* frightening, the rest are enjoyable but on the mild side. Pleasant read.
in detail:
Robert Westall was mid-20th century award-winning writer of children's and middle grade novels. Towards the end of his life, he became interested in antique dealing which inspired this collection of antiques-based stories.
The collection's narrator, Geoff Ashden, and subject matter will immediately remind any reader who knows British author Jonathan Gash of his "Lovejoy" mystery series. Those who have seen the BBC series of the 1980-90s that were based on the books, doubly so. This collection could easily be a Lovejoy Halloween special!
Link to the Wiki article about the BBC Lovejoy series (which can be watched on YouTube): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovejoy
"Antique Dust" was Westall's only publication for adults.
A run-down of the individual stories:
The Devil and Clocky Watson (2.5) a weak introduction to our narrator, relating a story he heard from rival dealer, Clocky Watson, about a haunted clock. Not too well-crafted, highly awkward in parts and more like a story for 10-year olds, but with adult themes. Must have been the first Ashden story where Westall was getting used to an adult style.
The Doll (4) Dolls are fave haunted objects and this very valuable collection of antique china dolls Ashden gets his hands on falls very much into that bracket. Very spooky and with a good ending.
The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneaux (4) Never ever ever take a group of unruly school kids on an educational outing to an old church with a resident malign spirit. Might just lead to some very off-putting results for kids, adults and the entombed dead. (But it also introduces Ashden to his future wife.)
The Dumbledore (3) Not really a ghost story, more Ashden's revisitation of the places he 'haunted' in WW2 and how so many men never got over their time in the service. Nostalgic and sad.
The Woolworth Spectacles (3.5) Nice little spooky tale about a pair of glasses that makes the owner see the world in a very peculiar light. The end reveal, which is very on-the-nose and highly unlikely as an explanation, ruins it.
Portland Bill (5) Highly enjoyable ghost story about Ashden trying to help a woman find her lost child...only to find out he's not the first middle aged gallant knight she's turned to in her pretty, tearful desperation since her death!
The Ugly House (5) Best of the collection, IMHO. Modern story about local gov men infighting over the demolition of a house owned by the local cunning man. Cross him and bad stuff happens. Real bad. And in this day and age!!! 😱 This one doesn't include Ashden, but a much more interesting character called Mr Dobson.
Taken together: 3.8 stars. Rounded up to 4.
February 6, 2017
See this and the rest of the crap I write @ my blog Bark's Book Nonsense
I’ve always believed that old things are haunted but I never realized that the quiet little world of antique buying and selling was so cut-throat!
I listened to this collection of eerie stories on unabridged audio. They’re all stories about antique dealer Geoff Ashton, except for one or two that are stories told to him or are about a close relative. My copy was narrated by R.C. Bray whose voice is wizened and quite perfect for this book about old stuff.
The Devil and Clocky Watson
This first story introduces us to Geoff. He’s an honest dealer just trying to make a living but others, namely a shifty character named Clocky Watson, cheat the system. Geoff attempts to get back at Clocky in what he thinks is the most fitting of ways but things go awry. This tale, like all the stories that follow, is eerie and dripping with creepy atmosphere. 4.5 Stars
The Doll
Geoff realizes that old dolls = $$ and buys a large collection of them from a boozy widow for a song but trouble soon follows. Creepy dolls will always be creepy and this story is no exception. There were two points here where frighteningly loud music was piped in and it nearly made me pee my pants and overrode the narration. Beware!
This one was probably my favorite. 5 Stars
The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneaux
This story was about a creepy old church, desecrated graves, unnerving goings-on and Miss Dorinda Molyneaux.
The Dumbledore
This one simply wasn’t meant for me and it more than likely comes down to a matter of taste and my lack of it. The Dumbledore was a watering hole for men during war times. It's about secrets, war heroes and a young boy named Little Tex. 3 Stars
The Woolworth Spectacles
This one features Geoff’s cousin and was much more my speed. Shy Maude's always been told that "men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses". But then she finds a pair of spectacles at Woolworth's (that's an old department store for you youngin's) left behind by an old woman and puts them on her face.
And she can see the world in wondrous detail! Initially she’s pretty thrilled but then people start looking at her differently. Crude work-men leer at her and she is unsettled. Soon, though, she finds her power over men a little intoxicating and begins to use it even to her advantage even though she knows deep down that this is very unlike her. She revels in it anyway and it leads to disaster.
I liked this story quite a bit and found Maude’s personality change both organic and frightening. 5 Stars
Portland Bill
Geoff is on vacation with his wife, who has meandered off to do things without him. Before long, he finds a beautiful and distraught woman who begs for help. Her son has gone missing and Geoff being the dirty, old, and let’s not forget MARRIED perv that he is, has lustful thoughts about her even though she’s frantic to find her son.
“My bowels moved with lust for her.”
Oh Geoff, you sexy beast, however did you convince a woman to marry you?
Despite his pervy thoughts, he’s not so bad a guy and decides to help her out. When the townsfolk and police brush him off Geoff starts to have ominous feelings about the situation.
Haunting and, like all the rest, beautifully atmospheric. 4 Stars
The Ugly House
I listened to this one twice because when I sat down to write this up, I couldn’t remember a thing about it and figured I had sleep-walked through it. Now after the 2nd listen and writing all of the above, I still can’t remember much about it besides the fact that there was a building inspector and an ugly house that Would Not Be Demolished and damned if I can remember anything else about it.
Guess it wasn’t meant for me. 3 Stars
I’d easily recommend this collection to anyone looking for slower paced, old-style horror that crawls under your skin and creeps you out.
HA pages read thread
Audiobook #2: Audiobook Challenge
Horror Book #1: 2017 Horror Challenge
TBR Book #3: HA TBR Challenge
I’ve always believed that old things are haunted but I never realized that the quiet little world of antique buying and selling was so cut-throat!
I listened to this collection of eerie stories on unabridged audio. They’re all stories about antique dealer Geoff Ashton, except for one or two that are stories told to him or are about a close relative. My copy was narrated by R.C. Bray whose voice is wizened and quite perfect for this book about old stuff.
The Devil and Clocky Watson
This first story introduces us to Geoff. He’s an honest dealer just trying to make a living but others, namely a shifty character named Clocky Watson, cheat the system. Geoff attempts to get back at Clocky in what he thinks is the most fitting of ways but things go awry. This tale, like all the stories that follow, is eerie and dripping with creepy atmosphere. 4.5 Stars
The Doll
Geoff realizes that old dolls = $$ and buys a large collection of them from a boozy widow for a song but trouble soon follows. Creepy dolls will always be creepy and this story is no exception. There were two points here where frighteningly loud music was piped in and it nearly made me pee my pants and overrode the narration. Beware!
This one was probably my favorite. 5 Stars
The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneaux
This story was about a creepy old church, desecrated graves, unnerving goings-on and Miss Dorinda Molyneaux.
The Dumbledore
This one simply wasn’t meant for me and it more than likely comes down to a matter of taste and my lack of it. The Dumbledore was a watering hole for men during war times. It's about secrets, war heroes and a young boy named Little Tex. 3 Stars
The Woolworth Spectacles
This one features Geoff’s cousin and was much more my speed. Shy Maude's always been told that "men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses". But then she finds a pair of spectacles at Woolworth's (that's an old department store for you youngin's) left behind by an old woman and puts them on her face.
And she can see the world in wondrous detail! Initially she’s pretty thrilled but then people start looking at her differently. Crude work-men leer at her and she is unsettled. Soon, though, she finds her power over men a little intoxicating and begins to use it even to her advantage even though she knows deep down that this is very unlike her. She revels in it anyway and it leads to disaster.
I liked this story quite a bit and found Maude’s personality change both organic and frightening. 5 Stars
Portland Bill
Geoff is on vacation with his wife, who has meandered off to do things without him. Before long, he finds a beautiful and distraught woman who begs for help. Her son has gone missing and Geoff being the dirty, old, and let’s not forget MARRIED perv that he is, has lustful thoughts about her even though she’s frantic to find her son.
“My bowels moved with lust for her.”
Oh Geoff, you sexy beast, however did you convince a woman to marry you?
Despite his pervy thoughts, he’s not so bad a guy and decides to help her out. When the townsfolk and police brush him off Geoff starts to have ominous feelings about the situation.
Haunting and, like all the rest, beautifully atmospheric. 4 Stars
The Ugly House
I listened to this one twice because when I sat down to write this up, I couldn’t remember a thing about it and figured I had sleep-walked through it. Now after the 2nd listen and writing all of the above, I still can’t remember much about it besides the fact that there was a building inspector and an ugly house that Would Not Be Demolished and damned if I can remember anything else about it.
Guess it wasn’t meant for me. 3 Stars
I’d easily recommend this collection to anyone looking for slower paced, old-style horror that crawls under your skin and creeps you out.
HA pages read thread
Audiobook #2: Audiobook Challenge
Horror Book #1: 2017 Horror Challenge
TBR Book #3: HA TBR Challenge
March 2, 2015
4.5 stars!
This is one fantastic short story collection! Dedicated to M.R. James, these stories do have a James-ian feel to them that I loved.
As in James' collection "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary" , these stories have a connecting thread. Instead of finding lost manuscripts and that type of thing, in this book the connecting thread is one Geoff Ashden, a combat veteran and an antique dealer. He is sometimes featured in the tales and sometimes just relating them.
I found Mr. Westall's writing skills to be accessible while still beautiful. I also loved his observations throughout, which all rang true for me. For instance this quote:
"In madness, there are no rules; or you might say the mad make up their rules as they go along and they never bear any resemblance to your rules."
Or this little tidbit which rings true for this cat owner:
"Mirabelle is my cat, or rather the cat that drifted in and took me over."
And lastly from the final story as Mr. Ashden ages, this bittersweet line:
"But odd things still happen to people, even though they no longer seem to happen to Geoff Ashden."
This collection of 7 stories was excellent. Without being pretentious, this collection packs in the scares and goosebumps along with literary, but simple, language. The stories are diverse and one is not really even a supernatural story, but that didn't matter to me, because I enjoyed all of the tales SO much. I think my favorite story had to be The Doll. Who doesn't love horror stories that feature dolls?
This edition has a wonderful introduction by Orrin Grey, which relates some background information about Robert Westall. I found the intro to be an interesting enhancement to this outstanding collection.
My highest recommendation to short story fans, and most especially to fans of M.R. James!
*I received this copy free from Valancourt Books in exchange for an honest review. This is it!*
This is one fantastic short story collection! Dedicated to M.R. James, these stories do have a James-ian feel to them that I loved.
As in James' collection "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary" , these stories have a connecting thread. Instead of finding lost manuscripts and that type of thing, in this book the connecting thread is one Geoff Ashden, a combat veteran and an antique dealer. He is sometimes featured in the tales and sometimes just relating them.
I found Mr. Westall's writing skills to be accessible while still beautiful. I also loved his observations throughout, which all rang true for me. For instance this quote:
"In madness, there are no rules; or you might say the mad make up their rules as they go along and they never bear any resemblance to your rules."
Or this little tidbit which rings true for this cat owner:
"Mirabelle is my cat, or rather the cat that drifted in and took me over."
And lastly from the final story as Mr. Ashden ages, this bittersweet line:
"But odd things still happen to people, even though they no longer seem to happen to Geoff Ashden."
This collection of 7 stories was excellent. Without being pretentious, this collection packs in the scares and goosebumps along with literary, but simple, language. The stories are diverse and one is not really even a supernatural story, but that didn't matter to me, because I enjoyed all of the tales SO much. I think my favorite story had to be The Doll. Who doesn't love horror stories that feature dolls?
This edition has a wonderful introduction by Orrin Grey, which relates some background information about Robert Westall. I found the intro to be an interesting enhancement to this outstanding collection.
My highest recommendation to short story fans, and most especially to fans of M.R. James!
*I received this copy free from Valancourt Books in exchange for an honest review. This is it!*
April 10, 2016
4.5 stars
ANTIQUE DUST: Ghost Stories, by Robert Westall is a collection of short stories similar in style to the writings of M.R. James. Geoff Ashden, an antique dealer is the central character in this theme of stories relating to either he, his antique dealings, or (as he ages) people who know and tell their tales to him. "...odd things still happen to people, even though they no longer seem to happen to Geoff Ashden."
Whether it be a cursed item or a haunted local, Westwall weaves these stories of gothic-style horror that subtly draw the reader into their webs. The buildings, mannerisms of the characters, and even the dreary weather brought into tales, all blend together into these riveting, unsettling occurrences.
A special "thank you" to Valancourt books for bringing these forgotten stories back into the light.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy old-fashioned ghost stories!
ANTIQUE DUST: Ghost Stories, by Robert Westall is a collection of short stories similar in style to the writings of M.R. James. Geoff Ashden, an antique dealer is the central character in this theme of stories relating to either he, his antique dealings, or (as he ages) people who know and tell their tales to him. "...odd things still happen to people, even though they no longer seem to happen to Geoff Ashden."
Whether it be a cursed item or a haunted local, Westwall weaves these stories of gothic-style horror that subtly draw the reader into their webs. The buildings, mannerisms of the characters, and even the dreary weather brought into tales, all blend together into these riveting, unsettling occurrences.
A special "thank you" to Valancourt books for bringing these forgotten stories back into the light.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy old-fashioned ghost stories!
January 28, 2019
4 stars--I really liked it. Trigger warnings for both sexual and animal violence (though not graphic).
This is a collection of 7 short stories, loosely tied together by the narrator, an antiques dealer. Though the narrator isn't really likable (he's a cheat both in his marriage and in his business), he has a lot of interesting stories to tell (mostly ghost stories), and this reads like an intimate conversation, perhaps telling stories in a pub or near a roaring fire.
"The Devil and Clocky Watson" was perhaps my favorite story, about an obscene clock and the ghost haunting it. "The Doll" spooked me a little, with its animated dolls. "The Dumbledore" was probably my least favorite of the stories, since it lacked anything supernatural. And "Portland Bill" is a classic English ghost story.
Recommended for horror readers--especially those who enjoy classic stories.
This is a collection of 7 short stories, loosely tied together by the narrator, an antiques dealer. Though the narrator isn't really likable (he's a cheat both in his marriage and in his business), he has a lot of interesting stories to tell (mostly ghost stories), and this reads like an intimate conversation, perhaps telling stories in a pub or near a roaring fire.
"The Devil and Clocky Watson" was perhaps my favorite story, about an obscene clock and the ghost haunting it. "The Doll" spooked me a little, with its animated dolls. "The Dumbledore" was probably my least favorite of the stories, since it lacked anything supernatural. And "Portland Bill" is a classic English ghost story.
Recommended for horror readers--especially those who enjoy classic stories.
January 16, 2023
Antique Dust by Robert Westall (1929-1993), first published by Viking in 1989, has just been republished by Valancourt Books as a paperback. It contains seven stories: 'The Devil and Clocky Watson', 'The Doll', 'The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneaux', 'The Dumbledore', 'The Woolworth Spectacles', 'Portland Bill', and 'The Ugly House'.
Robert Westall is best known as a writer of books for children and young adults; he was awarded the Carnegie Medal twice, for The Machine Gunners and The Scarecrows, and won the Dracula Society's Children of the Night Award for his book The Stones of Muncaster Cathedral. The current volume, Antique Dust, is Westall's only collection of supernatural stories written specifically for an adult audience.
The narrator of each story is Geoff Ashden, an antique dealer whose stomping ground is the market town of Muncaster. Westall's tales truly do capture the atmosphere of the antiques trade, with its unusual characters, some of whom can be decidedly less than honest. In an environment where so many old objects are passng from one pair of hands to another, picking up who knows what along the way, the possibilities for hauntings seem limitless.
'Dealers are undertakers of a sort. When a man dies, the undertaker comes for the body, and quite often the dealer comes for the rest... I deal in dead men's clocks, pipes, swords and velvet breeches. And passing through my hands, they give off joy and loneliness, fear and optimism... I have known more evil in a set of false teeth than in any so-called haunted house in England.'
In 'The Devil and Clocky Watson', Clocky Watson isn't a very nice man; he's not a very honest one either. He used to hang around the antique-sales after the War, tampering with the Viennese clocks so he could get them for next to nothing. Then he set up in old Joe Gorman's shop, which collapsed and burnt to ashes one night; Gorman died from the shock. Ashden's always known that Clocky's a bad lot, and he wants to bring him down. And the means to that end comes in the form of a haunted eighteenth century ebony and ormolu bracket clock.
Click here to read the rest of the review...
Robert Westall is best known as a writer of books for children and young adults; he was awarded the Carnegie Medal twice, for The Machine Gunners and The Scarecrows, and won the Dracula Society's Children of the Night Award for his book The Stones of Muncaster Cathedral. The current volume, Antique Dust, is Westall's only collection of supernatural stories written specifically for an adult audience.
The narrator of each story is Geoff Ashden, an antique dealer whose stomping ground is the market town of Muncaster. Westall's tales truly do capture the atmosphere of the antiques trade, with its unusual characters, some of whom can be decidedly less than honest. In an environment where so many old objects are passng from one pair of hands to another, picking up who knows what along the way, the possibilities for hauntings seem limitless.
'Dealers are undertakers of a sort. When a man dies, the undertaker comes for the body, and quite often the dealer comes for the rest... I deal in dead men's clocks, pipes, swords and velvet breeches. And passing through my hands, they give off joy and loneliness, fear and optimism... I have known more evil in a set of false teeth than in any so-called haunted house in England.'
In 'The Devil and Clocky Watson', Clocky Watson isn't a very nice man; he's not a very honest one either. He used to hang around the antique-sales after the War, tampering with the Viennese clocks so he could get them for next to nothing. Then he set up in old Joe Gorman's shop, which collapsed and burnt to ashes one night; Gorman died from the shock. Ashden's always known that Clocky's a bad lot, and he wants to bring him down. And the means to that end comes in the form of a haunted eighteenth century ebony and ormolu bracket clock.
Click here to read the rest of the review...
March 24, 2016
there was only 1 story in this book I didn't like, the rest were good. my favorite 2 were the last day of miss dorinda molyneaux and the ugly house.
August 28, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for Goodreads.
“Dealers are undertakers of a sort. When a man dies, the undertaker comes for his body, and quite often the dealer comes for the rest.”
I’ve been slowly making my way through Valancourt Books’ catalog of re-issued rare and neglected horror classics and Robert Westall’s Antique Dust (1989) was a personal treat for me. I’ve always loved antiques and have happy memories of my mother and I exploring a few local antique shops for porcelain dolls when I was a kid. So any books featuring dealers of old, broken, lost or ancient things will immediately draw me into its pages.
This short story collection is best suited for when you find yourself at home on a lazy, rainy day. It moves at a leisurely pace and feels reminiscent of the ghost stories of M.R. James–to whom the book is actually dedicated.
Our protagonist, Geoff Ashden, is an antique dealer who regales his audience with chilling stories of the haunted places he’s had the misfortune of encountering and cursed objects he’s collected over the years. From an unholy 18th century clock to a very unnerving collection of old dolls, each story is dripping with sinister gothic atmosphere. I absolutely loved it and was surprised to learn that this was Robert Westall’s first collection of stories for adults after spending many years as an award winning children’s author.
My favorites stories in this collection were:
The Devil and Clocky Watson
The Doll
The Woolworth Spectacles
The Ugly House
Give this collection a try if you’re drawn to antiques and classic ghost stories.
“Dealers are undertakers of a sort. When a man dies, the undertaker comes for his body, and quite often the dealer comes for the rest.”
I’ve been slowly making my way through Valancourt Books’ catalog of re-issued rare and neglected horror classics and Robert Westall’s Antique Dust (1989) was a personal treat for me. I’ve always loved antiques and have happy memories of my mother and I exploring a few local antique shops for porcelain dolls when I was a kid. So any books featuring dealers of old, broken, lost or ancient things will immediately draw me into its pages.
This short story collection is best suited for when you find yourself at home on a lazy, rainy day. It moves at a leisurely pace and feels reminiscent of the ghost stories of M.R. James–to whom the book is actually dedicated.
Our protagonist, Geoff Ashden, is an antique dealer who regales his audience with chilling stories of the haunted places he’s had the misfortune of encountering and cursed objects he’s collected over the years. From an unholy 18th century clock to a very unnerving collection of old dolls, each story is dripping with sinister gothic atmosphere. I absolutely loved it and was surprised to learn that this was Robert Westall’s first collection of stories for adults after spending many years as an award winning children’s author.
My favorites stories in this collection were:
The Devil and Clocky Watson
The Doll
The Woolworth Spectacles
The Ugly House
Give this collection a try if you’re drawn to antiques and classic ghost stories.
December 18, 2014
Read this one for a second time--though apparently the first was back before I used Goodreads--because I'm writing the introduction for the forthcoming reissue from Valancourt Books! Westall is a favorite of mine, so may this be the first of many of his books coming back into print!
Read
July 4, 2018In my efforts to read the few Robert Westall stories on my "to be read" list, I ordered this collection through Inter Library Loan, specifically to read "The Dumbledore."
As I had just read "The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneux" in my own copy of Best New Horror 1, and it appears here, I'll repurpose the review: "The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneux" - a school-outing to an ancient church leads to the release of something old and unwholesome from a crypt, a tattered something which leaves insulting graffiti scrawled on the various tombs in it's own dead tissue and which menaces the children. Another solidly told Westall piece (love the double cross title) with a creepy, sinister threat and his usual adroit handling of children characters.
As it turns out, all these stories are about the antiques dealer character featured in "The Last Day..." and "The Dumbledore" actually occurs next after that one. "The Dumbledore" has the antiques dealer travel to the old town where he was once stationed in his youth as part of the RAF in WWII, and specifically to the old bar he frequented (the name of which derives us the title) - which, surprisingly, is still extant (this is taking place in the mid-1960s) - but from which he receives a rather surprising rebuff. Tracking down an old townmate, he is filled in on the backstory of the Bar, it's current owner, her illegitimate child, and the legend of an American hero flier they all knew. It's an interesting story - only really a ghost story in the "metaphorical" sense, as the characters are haunted by their own pasts, the War, and memories of love. Not a horror story in any way, though.
As I had just read "The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneux" in my own copy of Best New Horror 1, and it appears here, I'll repurpose the review: "The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneux" - a school-outing to an ancient church leads to the release of something old and unwholesome from a crypt, a tattered something which leaves insulting graffiti scrawled on the various tombs in it's own dead tissue and which menaces the children. Another solidly told Westall piece (love the double cross title) with a creepy, sinister threat and his usual adroit handling of children characters.
As it turns out, all these stories are about the antiques dealer character featured in "The Last Day..." and "The Dumbledore" actually occurs next after that one. "The Dumbledore" has the antiques dealer travel to the old town where he was once stationed in his youth as part of the RAF in WWII, and specifically to the old bar he frequented (the name of which derives us the title) - which, surprisingly, is still extant (this is taking place in the mid-1960s) - but from which he receives a rather surprising rebuff. Tracking down an old townmate, he is filled in on the backstory of the Bar, it's current owner, her illegitimate child, and the legend of an American hero flier they all knew. It's an interesting story - only really a ghost story in the "metaphorical" sense, as the characters are haunted by their own pasts, the War, and memories of love. Not a horror story in any way, though.
January 27, 2019
While M.R. James hold court as the ultimate in inducing 'a pleasant terror', at times his stories appear too stuffy for the present. It seems as if we need stories written with such delicious erudition but also with some edge. Edge, that shows signs of loneliness, loss, love, lust, and blood.
Welcome to "Antique Dust". This modest collection, presently enjoying its second life as a Valancourt title, is one of the creepiest, nastiest, and finest collections that I have read.
The present edition, enriched by Orrin Grey's neat introduction, contains the following stories:
1. The Devil and Clocky Watson
2. The Doll
3. The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneaux
4. The Dumbledore (This one, despite being a non-supernatural story, gave me shivers with its sense of haunting and desolation)
5. The Woolworth Spectacles
6. Portland Bill
7. The Ugly House
We all know, old things and old places can be terrifying. This collection, with the ideal mixture of British wit, charm, love of macabre, and a throbbing tone of sex, is lightyears away from the world of James. But, in its own way, it deserves to be recognised as a terrific collection.
Highly Recommended.
Welcome to "Antique Dust". This modest collection, presently enjoying its second life as a Valancourt title, is one of the creepiest, nastiest, and finest collections that I have read.
The present edition, enriched by Orrin Grey's neat introduction, contains the following stories:
1. The Devil and Clocky Watson
2. The Doll
3. The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneaux
4. The Dumbledore (This one, despite being a non-supernatural story, gave me shivers with its sense of haunting and desolation)
5. The Woolworth Spectacles
6. Portland Bill
7. The Ugly House
We all know, old things and old places can be terrifying. This collection, with the ideal mixture of British wit, charm, love of macabre, and a throbbing tone of sex, is lightyears away from the world of James. But, in its own way, it deserves to be recognised as a terrific collection.
Highly Recommended.
February 21, 2020
Although various people have compared Westall's stories to those of MR James, the comparison doesn't bear too much scrutiny. Yes, both of them deal with haunted objects rather than (primarily) haunted locales, but beyond that, Westall's work is radically different. First, there's none of James's trademark pastiching of historical documents, and second, Westall's 'hero' is an exuberantly heterosexual antiques dealer who is much more worldly than James's reclusive scholars. If anything, these stories are closer to Johnathan Gash's 'Lovejoy' books than they are to a lot of mainstream supernatural fiction.
I think most of the stories are too long to sustain their ghostly elements, so Westall fills in with character detail and antiques' know-how. Oddly, this is sometimes preferable to the supernatural. I much preferred the rivalry with Clocky Watson to the revelations about the old clock and its dubious history (especially in so lengthy a tale). Elsewhere, there's a memorable dismembered doll scene, some spooky stuff with decaying flesh in an old church (a great idea marred a little by the school trip background), spectacles which reveal too much about those they focus on (an old idea given a quietly humorous twist) and a super finale in a battle between council surveyors and an elderly cunning man. 'The Ugly House' offers a very believable version of folk magic, and is impressively disturbing. 'Portland Bill' is a nicely atmospheric tale, although the revelation is predictable and a long time coming. 'The Dumbledore' is a melancholy account of the US air force in England during the war, and the tangled aftermath for the women and children the fly-boys left behind. It's not, strictly speaking, a ghost story, but it's very much about haunting, nevertheless.
This is a good and varied collection. The stories are at times a little too long, but the characterisations and quirky settings make up for this to some extent. It's also nice to see a protagonist who isn't tweedy and given to polishing his glasses every five minutes as he translates Latin, even if he's unfaithful and at times downright dishonest. Finally, the collection may be thirty years old, but its style is very like that of a lot of contemporary British small press stuff. It is also not a million miles from that of Andrew Taylor's 'Fireside Gothic'.
I think most of the stories are too long to sustain their ghostly elements, so Westall fills in with character detail and antiques' know-how. Oddly, this is sometimes preferable to the supernatural. I much preferred the rivalry with Clocky Watson to the revelations about the old clock and its dubious history (especially in so lengthy a tale). Elsewhere, there's a memorable dismembered doll scene, some spooky stuff with decaying flesh in an old church (a great idea marred a little by the school trip background), spectacles which reveal too much about those they focus on (an old idea given a quietly humorous twist) and a super finale in a battle between council surveyors and an elderly cunning man. 'The Ugly House' offers a very believable version of folk magic, and is impressively disturbing. 'Portland Bill' is a nicely atmospheric tale, although the revelation is predictable and a long time coming. 'The Dumbledore' is a melancholy account of the US air force in England during the war, and the tangled aftermath for the women and children the fly-boys left behind. It's not, strictly speaking, a ghost story, but it's very much about haunting, nevertheless.
This is a good and varied collection. The stories are at times a little too long, but the characterisations and quirky settings make up for this to some extent. It's also nice to see a protagonist who isn't tweedy and given to polishing his glasses every five minutes as he translates Latin, even if he's unfaithful and at times downright dishonest. Finally, the collection may be thirty years old, but its style is very like that of a lot of contemporary British small press stuff. It is also not a million miles from that of Andrew Taylor's 'Fireside Gothic'.
February 16, 2009
Excellent collection of 'grown up' ghost stories from an author best known for his young adult fiction. One of the stories, 'The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneux', consistently makes my own top ten list of best ghost stories; a modern homage to M. R. James which is as creepy and nasty as anything Ramsey Campbell has written.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
March 6, 2021Read 1½ stories and concluded this is most definitely not for me.
July 24, 2016
I find it startling to admit that until recently I had never heard of Robert Westall. Yet here I am having just finished, in record time, Antique Dust a truly wonderful memorable and highly entertaining collection of ghost stories. These are unusual by the fact that so much of the author's writing was directed at teenagers and below and this is really his only anthology for adults. However that is not to say that his other works, many based on his 2nd ww experiences cannot be read and enjoyed by all. A special mention must also be made to Valancourt Books bringing back to life rare, neglected, and out-of-print fiction. They were kind enough to send me a gratis copy of Antique Dust to read in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.
It should be noted if you are expecting horror of the gory and blood-stained variety then Robert Westall might not be to your liking. If however you appreciate the subtleties and imaginative storytelling of M R James then the variety of tales within Antique Dust will astound you. We are in the hands of antique traders and in particular Geoff Ashden who "wheels and deals"...."ducks and dives" as he attempts to make a living in the colourful world of antiquity. "Dealers are undertakers of a sort. When a man dies, the undertaker comes for his body, and quite often the dealer comes for the rest"
Every story in this collection is memorable but in particular the following were exceptional; "The Dumbledore" Ashden rediscovers a 2nd ww public house still actively serving and entertaining customers many years after the conclusion of hostilities...."The Dumbledore was still there...The same garish neon light the boys from the base had fixed up on VE night, saying The Dumbledore in big Hollywood handwriting. Relive the heroic lives of Major Stepanski, Captain O'Connell and Big Tex in a story with a very poignant and apt conclusion. "The Woolworth Spectacles" What happens when young impressionable Maude Cleveland purchases some spectacles from the Woolworths lost and uncollected spectacles counter....she will see life in a totally different way. "Portland Bill" Geoff attempts to help a young frightened mother in her frantic search for her missing son along the treacherous cliffs known as Portland Bill. It would appear that all is not as it seems with this young lady and her unusual story.
Westall's simple yet highly addictive style of writing and his imaginative prose paint a magical picture of both the people and the countryside...."Mainly, they were brown, hard-wrinkled pensioners who had come by ancient, highly polished cars, bring their own deckchairs to save money. They were wrapped up in overcoats, tucked deep into tartan rugs, determined to enjoy Easter Sunday as was their right."....."She was beautiful my bowels moved with lust for her"...."You don't survive as a dealer long without getting an eye for class, in a chair, a racehorse or a woman."
As a keen reviewer and blogger I read and review many books and I can honestly say this is probably one of the most imaginative and enjoyable collection of stories I have ever read. Highly...highly...recommended! So say hello to Tony Blackbarrow, Clocky Watson, Cunning Burridge and Sir Bernard Spilsbury as they bring to life the pages of Antique Dust.
It should be noted if you are expecting horror of the gory and blood-stained variety then Robert Westall might not be to your liking. If however you appreciate the subtleties and imaginative storytelling of M R James then the variety of tales within Antique Dust will astound you. We are in the hands of antique traders and in particular Geoff Ashden who "wheels and deals"...."ducks and dives" as he attempts to make a living in the colourful world of antiquity. "Dealers are undertakers of a sort. When a man dies, the undertaker comes for his body, and quite often the dealer comes for the rest"
Every story in this collection is memorable but in particular the following were exceptional; "The Dumbledore" Ashden rediscovers a 2nd ww public house still actively serving and entertaining customers many years after the conclusion of hostilities...."The Dumbledore was still there...The same garish neon light the boys from the base had fixed up on VE night, saying The Dumbledore in big Hollywood handwriting. Relive the heroic lives of Major Stepanski, Captain O'Connell and Big Tex in a story with a very poignant and apt conclusion. "The Woolworth Spectacles" What happens when young impressionable Maude Cleveland purchases some spectacles from the Woolworths lost and uncollected spectacles counter....she will see life in a totally different way. "Portland Bill" Geoff attempts to help a young frightened mother in her frantic search for her missing son along the treacherous cliffs known as Portland Bill. It would appear that all is not as it seems with this young lady and her unusual story.
Westall's simple yet highly addictive style of writing and his imaginative prose paint a magical picture of both the people and the countryside...."Mainly, they were brown, hard-wrinkled pensioners who had come by ancient, highly polished cars, bring their own deckchairs to save money. They were wrapped up in overcoats, tucked deep into tartan rugs, determined to enjoy Easter Sunday as was their right."....."She was beautiful my bowels moved with lust for her"...."You don't survive as a dealer long without getting an eye for class, in a chair, a racehorse or a woman."
As a keen reviewer and blogger I read and review many books and I can honestly say this is probably one of the most imaginative and enjoyable collection of stories I have ever read. Highly...highly...recommended! So say hello to Tony Blackbarrow, Clocky Watson, Cunning Burridge and Sir Bernard Spilsbury as they bring to life the pages of Antique Dust.
June 28, 2017
Antique Dust is a pitch-perfect collection of ghost stories by Robert Westall. I don't know if I've ever given a collection 5 stars before, usually because there's at least one clunker. Not so with this set, and the stories being united by the presence of the same antique dealer really made the stories feel like part of a whole.
Each story managed to be a classic example of its type, while maintaining suspense, elements of surprise, and incredibly spooky moments. The writing was crystal clear and unobtrusive, and R.C. Bray's narration was exceptional once again.
I highly recommend Antique Dust to anyone even remotely interested in a collection of ghost stories, especially to those looking for Victorian, Gothic, or British stylings in their horror.
Each story managed to be a classic example of its type, while maintaining suspense, elements of surprise, and incredibly spooky moments. The writing was crystal clear and unobtrusive, and R.C. Bray's narration was exceptional once again.
I highly recommend Antique Dust to anyone even remotely interested in a collection of ghost stories, especially to those looking for Victorian, Gothic, or British stylings in their horror.
June 11, 2017
Comparing an author’s ghost stories to those of M.R.James is a sure way to attract my attention. Such is Robert Westall’s “Antique Dust” a seven story collection from 1989. Here we follow antique dealer Geoff Ashden through ghostly exploits experienced by him or recounted to him by others. Usually collections are variable but excellently this one is not variable at all. Each story is of very high quality and outstanding in style and mood. I would be hard pressed to choose the most effective story here but possibly it is “The Ugly House”. Or maybe “The Woolworth Spectacles”. This collection is very recommended.
January 18, 2015
One of Westall's best. A collection of stories about an antique dealer who pokes into many a weird and haunted abbey in search of prizes for his shop. Or is it a pair of antique spectacles?
Possibly the best writer of British ghost stories since M.R. James in a style that seems to have disappeared.
Possibly the best writer of British ghost stories since M.R. James in a style that seems to have disappeared.
August 17, 2024
These stories were never great, but when read today, they aren't even really good. The writing is... serviceable, I guess, the plots predictable, the protagonists unattractive, mostly (not in the physical sense, mind). A picture of the world which passed away about Thatcher's time, and good riddance to it, too.
January 27, 2017
I was really surprised to realise that this was the same Robert Westall who wrote 'The Machine Gunners'. I got the book on Audible and listened to most of it but didn't finish it. It started well, with the kind of subtle creepiness I love in ghost stories. The book is dedicated to M.R. James and it begins in the atmosphere of his stories.
However, as it progressed, it lost that charm. As with a great many male authors, Westall seems unable to introduce a female character without dwelling on her breasts and legs. It gets a bit boring and tiring after a while. The main character is married but his wife's character has no consistency; in order to justify the protagonist's infidelity and general ogling, his wife, having been introduced as clever and kind, is then cast as frivolous and selfish. This would be fine if it was done credibly or in an interesting way, but it's sloppy and a mere device. Meanwhile the plots got less interesting and the main character less and less likeable. Very disappointing as I loved the idea of ghost stories centred on an antique dealer.
However, as it progressed, it lost that charm. As with a great many male authors, Westall seems unable to introduce a female character without dwelling on her breasts and legs. It gets a bit boring and tiring after a while. The main character is married but his wife's character has no consistency; in order to justify the protagonist's infidelity and general ogling, his wife, having been introduced as clever and kind, is then cast as frivolous and selfish. This would be fine if it was done credibly or in an interesting way, but it's sloppy and a mere device. Meanwhile the plots got less interesting and the main character less and less likeable. Very disappointing as I loved the idea of ghost stories centred on an antique dealer.
May 20, 2022
The reader who appreciates the UK voice in the genre will find much to appreciate in Westall's collection.
The milieu is for the most part the antiques trade, with dealer (and our narrator) Geoff Ashden confronting both wily competitors and darker forces.
Westall does not skimp on characterization, incident, and complication. Most of the stories are novella-length.
My review of Antique Dust by Robert Westall
http://jayrothermel.blogspot.com/2017...
The milieu is for the most part the antiques trade, with dealer (and our narrator) Geoff Ashden confronting both wily competitors and darker forces.
Westall does not skimp on characterization, incident, and complication. Most of the stories are novella-length.
My review of Antique Dust by Robert Westall
http://jayrothermel.blogspot.com/2017...
August 16, 2023
Exquisite stories, truly eerie yet firmly grounded in the English countryside with its potion-making wise men and lecherous antique dealers. Valancourt also published three of his novellas as Spectral Shadows: Three Supernatural Novellas, equally wonderful.
July 29, 2022
Occult antiquing
who knew junk was so haunted
do ghosts add value?
who knew junk was so haunted
do ghosts add value?
Read
April 20, 20234.5. Really enjoyed this collection of weird tales.
August 1, 2018
Seven ghostly stories narrated by Geoff Ashden a RAF pilot and later an antique dealer (fictional character) of Muncaster - six of which happened to him personally - the stories are set from the 1940s to probably the late 1970s or early 1980s.
In this kindle version there is a shortish introduction to the author and his works by Orrin Grey.
The stories in this collection are:
The Devil and Clocky Watson - longish story about a clock from a bishop's house that no antique dealer wants to buy because of it's reputation ****
The Doll - about naughty possessed dolls on the rampage *****
The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneaux - a teacher takes her children to do brass rubbings at a seldomly used manorial chapel/church *****
The Dumbledore - World War II story set in bar ****
The Woolworth Spectacles - Did you know that in the 1940s Woolworths used to sell used reading glasses? A customer picks up an ancient pair which enables the user to see other things. *****
Portland Bill - Female who gets Geoff to look for her missing child - a bit like a doctor who episode *****
The Ugly House - A house that the local authority's chief technical/planning officer wants demolished to allow an access road to be built versus the owner of the house who is known as Cunning Burridge who is the local Cunning-Man *****
I would definitely advise reading this collection of stories if you are into classical ghost stories. I would give this book 9 out of 10.
In this kindle version there is a shortish introduction to the author and his works by Orrin Grey.
The stories in this collection are:
The Devil and Clocky Watson - longish story about a clock from a bishop's house that no antique dealer wants to buy because of it's reputation ****
The Doll - about naughty possessed dolls on the rampage *****
The Last Day of Miss Dorinda Molyneaux - a teacher takes her children to do brass rubbings at a seldomly used manorial chapel/church *****
The Dumbledore - World War II story set in bar ****
The Woolworth Spectacles - Did you know that in the 1940s Woolworths used to sell used reading glasses? A customer picks up an ancient pair which enables the user to see other things. *****
Portland Bill - Female who gets Geoff to look for her missing child - a bit like a doctor who episode *****
The Ugly House - A house that the local authority's chief technical/planning officer wants demolished to allow an access road to be built versus the owner of the house who is known as Cunning Burridge who is the local Cunning-Man *****
I would definitely advise reading this collection of stories if you are into classical ghost stories. I would give this book 9 out of 10.
January 16, 2024
The first story, “The Devil and Clocky Watson” is quite interesting until we reach the very anti-climatic, lazy, ending. The second story, “The Doll”, is an overall good story with an unexpected ending. The rest of the short stories in the collection are best forgotten, but unfortunately they are difficult to forget due to the continuous sexist remarks.
May 22, 2017
Do you miss storytelling?
If you are tired of books that use jumping around in time as plot device, try this book. It's old-fashioned story telling with the luxury that implies for the reader.
If you are tired of books that use jumping around in time as plot device, try this book. It's old-fashioned story telling with the luxury that implies for the reader.
October 16, 2018
Probably would have enjoyed this more if there was no reference to MRJ. That’s a hell of a lot to live up to and these stories just weren’t creepy or weird enough. They were pretty good, though. None that scream out for an annual revisiting.
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October 23, 2019
Neat collection of M. R. James style horror fiction. My top three would be The Devil And Clocky Watson, The Last Day Of Miss Dorinda Molyneux, and The Ugly House. I thought that Portland Bill was the weakest story, but that's not to say that it's bad, just not as good as some of the others.
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