The 5 Most Popular Stories on Haunted Tales of Darkness (2024) By M.R.James & J.Sheridan Le Fanu.

From viewer statistics of this channel, these are the five most watched and liked videos I have narrated and uploaded. They are listed in order of popularity: 1) The Residence at Whitminster (An Occult Tale) by M.R. James. 0:41 “The Residence at Whitminster” was first published in 1919 as part of the anthology "A Thin Ghost and Others." The story unfolds between 1730 and a hundred years later. In the first part, the story is set in a house next to a church, originally intended to house many clergymen and other people working there. During the early 18th century, the clergyman Dr. Thomas Ashton and his wife occupied this house. They cared for two adolescent boys, Frank Sydall and Saul, the latter son of an Irish nobleman. Saul is known for his strange behaviour, fascination with old ruins and graveyards, and Frank dabbles in the occult. Tragically, both boys died soon after. In the second part of the story, set about a hundred years later, a new clergyman and his niece move into the house. The housekeeper complains about one unused bedroom being infested with insects. The niece starts seeing visions of the two boys who lived in the house a century earlier. 2) The Murdered Cousin ( a tale of intrigue, mystery and murder) By J. Sheridan Le Fanu. 56:37 This eerie short story, published in 1839 and later expanded into Le Fanu’s famous Victorian Gothic novel Uncle Silas, tells the haunting tale of the Irish peerage. The narrative unfolds through the eyes of the late Countess D——, who shares her family’s dark secrets and tangled history. The protagonist’s mother died when she was an infant, leaving her upbringing solely to her stern and duty-bound father. Her father, haunted by a family scandal, bears the weight of a suspicion of murder that fell upon his younger brother, Sir Arthur Tyrrell. A man of extravagance and ruinous vices, Sir Arthur was trapped by gambling, ultimately leading to murder and his downfall. 3) Mr Humphreys and his Inheritance (a haunted maze with secrets) by M.R.james 2:20:53 Late in the summer of a year at the end of the 19th century, a young civil servant known as Mr. Humphreys inherits a country estate in Wilsthorpe, England. The estate had belonged to Mr Humphreys’ uncle, Mr Wilson, whom he had never met or communicated with. The estate includes a mysterious maze and a Temple of Friendship. Mr Humphreys discovers a strange copper globe on a stone pillar inside the maze. An inscription above the maze entrance hints at a secret. As Mr Humphreys explores, he finds reaching the maze's centre sometimes easy and difficult. The story unfolds with eerie discoveries and a sense of foreboding. 4) An Evenings Entertainment (chilling fireside tales) by M.R.James 3:23:55 “An Evening’s Entertainment” by M.R. James is a ghost story that unfolds as a grandmother recounts chilling tales to her grandchildren by the fireside. The narrative includes stories within the story, featuring haunted locales, mysterious disappearances, and supernatural occurrences. Central to the grandmother’s tales is the theme of uncovering things that are better left hidden, a common motif in James’ work. The atmosphere is of mounting dread, with the cosy domestic scene contrasting sharply with the horrors of the tales being told. As with many of James’ stories, the nature of the supernatural elements is left to the reader’s imagination, adding to the unsettling effect. 5) The Fenstanton Witch (witchcraft, the supernatural, and academic intrigue) by M.R.James 3:49:27 “The Fenstanton Witch” is a ghost story by British author M.R. James. Although James completed the story, he chose not to publish it during his lifetime. It first appeared in print in 1990 in the twelfth issue of the newsletter Ghosts & Scholars. Since then, it has been published in several M.R. James anthologies. The story is set in the early 18th century and revolves around two King’s College, Cambridge faculty members. These characters dabble in the occult and believe themselves to be magicians. One night, they venture to the grave of a recently deceased woman who was reputed to be a witch. Their goal is to obtain materials for their spells. However, their precautions against demons prove ineffective, leading to eerie and unsettling events. The tale combines elements of witchcraft, the supernatural, and academic intrigue. Thanks for listening! Please like the video if you enjoyed listening to these eerie tales . Don't forget to subscribe to this channel for more updates. Subscribe now (Haunted Tales of Darkness):    / @hauntedtalesofdarkness   #horrorstories #audiobook #ghoststories #ghoststory #horrorshortstory