Favourites.. A Book Of Horrors

This book is a collection of short stories compiled by Stephen Jones, an acclaimed horror editor. I had heard many good things about his collections so when I saw 'A Book Of Horrors' in a cheap bookshop I decided to have faith and explore some of his favorite short stories from the horror genre. I was not disappointed as I had no real expectations but the book didn't turn out how I expected it to. The horror stories were more psychological and 'keep you on edge' type of story's rather than horrific scenes and scary stories but I was still impressed, regardless of what I was expecting. A lot of people have been saying how its worse than Jones' other compilations but I had no other experiences to compare to so I have a fairly good review. There were three short stories which really impressed me. The first of which was Peter Crowther's 'Ghosts with Teeth'. The reason I enjoyed this story is because it was the type of story I was expecting; it was a ghostly story, sending chills down your spine, with a confusing storyline open to your own opinion on what actually took place. The second was Reggie Oliver's 'A Child's Problem'. I liked this story due to the atmosphere which was given off, making you feel on edge a large majority of the time. It also had a relatable part to it with the setting of a dark, mysterious abbey (something which nearly everyone has seen) and the uncle who you either tread very carefully around or need to act like an adult around constantly or you will get into trouble. The third story I loved was 'Near Zennor' by Elizabeth Hand, even though it took a while to pick up pace, it left you with a chill and almost haunts you for a while, just what you want from something of the horror genre. One of the things I am disappointed with in this book is how they used Stephen King's 'Little God Of Agony' story as a hook and for an audience to begin the book with, as, in personal opinion, it wasn't as good as some of the other stories and it appears as though they have used his story, and King's fame in the genre, to sell books rather than to create a brilliant collection of literature. With exception to this particular downfall I found the short stories a brilliant escape and insight into new and different authors to what I am used too. I would rate this book a 3/5 as I did struggle with some storylines and to be frank these bored me a little. A Book Of Horrors is available on Amazon for £8.57 but I recommend you search through eBay to find it for a cheaper price as it is quite good but maybe not worth this price.

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