*Title: ‘W.S.’ by L.P. Hartley.
Date Read: 11 October 2010
Available Online?: NO (available in Nightshade: 20th Century Ghost Stories (Constable & Robinson)).
Briefly: A writer begins to receive postcards from a mystery person, making him become increasingly obsessed (and worried) about their anticipated arrival. The man’s fears are heightened when he realises that with each postcard sent, the person sending them draws ever closer to his home.
Afterthoughts: I rather enjoyed this story, mainly because the rising tension is so palpable. And if that’s not enough there’s a nice ending to this one too. Highly recommended.
Notable Quote: Was his correspondent a man or a woman? It looked like a man’s handwriting — commercial, unselfconscious — and the criticism was like a man’s. On the other hand, it was like a woman to probe — to want to make him feel at the same time flattered and unsure of himself. He felt the faint stirrings of curiosity but soon dismissed them: he was not a man to experiment with acquaintances. Still it was odd to think of this unknown person speculating about him, sizing him up. Other-worldly, indeed!
*Story read as part of my 31 Shots of Shock reading challenge.