M R James

The Five Jars M R James

Here is a fascinating journey into a world none of us mere mortals can usually see: a world of weird enchantment, where all is not as it seems, where fantastic beauty is commonplace, where strange beings are hidden just out of sight everywhere, and yet disturbing danger lurks around every corner... Told in James' matter-of-fact prose, this journey into the unknown stirs rich colours into a cloud of imaginative fancy, stunningly creating an alternative world, just next to ours, which is both captivating and eerie. The 5 jars contain magic ointments that give the narrator special powers. Evil creatures try and stop him from using these powers. The creatures are able to assume normal and friendly appearances. As the narrator uses one jar per night he is able to interact more with animals. The cat s thoughts are quite fun to read. The introduction suggests that this book was not as popular as James s other ghost stories because it was too scary for children in that time. Today s kids will have no problem with this."