Richmond Haunts long-form
Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories, Volume 3: Two Tales from 1857 and 1887
Episode notes
About this episode
| Long winter nights once made ghost stories a natural part of Christmas entertainment. Volume 3 continues that tradition with two nineteenth-century readings separated by thirty years, offering different approaches to the supernatural tale while preserving the atmosphere of a seasonal storytelling evening.
The first selection is The Christmas Ghost by Lucy A. Randall, published in 1857. The second is The Ghostly Christmas Gift by Frank H. Brunell, published in 1887. Together, the stories span a period in which Christmas annuals, newspapers and popular literature helped establish the holiday ghost story as a recognizable form. This episode is both a performance and a small piece of literary history. Publication dates and authorship provide useful context without interrupting the readings, while the paired format lets listeners compare how Victorian writers used winter settings, holiday gatherings and supernatural interruption to create suspense. |
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