The Mezzotint

What if a single, shifting picture could chart your path to a haunting you cannot escape? First published in 1904, The Mezzotint is hailed as one of M. R. James's most perfectly crafted ghost stories. This definitive modern edition keeps the master's elegant dread intact while streamlining archaic turns of phrase, ensuring twenty-first-century readers feel every chill the moment ink darkens and figures move. Inside these pages you will discover: A Living Engraving - Follow the eerie progression of a print whose subject acts out a silent crime in real time. Scholarly Sleuthing - Join Mr. Williams and his colleagues as they trace auction ledgers, parish registers, and forgotten legends in a race against terror. Jamesian Atmosphere - Experience candlelit libraries, storm-swept quadrangles, and the understated menace that defined English ghost fiction. Themes of Custody and Consequence - Explore how historical injustice, stolen land, and restless spirits intertwine. A Legacy of Fear - An afterword maps the tale's influence on horror cinema, cursed-object fiction, and modern "creepypasta" lore. Whether you're a longtime admirer of classic supernatural tales or a newcomer drawn to haunted media, this edition invites you to gaze into a mezzotint that gazes back-and step into a mystery where art imitates death.