"A Book of Ghosts" by S. Baring-Gould is a chilling collection of supernatural tales, encompassing ghost stories, paranormal encounters, and eerie happenings. Set against the backdrop of Victorian literature, these Gothic fiction narratives delve into haunted tales and spectral encounters that haunt the reader's imagination. Baring-Gould weaves a tapestry of apparitions and ghostly apparitions, each story steeped in Victorian folklore and the macabre. From haunted houses to mysterious happenings in the dead of night, the author explores the depths of Gothic horror with an expert hand, evoking a sense of dread and fascination in equal measure. Through eerie encounters with spirits and otherworldly beings, Baring-Gould invites readers into a world where the line between the living and the dead blurs, leaving them enthralled by the uncanny and the unknown. With its rich language and atmospheric settings, "A Book of Ghosts" stands as a testament to the enduring allure of supernatural literature in the Victorian era and beyond.
Sabine Baring-Gould, from Lew Trenchard in Devon, England, was an Anglican priest, hagiographer, antiquarian, novelist, folk song collector, and eclectic scholar. His bibliography now includes over 1,240 publications, and it is always growing. He is well known for writing hymns such as "Onward, Christian Soldiers" and "Now the Day Is Over". He also translated the Basque carols "Gabriel's Message" and "Sing Lullaby" into English. His family home, Lew Trenchard's manor house at Okehampton, Devon, has been kept as a hotel after he rebuilt it. Sabine Baring-Gould was born on January 28, 1834, in Exeter's St Sidwell parish. He was the eldest son and heir of Edward Baring-Gould (1804–1872), lord of the manor of Lew Trenchard, a Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant of Devon, formerly a lieutenant in the Madras Light Cavalry (resigned 1830), by his first wife, Sophia Charlotte Bond, daughter of Admiral Francis Godolphin Bond, Royal Navy. Because his family spent much of his childhood traveling throughout Europe, he received the majority of his education from private tutors. He only attended formal school for two years, first at King's College School in London (then located in Somerset House) and then for a few months at King's School, Warwick (now Warwick School). His time here was cut short by a bronchial ailment that would torment him for the rest of his lengthy life. His father saw his illness as a valid justification for another European tour.
