The Parasite and Other Tales of Terror (Arthur Conan Doyle)

As we are still in the Summer Reading Prelude, this next story came to me via the post once again.  I must admit I was very excited, especially considering how interesting the last one had been.  I eagerly curled up in my favorite chair with a cup of tea.  There were quite a few tales to unpack in this collection, and I devoured each and every one.

I won't go into much detail about the stories, as I don't want to spoil them, but I can at least give you a short synopsis or teaser.  I started with The Parasite, a chilling tale of a scientist who first learns about the fascinating world of psychology, and decides to participate in an experiment involving hypnotism--to his great peril.  It was by far the longest title in the collection and a great start to the reading.

Fans of the supernatural and of psychic phenomena will also enjoy The Great Keinplatz Experiment, about a professor and his student who attempt an "impossible" venture where their souls leave their bodies, and How it Happened, which is being narrated through a medium who writes instead of speaking.

As you well know, last summer I went out to sea, so the tales J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement and The Captain of the Pole-Star were of particular interest to me with their nautical themes.  I especially liked the former, as it dealt with the mysterious circumstances surrounding the ship Mary Celeste, a real-life mystery that was never solved.

The rest of the stories were all equally good, with The Bully of Brocas Court turning out (for me) to be the scariest in the collection, as a boxer and his sponsor end up in a fight against a terrifying opponent.  The Mystery of Sasassa Valley was a suspenseful tale of two friends (Englishmen living in Africa) who hear a story about a demon living in Sasassa Valley and go to investigate.  The Ring of Thoth is a classic mummy story set in the Louvre, and finally, my favorite in the collection had to be Selecting a Ghost, where an insufferable homeowner goes to great lengths to make sure that there is a ghost in his new house.  While all the tales had some element of horror to them, this one was also surprisingly funny.

The collection as a whole was a very good one, and while I felt that How it Happened was the weakest of the collection, I thought on the whole, the stories were all very good and there was not a clunker in the bunch.  I can only say that I now greatly look forward to my next Conan Doyle adventure, and with Memorial Day quickly approaching, I know I have a whole summer to enjoy these delicious tales!