Lost Hearts and Murderous Adults. The fun side of M.R. James.

It's lurid, ghoulish, and impishly provocative, almost body horror in modern parlance. How else is M.R. James's Lost Hearts different from most of his other short ghost stories? Why was he not happy with it? I'm delighted to discuss M.R. James's Lost Hearts with James aficionado , educator and short story performer, John Carpenter. We'll discuss thematic links with Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, which is also about the corrupting influence of adults on children. Up for debate is the 1973 adaptation written by Robin Chapman, directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark, and featuring Joseph O' Conor as the sinister Mr. Abney. The snatches of Hurdy Gurdy music featured in this episode are by Guilhem Desq.