Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad

By: M. R. James

Narrated by: David Suchet

Length: 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

The story tells the tale of an introverted academic who happens upon a strange whistle while exploring a cemetery on the East Anglian coast. When blown, the whistle unleashes a supernatural force that terrorises its discoverer.

Montague Rhodes James was a noted British mediaeval scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–1918) and of Eton College (1918–1936). He is best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature.

One of James' most important achievements was to redefine the ghost story for the new century by dispensing with many of the formal Gothic trappings of his predecessors, and replacing them with more realistic contemporary settings.

"Montague Rhodes James has an intelligent and scientific knowledge of human nerves and feelings; and knows just how to apportion statement, imagery, and subtle suggestions in order to secure the best results with his readers." HP Lovecraft.

Actor David Suchet is best known for his definitive portrayal of Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective created by the legendary mystery author Agatha Christie, in a number of international television productions. He narrates his story in Poirot and Me.

©1904 M. R. James (P)2013 Audible Ltd

Christmas Scarecrows?

Great story. It's a bit antiCatholic but it can be overlooked since it's over 100 years old and from Britain after all. Get it. You'll be creeped by whistles and scarecrows ever after.

Not great, not bad....

A ghostly tale...not a bad story, but I have heard better. The narration was good.

Good old-time terror

excellent story, excellent narration. recommended. David Suchet is a treasure and does this classic supernatural horror story justice.

Really something special

A perfect reading of a satisfying Victorian ghost story. Treat yourself to this lovely recording.

Creepy but not entirely satisfying

Creepy story but not James' finest. David Suchet is excellent and his narration makes up for the less than punchy storyline.

The story leaves a lot of unanswered questions but not in the good way.

AND HERE'S A SIX PENCE

Unless Audible pays you to listen to it, it is not worth your time. Suchet is excellent, but I could not get into the story.

Time is money.

Christmas ghost story with great narration

This is the first M.R. James story I have heard or read. It lived up to the glowing review I saw of his writing! Mysterious and scary, but nothing that will give you nightmares. And Davis Suchet’s narration is, as always, a treat!

Nice creepy story

This was a nice classic creepy story. What would you do if you were staying in a hotel or some place that had maid service who asked why 1 person slept in both beds? What would you do if you only slept in one and didn't know who was using the other bed while you slept? Good concept and story.

Perfect Miniature Horror

Love horror? Hate wordy books? This is what you're looking for! No, seriously, I enjoyed the hell out of this and David Suchet has the perfect voice for it. Totally worth it.

creepy fun

A skeptic finds a whistle at an archaeological site while on a golf trip by the sea. This is a terrific, memorable, ghost story; It has atmosphere, creepiness (though I would describe this as creepiness lite), and is a tightly written short story. Nice performance by David Suchet.

Creepy Short Story

This is a classic Christmas ghost story. I downloaded an audio copy, which had been specially created by Audible and read by David Suchet (actor of Hercule Perot etc.). I loved it!

Professor Parkins is a young man, who goes on a golfing holiday and finds a strange whistle that when blown, unleashes a horrifying event. As this was a short story, I couldn't get a good enough impression of his character. However, I did like him.

This is a short story, but it was well told and the suspense and mystery was chillingly built. Written in the traditional ghost story manner, the story swept me away and kept me entertained for just under an hour. Narrated by David Suchet, the story was given a creepy feel by his interpretation. I loved the way how he gave the different characters their own voice, and how he paced the tale. Neither too fast nor too slow, the story built until the climax at the end of the book. I was a little disappointed by how it ended, but it did make me feel a little scared! The only thing I have a quibble about was the origin of the whistle and why it called the specter.
Nevertheless, the story was extremely entertaining and I would definitely consider reading/listening to more of the works by this author.

M. R. James may have published this is 1904, but the contemporary feel of the story made it feel as if it had been written this year. His attention to detail brought the characters to life and his writing style flowed wonderfully.

There is no violence or horrific gore, so I recommend this book to younger readers who are looking for a small scare, and to adults who love classic ghost or horror stories. - Lynn Worton

Bed dread

Another thrilling ghost story from M R James told with exactly the right level of spookiness and humour by David Suchet. These stories set the gold standard by which all other supernatural tales should be judged.

An Intense Hour

This is a nice way to spend an hour. A deliciously spooky story narrated in perfect fashion by the excellent David Suchet. If you're "between books" and want a short filler this may well fit the bill..

Classic!

This one never leaves my phone! My all time favourite MR James story. David Suchet is simply fascinating to listen to, he thoroughly acts the story rather than just reads it. This really is the place to start if you've not experienced an MR James ghostly tale before.

Fantastic stuff

Excellent, classic ghost story. Fantastic narration by David Suchet, I could listen to him all day. A lot shorter than I expected, but a good quality, creepy story that sticks in the mind. And free!

My favourite MRJames

A typical James tale but my absolute favourite. Eerie enough to bring uncomfortable mental images to mind and wonderfully narrated by David Suchet. This does have tongue in cheek moments and is wrought by utilising a few stereotypes. Nevertheless, underlying this is a very serious moral which shows us to always keep an open mind to whatever may occur.

chilling!

read by a legend, in a very haunting way.
very good value with all the intensity needed in a ghost story

can't say it frightened me much

I don't tknow what to think. I found reference to this story in a Stephen King novel and heard of M R James as a great ghost story writer and just expectes a lot more. at least to get some goosebumps or something but I can't say I got any. it was well written it just wasn't very intriguing or even imaginative. i have to say though the whole notion of CHRISTMAS ghost stories appears to me weird almost comical. one of those things no other nation than the English would have come up with in a million years.

Brilliant!

The narration of this classic tale from the pen of M R James by Mr Suchet was truly excellent :)

a pleasant afternoon listen

So well read. A spooky tale with David Suchet's excellent voice and pace to make this a very pleasing listen on a Sunday afternoon whatever the time of year.