A Room in a Rectory: A Ghost Story for Christmas Sir Andrew Caldecott 9781771965743

"[This] series of Christmas ghost stories, miniature books chosen and illustrated by the cartoonist Seth ... [offers] chills-and charm."-New York Times Book Review

World-renowned cartoonist Seth returns with three new ghost stories for 2023.

Reverend Nigel arrives at Tilchington Rectory expecting a comfortable living in the beautiful countryside. But when he stubbornly opens a locked chamber, it isn't long before he is plagued with disturbingly devilish visions.

Sir Andrew Caldecott (1884-1951) was a British colonial administrator and a writer of history and supernatural fiction.

Seth is the cartoonist behind the comic-book series Palookaville, which started in the stone age as a pamphlet and is now a semi-annual hardcover. His comics have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Best American Comics, and McSweeney's Quarterly. His illustrations have appeared in numerous publications including the cover of the New Yorker, The Walrus, and Canadian Notes & Queries. He is the subject of a recent documentary from the National Film Board of Canada, Seth's Dominion. Seth lives in Guelph, Ontario, with his wife Tania and their two cats in an old house he has named "Inkwell's End."

Praise for Christmas Ghost Stories

"[This] series of Christmas ghost stories, miniature books chosen and illustrated by the cartoonist Seth ... [offers] chills-and charm."
-John Williams, New York Times Book Review

"I just bought my set of these and they ... are ... PERFECT. I hope they do these every year."
-Patton Oswalt

"Did you know there is an old tradition of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve? For the past several years Canadian publisher Biblioasis has revived the tradition, one thin, tiny book at a time (illustrated by minimalistic, idiosyncratic cartoonist Seth). They've revived ghosts by Edith Wharton, Charles Dickens and others. The newest installment ... includes 'The Captain of the Polestar,' a polar fright by Arthur Conan Doyle. What is, after all, 'A Christmas Carol' but a ghost story, handed down, every holiday?"
-Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune

"Caldecott's A Room in a Rectory ... may well spook those who gather on Christmas Eve ... Ultimately, the author's and the illustrator's treatments of 'the obscene and macabre' make for a lot of fun."
-Literary Review of Canada

"Internationally celebrated Guelph cartoonist Seth dug deep into his archive of ghost stories to resurrect a Victorian tradition of reading one on Christmas Eve."
-Deb Dundas, Toronto Star

"As good as the story selection is, the design of each book is the star ... In [Seth's] work I see the brilliant use of shadow a la' Mike Mignola, combined with the dark whimsey of Tim Burton ... Highly recommended for the horror lovers looking for something special in this post-Halloween season."
-Cemetery Dance

"Perfect books for holiday giving."
-Toronto Star

"[If] you are looking to add a little old world charm to your winter celebrations, this book series just may be for you. This year's batch in particular offers up some fantastic reads, accompanied once again by stark and unsettling (in the best way) illustrations by accomplished illustrator Seth."
-Lindsey Childs, Prairie Fire

"Seth's books-petite and illustrated with gorgeous minimalist designs-feel somehow like a more mature version of my childhood traditions. In reality, Seth's Christmas Ghost Stories are a tradition everyone, young and old, can make a part of their holidays. With these beautifully illustrated books, it seems in this case one really can judge a book by its cover."
-The Charlatan

"Really beautiful art, and great stories."
-So Many Damn Books

"Seth-illustrator, graphic novelist, and decorator (his term)-returns for another season of ghost stories for Christmas, single-handedly reviving an otherwise defunct holiday tradition among Northern Hemisphere English-speaking countries of combining eerie tales with the Yuletide (even though the tales have nothing to do with Christmas)-now with Seth's moody black and white decorations to help the uncanny mood along."
-Tom Bowden, Book Beat