The Fenstanton Witch

By: Montague Rhodes James

Narrated by: David Collings

This is the unabridged audio recording of M R James' excellent ghost story "The Fenstanton Witch". Read by David Collings, this is sure to scare and delight in equal measure.

Public Domain (P)2010 Craftsman Unabridged Audio

Critic reviews

"David Collings reads wonderfully well." ( The Observer)

Unusual Tale

This was a short story, which was a bit unusual and I had to listen several times to be certain of the ending. Should’ve been longer.

The Fenstanton Witch - Chilling Story

Would you consider the audio edition of The Fenstanton Witch to be better than the print version?

I loved the audio edition of The Fenstanton Witch. I also loved the print version. I enjoy many of M.R. James ghost stories. The "ghost" are more like "demons" as is the case with The Fenstanton Witch.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the description of the demon standing over the witch's grave.

Which character – as performed by David Collings – was your favorite?

My favorite character is the narrator, the author M.R. James, not a character in the story. The story is read by David Collings. T

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The story gave me the chills. I smiled. I am a fan of M.R. James.

Any additional comments?

The British actor, David Collings is my favorite narrator. He is a wonderful narrator for the M.R. James stories. His voice is not a monotone as some of the professional speakers who sound like commericial spokesmen. His voice is not course and irritating like some others. It is clear and well modulated. He is able to change voices according to which character he is reading. He performs distinctive voices for the different characters. David Collings is able to deftly switch from one voice to another with ease. True, even when the characters are speaking to one another or as a group. This is a remarkable ability.

Love M.R. James... Not his best work.

Was excited for this, but the story is dull, and lacks the refinement of M.R. James usual work. It just goes on and on about stuff that doesn’t matter, then rushes the creepy part, never explains it, and then ends. The performance is alright, but not as good as other narration I’ve heard of his ghost stories. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who hasn’t heard any other stories by M.R. James.