M. R. James Quotes

United Kingdom, Author
August 1, 1862 – June, 12, 1936.

Montague Rhodes James OM FBA (1 August 1862 – 12 June 1936), who published under the name M. R. James, was an English author, medievalist scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–18), and of Eton College (1918–36). He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge (1913–15).

Also known as Scholar

Reticence may be an elderly doctrine to preach, yet from the artistic point of view I am sure it is a sound one. Reticence conduces to effect, blatancy ruins it.

M. R. James
- May
I heard one cry in the night, and I heard one laugh afterwards. If I cannot forget that, I shall not be able to sleep again.

M. R. James
- Night
- Sleep

Do I believe in ghosts?...I am prepared to consider evidence and accept it if it satisfies me.

M. R. James
- Believe
A ghost story of which the scene is laid in the twelfth or thirteenth century may succeed in being romantic or poetical: it will never put the reader into the position of saying to himself: "If I'm not careful, something of this kind may happen to me!

M. R. James
- May
- Romantic
Yes, I definitely prefer the daylight population of the playing fields to that which comes there after dark.

M. R. James
- Dark
If any of [my stories] succeed in causing their readers to feel pleasantly uncomfortable when walking along a solitary road at nightfall, or sitting over a dying fire in the small hours, my purpose in writing them will have been attained.

M. R. James
- Writing
- Small
- Purpose