"To capture the Victorian ghost story experience is to whisper by candlelight, to feel the tendrils of December's chill reaching from the darkness outside the hearth's glow."

3.5 stars. I expected stories that would be suitable for this time of year, perfect with a cup of cocoa, but there was mostly quite a bit of narrative that bogged down the atmosphere (the first story, Walter Scott's The Tapestried Chamber really set the tone in that regard). Despite the unevenness, I still think this is worth checking out. Maybe compare it with British Library's fantastic Spirits of the Season and see which one you prefer? I did find a few that hiked up the overall rating, though:

The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell (1852): Women wrote a good amount of ghost stories, and the apparitions were often combined with social criticism. Gaskell's story is one of the best examples.

Horror: A True Tale by John Berwick Harwood (1861): Slightly too wordy, but the best scenes are very spooky. I would probably be outta there quicker than speed of light.

Old Hooker's Ghost by Anonymous (1865): Also very wordy, but I liked the light-hearted tone and the descriptions of Christmas and Twelfth Night festivities.

The Captain of the Pole-Star by Arthur Conan Doyle (1883): I've read this before, but here it really stands out. Set in the arctic ocean, it's beautiful, atmospheric, and eerie.

The Doll's Ghost by F. Marion Crawford (1896): Lovely final story that started spooky but ended up book-ending the collection with touching Christmas spirit.