Books "THE SIGNAL MAN"

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Judul Asli : THE SIGNAL MAN

[ from Charles Dickens’ Three Ghost Stories | e-book ]

Copyright © by Charles Dickens

The Signal Man was one of many collected Ghost Stories by Dickens that have really good resume, aside A Christmas Carol or The Haunted Man and The Ghost’s Bargain I read previously. But this time, it not just another faery-tale about ghosts, but more daunting and chilling supernatural moment, involving unexplain event on the appearance of ‘ghost’.  

The story is quite simple, when young man have an encounter meeting with stranger who works as the signal-man on the train intersection. This event that cannot be explain at the first meeting, give strange impression on both of them. And by the second meeting, the signal-man open-up about was troubling him for days. Thsi conversation and detail description on the event, so vivid and give me sudden goosebumps while read it (and it’s at noon on the broad-daylight).

More and more on the detail, I suspect there is a ghost somewhere – victims that cannot be identify yet, or be found, until the signal man solve the mystery of the appearance of the ghost. The only things we all agree that the ghost give a warning of ‘Danger’ – that someone or something will be die if the answers of its mystery cannot be solve. Dickens wrote this based on the tragic incident known as Clayton Tunnel Crash that occured in 1861 – five years before he wrote this, and when it published on 1866, people just likely remembering those incident, all the mourning and devastation. 

This story reminds me on Alfred Hitchcock’s movies – full with suspense and interesting plot, suprising act between the story and of cource unpredictable ending. What’s surprise me most, not only the supernatural things are the main-theme on this story, but Dickens also mixed all kind new subject like haunted ghost-appearing (makes us thinking something terrible happen on the past) and the premonition (something that lead you into the future or would be happening if you don’t pay got attention on ‘the message’ ). If you looking some horror story, just try reading it ... not only spooky, also gonna makes you look at your back, is there something ‘appear’ on the corner ? [ suggestion : do not read at night or in the dark and not recommended if you have heart-dissease ]

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Quotes :

"One moonlight night," said the man, "I was sitting here, when I
heard a voice cry, 'Halloa! Below there!' I started up, looked
from that door, and saw this Some one else standing by the red light
near the tunnel, waving as I just now showed you. The voice seemed
hoarse with shouting, and it cried, 'Look out! Look out!' And then
attain, 'Halloa! Below there! Look out!' I caught up my lamp,
turned it on red, and ran towards the figure, calling, 'What's
wrong? What has happened? Where?' It stood just outside the
blackness of the tunnel. I advanced so close upon it that I
wondered at its keeping the sleeve across its eyes. I ran right up
at it, and had my hand stretched out to pull the sleeve away, when
it was gone."

Best Regards,