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nosebleedseeds's review against another edition
3.0
I learned the hard way that it's not a great idea to mainline Blackwood's short stories because they become kind of one-note.
donasbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Instagram Review: www.instagram.com/p/B_VWR9UAIDb/
I love Weird fiction; it's one of my favorite genres, second only to the incredibly general literary fiction. Is anyone surprised? The Weird genre is a tradition that goes back to the invention of the short story, which is one of my favorite forms; again, second only to it's tiny cousins, the short shorts--flashes, micros, six-word-stories. Algernon Blackwood helped introduce both this genre and form to the western literary canon. Weird has evolved to New Weird, but with the resurgence of Gothic literature, Weird fiction is more relevant than it's ever been. That means these stories and this writer aren't just an enjoyable throwback, but a contemporary revamp.
This collection includes some really excellent stories, including my favorites of all Blackwood stories, the first being "The Willows," which also happens to exemplify the author's style. Since it's listed first in the collection, readers can almost use it as a test--if you don't like "The Willows," you can safely stop reading this one. I give you permission. I also delighted in reading "The Wendigo," which was the model for a ghost story by the same name in a children's collection, [b:Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark|1325218|Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Scary Stories, #1)|Alvin Schwartz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440189576l/1325218._SX50_.jpg|145600], that scared the cheerios out of me when I was little. Reading Blackwood's original version for the first time thrilled me; also, it's a great tale.
Not all the stories in this book are as excellent as these two; that's why I'm not scoring the book 5 stars. But if you're into Blackwood or gothic or Weird lit, you'll enjoy this book.
Hope you're all doing well; my best to everyone <3
I love Weird fiction; it's one of my favorite genres, second only to the incredibly general literary fiction. Is anyone surprised? The Weird genre is a tradition that goes back to the invention of the short story, which is one of my favorite forms; again, second only to it's tiny cousins, the short shorts--flashes, micros, six-word-stories. Algernon Blackwood helped introduce both this genre and form to the western literary canon. Weird has evolved to New Weird, but with the resurgence of Gothic literature, Weird fiction is more relevant than it's ever been. That means these stories and this writer aren't just an enjoyable throwback, but a contemporary revamp.
This collection includes some really excellent stories, including my favorites of all Blackwood stories, the first being "The Willows," which also happens to exemplify the author's style. Since it's listed first in the collection, readers can almost use it as a test--if you don't like "The Willows," you can safely stop reading this one. I give you permission. I also delighted in reading "The Wendigo," which was the model for a ghost story by the same name in a children's collection, [b:Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark|1325218|Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Scary Stories, #1)|Alvin Schwartz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440189576l/1325218._SX50_.jpg|145600], that scared the cheerios out of me when I was little. Reading Blackwood's original version for the first time thrilled me; also, it's a great tale.
Not all the stories in this book are as excellent as these two; that's why I'm not scoring the book 5 stars. But if you're into Blackwood or gothic or Weird lit, you'll enjoy this book.
Hope you're all doing well; my best to everyone <3
kelamity_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I'm very taken with Blackwood's writing style and the poetic nature of the imagery he invokes.
Unfortunately, some of his stories do suffer from racist terms and descriptions common in stories from his era.
Unfortunately, some of his stories do suffer from racist terms and descriptions common in stories from his era.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
ezravasq's review against another edition
4.0
I think this was the most I have ever enjoyed reading short stories.
msgtdameron's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
This work is like a fine wine; it gets better with each reading. By better I mean more psychological fear comes through than on the first reading. The Willows is still one of the scariest works I've ever read, but Sand is coming up fast and is in the # Two spot. This will become a tradition starting every October.
caldwba0's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
jimmypat's review against another edition
2.0
I didn’t finish, but didn’t feel compelled to. Some of the stories were good (Willows, Secret Worship) others predictable and drawn out beyond belief.
bickleyhouse's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks to my son-in-law for loaning me this book! These are some delightfully chilling ghost stories, written in a style that you just don't see much, any more. I love a good ghost story, and am quite fond of the short story genre, so this is a doubly good offering. These stories were written between 1906 and 1938.
The Willows relates the tale of a couple of friends on a boating trip on the Danube, and their encounter with an other-worldly presence in middle of a desolate area of small islands populated with willow trees.
Secret Worship is a tale of a man who returns to an old school which he attended as a child. He finds a little bit more than he expected, and narrowly escapes with his life.
Ancient Sorceries made me think of Cat People, as a traveler gets sidetracked in a small village.
In The Glamour of the Snow, a man encounters a ghostly woman on a skating rink. She leads him to a near death experience on a mountain.
The Wendigo deals with the famous mythical beast in the wild as a group of moose hunters have a wild night or two.
The Other Wing is a lovely sort of haunted house story, dealing with a section of a mansion that no one goes into any more.
The Transfer is a creepy story about a plot of land in the garden that needs to suck the life out of humans.
Ancient Lights is a delightful story about a man trying to take a shortcut through a small wooded area. The small wooded area has other ideas.
The Listener relates a man's encounter with a ghostly presence in his rented room. A rather smelly ghostly presence. Cats also figure heavily in this story.
In The Empty House, a man and his elderly aunt spend the night in a house that has a reputation of being haunted, as a murder occurred there some years ago. This story reminds me of Stephen King's 1408.
Accessory Before the Fact is a tragic tale of a man and his opportunity (through a kind of supernatural vision) to save a man's life.
Keeping His Promise is a rather classic type of ghost story, dealing with a vow made (with blood) between two friends.
The final story, Max Hensig is not a "ghost story" (and this is explained in the introduction), but is still a chilling crime story, and is, in some ways, more terrifying than all of the ghost stories in the book.
This is a marvelous book! I recommend it to all fans of the classic ghost story.
The Willows relates the tale of a couple of friends on a boating trip on the Danube, and their encounter with an other-worldly presence in middle of a desolate area of small islands populated with willow trees.
Secret Worship is a tale of a man who returns to an old school which he attended as a child. He finds a little bit more than he expected, and narrowly escapes with his life.
Ancient Sorceries made me think of Cat People, as a traveler gets sidetracked in a small village.
In The Glamour of the Snow, a man encounters a ghostly woman on a skating rink. She leads him to a near death experience on a mountain.
The Wendigo deals with the famous mythical beast in the wild as a group of moose hunters have a wild night or two.
The Other Wing is a lovely sort of haunted house story, dealing with a section of a mansion that no one goes into any more.
The Transfer is a creepy story about a plot of land in the garden that needs to suck the life out of humans.
Ancient Lights is a delightful story about a man trying to take a shortcut through a small wooded area. The small wooded area has other ideas.
The Listener relates a man's encounter with a ghostly presence in his rented room. A rather smelly ghostly presence. Cats also figure heavily in this story.
In The Empty House, a man and his elderly aunt spend the night in a house that has a reputation of being haunted, as a murder occurred there some years ago. This story reminds me of Stephen King's 1408.
Accessory Before the Fact is a tragic tale of a man and his opportunity (through a kind of supernatural vision) to save a man's life.
Keeping His Promise is a rather classic type of ghost story, dealing with a vow made (with blood) between two friends.
The final story, Max Hensig is not a "ghost story" (and this is explained in the introduction), but is still a chilling crime story, and is, in some ways, more terrifying than all of the ghost stories in the book.
This is a marvelous book! I recommend it to all fans of the classic ghost story.
arthurbdd's review against another edition
3.0
If this truly represents Blackwood's best, then it rather exposes him as a somewhat waffly writer whose best work is undeniably powerful, but represents a rare gem amid much more lukewarm material. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2020/09/28/willows-for-algernon/