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Post by dem bones on Mar 6, 2009 21:01:16 GMT
Cowles whilst quite readable, isn't all that great (IMHO). There are some good stories, but those that Hugh Lamb (or was it Jack Adrian?) anthologised were among the best. Would it make you sick if I told you I picked up the ATP collected Cowles about 2 years ago for £15! From amazon !! - chris Depends what you're after though, doesn't it Chris? With Cowles, I find him the most pulpish of the vaguely Jamesian authors and love him for it. He swipes plots from elsewhere like crazy, indulges himself to the full in the nasty, violent horror James so abhorred and had a flair for a decent title. Agree with you that the stories reprinted by Hugh Lamb see him at his most effective. Eyes From The Blind was the first i read and there really was no turning back after that.
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Post by marksamuels on Mar 6, 2009 22:49:53 GMT
Quite right. It's indefensible. I read it in the Wheatley Library of the Occult series hoping for a spot of grave-robbing and reanimation. What you get is a didactic anti-spiritualism sermon dressed up a supernatural novel. Dull beyond belief.
Mark S.
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Post by marksamuels on Mar 6, 2009 22:56:50 GMT
It's probably the very same book I flogged off because I thought it was wasting space on my shelf. There was one Cowles story I liked (a vampire one I think) but the rest: dear me, no. I was glad to offload it.
Mark S.
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Post by lobolover on Mar 6, 2009 22:58:57 GMT
Its prety bad when a late 18th century book is less religious and didactic when dealing with the same idea then an early 20 th century book (didnt read the Benson, but I asume. And I think he was a priest, if I didnt mix him up with his brother. And yes, im talking of my "infamous" Necromancer) I think Metcalfe was mentioned here . He should be given as a new option for Wordsworth in the future. I looked at abebooks and some guy sells his Smoking leg for £ 729.63 . www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=865631074&searchurl=sortby%3D3%26sts%3Dt%26tn%3D%2522The%2Bsmoking%2Bleg%2522%26x%3D0%26y%3D0Seriously, I would have to be so ashamed if I demanded such a price from someone I shouldn't dare go outside during the day. Oh, are the results of the voting known yet? I dont mean just the poll, I mean all of it.
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Post by marksamuels on Mar 6, 2009 23:05:14 GMT
Never understood why people like Cowles. He was like M.R. James after a lobotomy. No offense intended. Had the book not been an ATP volume I probably wouldn't have had such refined expectations. I'll get my coat... Mark S.
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Post by dem bones on Mar 7, 2009 8:07:49 GMT
Never understood why people like Cowles. He was like M.R. James after a lobotomy. Mark S. Now if that doesn't tempt some of our Cowles virgins to give him a try ... He maybe suffers some from M. R. James' name being dragged into it all the time, misguiding really, when only some of his stories - The Cadaver of Bishop Louis, The Affair At Upton Stonewold, Punch And Judy, Death In The Well, The Headless Leper, etc. - are in the James tradition, and it's not as though he didn't plunder other authors for inspiration.
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Post by lobolover on Mar 7, 2009 11:42:27 GMT
Never read any, but I think its unfair to say if an author isnt exactely like your average M.R.James spoof, he's "lobotomised"
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Post by benedictjjones on Mar 7, 2009 16:44:45 GMT
just picked up robert e howards - the haunter of the ring and ther tales. going to try and read a couple of stories before the family get back...
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Post by marksamuels on Mar 7, 2009 17:18:39 GMT
Never read any, but I think its unfair to say if an author isnt exactely like your average M.R.James spoof, he's "lobotomised" Oops! Sorry about that. It was a bit over the top. It's just that if I had a book and I've sold it off, then I like to convince myself it must have been truly truly awful. Mark S.
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Post by cw67q on Mar 7, 2009 17:33:24 GMT
>Quite right. It's indefensible. I read it in the Wheatley Library of >the Occult series hoping for a spot of grave-robbing and >reanimation. What you get is a didactic anti-spiritualism sermon >dressed up a supernatural novel. Dull beyond belief.
That is the same edition I have, Mark. A terrible disappointment.
- chris
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Post by lobolover on Mar 7, 2009 21:33:22 GMT
I also wondered if you would actualy notice something strange about my last post. " lobotomised" Up and left. Was dreadfully insulted there.
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Post by killercrab on Mar 7, 2009 23:14:30 GMT
just picked up robert e howards - the haunter of the ring and ther tales. going to try and read a couple of stories before the family get back... >>
I've been on the look out for this myself - my local Borders never seem to have it in stock. They've a bunch of the others - but they don't interest me. R.E.H is fast becoming my favourite writer ...
ade
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Post by benedictjjones on Mar 8, 2009 11:58:54 GMT
not too sure what to make of this one yet. REH is clearly a good writer but he only two stories that have really grabbed me so far have been 'the hyena' (although the end was a bit obvious) and 'sea curse' which i thought was great. i'll stick with it though as its moving into the 'lovecraftian' bit soon ;D
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Post by lobolover on Mar 8, 2009 14:58:34 GMT
I would like to make a sugestion: The other side by Alfred Kubin, published in 1901. It is largely unknown in the US or even generaly, but it is one of the strangest things I have ever read. It deals with a german person building himself an ideal city in India, where he admits everything only old and dated . The Dream land is encircled by a gigantic iron wall, which strangely evokes feelings of horror and depression the closer one gets to it. The story starts off slightly in the german romanticist way, but soon, strange things begin to happen and even Patera, the lord of the dream land, living in an empty and deserted palace, apears to be something else then human. At the end, everything begins to rot , animals, from fleas to bears and tigers overpopulate and take over the city and the people, established in the previous chapters, are driven into degeneration, bestiality and then finaly chaotic madness, killing each other , having moved out of the corroded city. When the outside forces finaly enter the dream land, they only find a few survivors.
An unimaginabely riveting and strange read and public domain to.
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Post by benedictjjones on Mar 8, 2009 22:52:53 GMT
Re: REH well the last two stories i've just read have blown me away - 'the children of the night' and 'the black stone'. both excellent. at the minute im on 'the thing on the roof' which seems to mine similar ground. really good stuff - as though lovecraft actually had social skills and a bit more 'world experience'.
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