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Post by Knygathin on Jun 14, 2012 21:21:41 GMT
My post was unfortunately formulated. This sentence, too! Just kidding. Yeah . . . I know. It didn't sound good. Please help. What is wrong with it? It seems to have a double meaning.
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Jun 27, 2012 8:55:10 GMT
The troubling Algernon Blackwood (thanks to Nosferatu's gift.) in the shape of The Dance of Death.
Six tales by Blackwood is probably the exact size for appreciation and I'd question a 'best of' as I get the impression that Blackwood is a consistently good writer who almost always fails to deliver great. We have to take into account that his first stories A Mysterious House and A Haunted Island were published in 1899 and that one of his classics The Willows was written in 1907 in his late thirties. It could be argued he was at the peak of his powers in 1907 and it could be argued that the very fact that the modern reader can plod through a hundred year old Blackwood tale with some sense that it's rather good and almost modern is a testament to his ability. On the down side I'm not the only one on the board who feels that he simply fails to deliver. There's been some good suggestions on this thread as to why that's the case. I would say it’s mostly because what he is writing is not really horrific in a modern sense so if you read Blackwood assuming he's a horror writer per se its going to be a disappointment. Monker (above) has said ‘he fails to exploit the full significance or implications of his plots.’ And I think that’s accurate. He evokes awe and he evokes terror but somehow fails to adequately horrify. John Llewellyn Probert has also pointed out the flaw in one of Blackwood’s main protagonists John Silence ‘an invincible, insufferable drama-killer’ who is frankly quite a dull bloke. Just when you want him to fall down clutching his throat and mouthing dark obscenities to the foul creatures of the abyss he explains everything in a manner reminiscent of your worst maths teacher tackling quadratic equations. The Dance of Death. Browne’s off to a dance, He’s been diagnosed with a weak heart. He’ll meet a lovely looking lady who no one can see. No prizes for the ending. A Psychical Invasion.Mr. Pender, the Victorian equivalent of Spike Milligan, has been at the cannabis in order to help him write a few funnies. It’s a good description of the effects of hashish on the unwary (and demonstrates almost conclusively that canoeing down rivers wasn’t the only exploration undertaken by Blackwood). Unfortunately it’s not so good at evoking the tactile sense of dread normally accompanying the onset of demons. Again John Silence’s reply ‘I saw that at once.’ To Pender’s belief that he has been spiritually afflicted just makes you feel that Silence is a bit of a smug know all. A bit more of the ‘My God, what no!!!’ might have given the story more tension. The use of the dog and the cat as spiritual monitors is effective and overall it was an enjoyable read. The Old Man of Visions has some good descriptive passages as it takes us on a young man’s quest for spiritual truth. The old man doesn’t do much though and when you find out where he lives it’s a fair bet you would go calling on another friend who could produce tea and biscuits and a back catalogue of Hammer Horror films for your entertainment. There are echoes of Dunsany without the ethereal woods and with only a few urban fairies somewhere just out of reach. The story failed to deliver the goods. The South Wind is a short short about…well the South wind. The Touch of Pan might have been better titled The Fondling of Elspeth. It’s a well written account of an idyllic Dionysian rite where the natural charms and fun are contrasted with the plastic vulgarity of the party goers. Running about naked in the woods with a charming companion beats trying to get your end away in a bush with a friend’s wife. The Valley of the Beasts – Blackwood at his best and in his best environment – out hunting in the the woods. Grimwood gets his comeuppance when he doesn’t take his Indian guide seriously. It’s a story with a happy ending and reveals Blackwood’s intimate knowledge of the wilderness. Blackwood is at his best when you’re out camping in the middle of nowhere, or in a canoe in the middle of nowhere or up a hill in the middle of nowhere. He deals with wilderness and its power to strike the spirit with dread with all the accuracy of someone who’s been there. He understands that we are tiny humble creatures and come to known this when left alone to face the massive universe. He attributes our dread to fear of a deep and almost inexplicable natural force. Sometimes he makes that force a tangible God, at other times, in an effect which appears quite preposterous, a psychical invasion, a man with visions, a hunter with burnt feet. At his worst you feel like a man in a museum looking at a stuffed lion. You are not frightened a bit – at his best you are staring at the same lion but its real and about to eat you.
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Post by cauldronbrewer on Jun 27, 2012 11:39:00 GMT
The troubling Algernon Blackwood (thanks to Nosferatu's gift.) in the shape of The Dance of Death.Six tales by Blackwood is probably the exact size for appreciation and I'd question a 'best of' as I get the impression that Blackwood is a consistently good writer who almost always fails to deliver great. Sounds about right. More than six Blackwood stories at one go would be too much for me. Just when you want him to fall down clutching his throat and mouthing dark obscenities to the foul creatures of the abyss he explains everything in a manner reminiscent of your worst maths teacher tackling quadratic equations. If someone were to find a manuscript of a seventh John Silence story in which he meets the doom you describe, I would pay good money to read it. Mr. Pender, the Victorian equivalent of Spike Milligan, has been at the cannabis in order to help him write a few funnies. It’s a good description of the effects of hashish on the unwary (and demonstrates almost conclusively that canoeing down rivers wasn’t the only exploration undertaken by Blackwood). Unfortunately it’s not so good at evoking the tactile sense of dread normally accompanying the onset of demons. Again John Silence’s reply ‘I saw that at once.’ To Pender’s belief that he has been spiritually afflicted just makes you feel that Silence is a bit of a smug know all. A bit more of the ‘My God, what no!!!’ might have given the story more tension. The use of the dog and the cat as spiritual monitors is effective and overall it was an enjoyable read. You had more patience with this one than me, particularly in regard to the cat and the dog. The Valley of the Beasts – Blackwood at his best and in his best environment – out hunting in the the woods. Grimwood gets his comeuppance when he doesn’t take his Indian guide seriously. It’s a story with a happy ending and reveals Blackwood’s intimate knowledge of the wilderness. I've read this story twice, and I like it a good deal even with the happy ending. It follows an unbreakable rule in horror fiction: Never ignore the advice of your non-white guide.Blackwood is at his best when you’re out camping in the middle of nowhere, or in a canoe in the middle of nowhere or up a hill in the middle of nowhere. He deals with wilderness and its power to strike the spirit with dread with all the accuracy of someone who’s been there. He understands that we are tiny humble creatures and come to known this when left alone to face the massive universe. He attributes our dread to fear of a deep and almost inexplicable natural force. Sometimes he makes that force a tangible God, at other times, in an effect which appears quite preposterous, a psychical invasion, a man with visions a hunter with burnt feet. At his worst you feel like a man in a museum looking at a stuffed lion. You are not frightened a bit – at his best you are staring at the same lion but its real and about to eat you. This is spot on and very well put. Would you say that tracking down a copy is worthwhile for someone who's already read "A Psychical Invasion" and "The Valley of the Beasts" but not the other four stories?
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Jun 27, 2012 11:54:55 GMT
I don't think it would be worth it. The South Wind is just a couple of pages of south wind and the others are anthologized elsewhere. I kind of revised my opinion of Blackwood reading this. He's not entertaining as I used to believe although I think there's no doubt he was a very interesting writer - unfortunately he sort of leans towards literature more than I recall...
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Jun 27, 2012 12:27:33 GMT
Except its a Pan!
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Post by Knygathin on Jul 24, 2012 16:54:27 GMT
I finished The Centaur last night. Having read all of its sentences more or less aloud, to really let it sink in. The ethereal meanings easily slip pass you, like whiffs of wind - if not articulated, and with a degree of emphatic passion (whether genuine, or stirred up by acting).
What an incredible adventure this book is. I am surprized that it has not started a spiritual movement around itself, like the Bible.
If a person reads only one book in his life, if humanity read only one book, I think it ought to be The Centaur.
This book should be required reading at school - especially for economy students and industrial physics/engineer students, who will have the greatest outer impact on society. And if they refuse or don't understand, they should be force-fed until they do. If I was Headmaster of the National School Board, I would introduce it.
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Post by Knygathin on Jul 28, 2012 12:09:07 GMT
There's a Penguin paperback from a few years ago which is still around in bookshops... Ancient Sorceries and Other Weird Tales - Algernon Blackwood, edited by S. T. Joshi (Penguin, 2002) Smith: An Episode in a Lodging-House The Willows The Insanity of Jones Ancient Sorceries The Man Who Found Out The Wendigo The Glamour of the Snow The Man Whom the Trees Loved SandI couldn't finish "Sand", which, from what I've read, appears to be an 80 page long essay about, um, sand. Not particularly interesting sand either. Perhaps it picks up after the first 60 pages... The other choices are pretty much spot on - "The Insanity of Jones" is a great reincarnation tale, a lot nastier than Blackwood usually gets, with a surprising streak of black comedy. In my opinion this book may be the best introduction to Algernon Blackwood. It is concise, and includes several of his best. I read one story after another, and thoroughly enjoyed them all. "Sand" too, which is perhaps similar in style to The Centaur, but more specialized and (god forbid me) less profound. Both "Sand" and "The Man Whom the Trees Loved", the last two in the collection, are long and conjuring, slowly building, and demand a certain patience from the reader. I don't think Blackwood wrote only to entertain - he also wanted to instruct and elevate the reader spiritually. The Centaur, for example, is part fiction and part a spiritual instruction book. I used to have the Dover edition of Best Ghost Stories when I was younger, but found some stories boring, starting with "Secret Worship". So I sold the book, and decided Algernon Blackwood was not for me. I think Blackwood is an author that is better appreciated as you get older, since much of his writing is subtle and psychological, and spiritual more than material.
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Post by Knygathin on Jul 28, 2012 14:00:11 GMT
I wonder if there are any recordings somewhere of his radio and TV broadcasts. Doubtful, I suppose, but that would be something if they could be unearthed. Some six minutes into the documentary The Story of the Ghost Story, there is about 20 delightful seconds. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs_dI4Pb16Y&NR=1There must be more available. Are the BBC archives open to the public?
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Post by Knygathin on Jul 28, 2012 14:12:09 GMT
Dunsany's "the Blessing of Pan" is a favourite of mine. . . . The most memorable essence from that book, to me, was the importance to the note of patience. With patience and perseverance the deeper dimensions of Nature will eventually open up to you.
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Post by Dr Strange on Jul 29, 2012 13:20:25 GMT
Some six minutes into the documentary The Story of the Ghost Story, there is about 20 delightful seconds. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs_dI4Pb16Y&NR=1There must be more available. Are the BBC archives open to the public? There is a link to the first half on that page, under "Video Responses".
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Post by Shrink Proof on Jul 29, 2012 17:35:26 GMT
I used to have the Dover edition of Best Ghost Stories when I was younger, but found some stories boring, starting with "Secret Worship". So I sold the book, and decided Algernon Blackwood was not for me. I think Blackwood is an author that is better appreciated as you get older, since much of his writing is subtle and psychological, and spiritual more than material. You may well be right. I'll always have a soft spot for Blackwood though; I was given a copy of his "Tales of the Mysterious & Macabre" one Xmas when I was much younger and that was what started me reading this kind of stuff....
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Post by Knygathin on Jul 30, 2012 16:05:32 GMT
You may well be right. I'll always have a soft spot for Blackwood though; I was given a copy of his "Tales of the Mysterious & Macabre" one Xmas when I was much younger and that was what started me reading this kind of stuff.... Generally, people grow to understand psychological and non-material dimensions better with age (some never learn). But the inborn nature of the individual, which is reflected and can be seen in the horoscope, may also be important, and some individuals carry and develop the ability to see and appreciate from early on. My focus on spiritual development for liking Blackwood, is still oversimplification. Other things matter. Like artistic style and taste, for instance. But anyhow, my comment above will probably go by unnoticed or victim of ridicule. For nobody today believes in ancient knowledge. Everything in the modern society herd is just about being a politically correct liberal and materialist. Adapting integrity at every cost to contemporary conformity, and socially afraid to be askance with establishment media elite and superficiality in latest fashion. Patting each other's back in smug collectivism. It is appalling.
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Post by Dr Strange on Jul 18, 2013 16:33:31 GMT
Didn't know this - 29 of Blackwood's stories were adapted for a TV series called Tales of Mystery in the early 60s. Each episode was introduced by John Laurie ('Frazer' from Dad's Army) playing Blackwood. Would love to have seen some of those - but they seem to be lost forever. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_Mystery
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Post by weirdmonger on Jul 18, 2013 18:06:13 GMT
Didn't know this - 29 of Blackwood's stories were adapted for a TV series called Tales of Mystery in the early 60s. Each episode was introduced by John Laurie ('Frazer' from Dad's Army) playing Blackwood. Would love to have seen some of those - but they seem to be lost forever. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_Mystery I watched them live. I always remember John Laurie's squeaky pipe! Des
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Jul 18, 2013 18:31:41 GMT
I'm not sure but Rog was seeking out a lot of old stuff and he may (emphasise may) have one or two of these.
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