The Hole of the Pit by Adrian Ross

[stricik]

                                                   “The Hole of the Pit” by Adrian Ross  London: Edward Arnold, 1914
                                                                       (I've never seen a dust jacket)



Historical romance of hauntings and diabolism, and the siege of a seaside castle during the English Civil War by 'The Fiend from the Pit,' an amorphous mass of cold gray slime 'that feeds on flesh and blood.' Written in a graceful pastiche of seventeenth century prose, this novel boasts strong characterizations, a fine brooding atmosphere, and several effective eruptions of stark horror." - Robert Knowlton. "... powerful and atmospheric novel ... dedicated to his friend M. R. James although it is more in the style of W. Hope Hodgson at his best ... This novel is a neglected masterpiece of horror." - Sullivan (ed), The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural, p. 363

[stricik]

I opened this thread largely thanks to the discovery of a post by Murray Ewing, possibly explaining why the author did not continue to delight us with novels in the same spirit


www.murrayewing.co.uk/mewsings/2021/12/25/contemporary-reviews-of-the-hole-of-the-pit/




www.murrayewing.co.uk/mewsings/2021/12/27/contemporary-reviews-of-the-hole-of-the-pit-part-ii/

[enoch]

One could wish that the author had made a musical out of this.