Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
This was... okay.
Considering its release year, it's a solid attempt at horror. What threw me off was the writing style, I found it to be tedious.
Though, a lot of atmospheric descriptions, for anyone who's a fan of that (me - not so much).
The concept is creepy, I'll give it that!
Considering its release year, it's a solid attempt at horror. What threw me off was the writing style, I found it to be tedious.
Though, a lot of atmospheric descriptions, for anyone who's a fan of that (me - not so much).
The concept is creepy, I'll give it that!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love stories where natural landscapes are described in such a way where you can close your eyes and not only know what the scenery looks like, but know how you're supposed to feel when you see what's around you; where nature is just as much a part of the plot as the characters. Algernon Blackwood excels at this here. He succeeded at painting a beautiful picture in my head, and at thoroughly creeping me out. I actually had to physically turn my head away at the end. Reading this before bed while wind gusts were banging against my windows may not have been the best choice, but it was a great story.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
I don't read much horror, and although I knew Algernon Blackwood's name, I had no inclination to look into any of his stories. But I came across the beginning of this tale by accident and was interested to see how it would develop.
The opening of the story is carefully rooted in reality. Blackwood spends a good chunk of words telling us exactly where the characters are, laying out their journey up to this point and describing the landscape they are moving through in careful detail. In contrast, the narrator is faceless and nameless and his companion is known only as The Swede.
The solidity of the world is crucial because as the horror slowly creeps up, the certainty of the real world dissolves away. At first, it's plausible that the horror is all in the narrator's mind. But when we discover that the 'unimaginative' Swede is affected too we're slowly forced to accept that something supernatural is going on.
The slide into horror is so beautifully done that I can't do it justice - you need to read it for yourself. There is no blood and only the insinuation of violence; there is a growing creepiness that climbs to existential dread.
Well worth your time, even if you are not normally a horror fan, but appreciate a beautifully executed tale.
The opening of the story is carefully rooted in reality. Blackwood spends a good chunk of words telling us exactly where the characters are, laying out their journey up to this point and describing the landscape they are moving through in careful detail. In contrast, the narrator is faceless and nameless and his companion is known only as The Swede.
The solidity of the world is crucial because as the horror slowly creeps up, the certainty of the real world dissolves away. At first, it's plausible that the horror is all in the narrator's mind. But when we discover that the 'unimaginative' Swede is affected too we're slowly forced to accept that something supernatural is going on.
The slide into horror is so beautifully done that I can't do it justice - you need to read it for yourself. There is no blood and only the insinuation of violence; there is a growing creepiness that climbs to existential dread.
Well worth your time, even if you are not normally a horror fan, but appreciate a beautifully executed tale.