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A review by arachan
The Three Impostors by Arthur Machen
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Arthur Machen was one of the founding fathers of eldritch horror so I thought I'd try one of his longer stories. Honestly, it didn't really work for me. He's very prone to the genre's fallacies; the protagonists are self-important and prone to talking about their Very Exotic interests and how arduous it is to be a creative person. The horror is never made explicit or explained and the plot is both clearly flagged and not explained at all.
There are enough allusions that Machen clearly expects his reader to understand but failing to be a white, cis male of the early 20th century with an interest in the occult, most of them don't land. It's very dense and rambling.
There are enough allusions that Machen clearly expects his reader to understand but failing to be a white, cis male of the early 20th century with an interest in the occult, most of them don't land. It's very dense and rambling.