A review by bunnieslikediamonds
Dark Entries by Robert Aickman

5.0

Hooray for Faber & Faber for re-releasing these Aickman collections! I'm not crazy about the covers of these newest editions, which are way too cutesy and do not reflect the seriously eerie content at all, but hey, if that's what it takes to lure new readers. I loved Cold Hand In mine, The Unsettled Dust and The Wine-dark Sea, which were all outstanding and worthy of many, many re-reads. Compared to these three volumes, Dark Entries, while undoubtedly a five-star read, wasn't quite as impressive, but only because there were fewer stories to wow me. It contains only six stories. The conventional ghost story "The Waiting Room" is the only weak one of the bunch. "The View" is intriguing, but requires a re-read as the shifting topography of its fictional island made me too dizzy to register the deeper implications of the story. "Bind Your Hair", which also appears in The Unsettled Dust, is marvellous and strange and strangely funny. Imagine the stress of visiting your boyfriend's tweedy relatives for the first time, escaping for a relaxing walk in the woods, only to get dragged into unpleasant primal rites by the neighbours. The events in "The School Friend" are also firmly grounded in everyday life, until suddenly they aren't. The vagueness of the supernatural elements only adds to the horror. "Choice of Weapons" and "Ringing the Changes" are beautifully unnerving and defy easy interpretation.

So yeah, Aickman is just terrific. But where is this Aickman revival I've been hearing about? These re-issues are a great start, but I want Aickman research, Aickman seminars and Aickman festivals! Go buy the books, for goodness' sake.