A disturbing read
|
I had hardly read any Machen before-just one or two short stories, and so these two novels were a revelation. He really did write very well, almost faultlessly in fact. The Great God Pan is a tense and atmospheric chiller in which some unspeakable horror-the offspring of an ancient deity- is afoot in modern (19th century) London. I found this hard to put down and read it at nearly one sitting.It is a disturbing and thought-provoking tale even by modern standards, and I can quite see why the book drew some adverse criticism when first published.
The Hill of Dreams I found less enthralling. It is again superbly written, but I lost interest in the central character, a failed writer, seemingly without real talent, whose woes and struggles form the bulk of the story. Also I have doubts that late Victorian society was really so harsh and philistine as Machen paints it. His view of life as expressed in these stories is so gloomy as to make Hardy appear positively optimistic.
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada