The reputation of early-twentieth century British writer Algernon
Blackwood currently resides with his two novellas `The Willows'
(1907) and `The Wendigo' (1910), and with good reason. They are
perfectly crafted horror tales that convey feelings of mystical
otherness; they hint at the possibility that there are forces which
lie beyond the confines of our everyday understanding of the world
and which may, given the right circumstances, manifest to humans.
In `The Willows', `unearthly' creatures are responsible for
arousing `some dim ancestral sense of terror more profoundly
disturbing than anything' the protagonists have ever known. In `The
Wendigo', fear of the titular monster from Native American folklore
is used to create a discombobulating atmosphere of dread. In both
novellas, as in many other of Blackwood's fictions, wild landscapes
(a desolate island, a labyrinthine forest) act as more than
enhancing backdrops to the action - they become essential elements
to the generation of anxiety and metaphysical awe. Both stories
have become staples of the weird literary tradition, of which
Blackwood was undoubtedly a modern master. Blackwood's slow and
measured prose, deeply psychological and descriptive, grants his
fiction an intrinsic cumulative effect. It both builds up to potent
climaxes and brilliantly chronicles the aftermath of horrific
encounters. His poignant narrative pace, sparse use of action and
marked interest in how the mind filters perceptions, rather than on
objective physical descriptions, makes Blackwood truly unique. Only
a handful of other stories in horror fiction manage to conjure up
the type of uncanny ambience found in `The Willows' and `The
Wendigo'. This is why they are included in this collection.
General
Imprint: |
British Library Publishing
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Series: |
British Library Tales of the Weird |
Release date: |
October 2019 |
Editors: |
Xavier Aldana Reyes
|
Authors: |
Algernon Blackwood
|
Dimensions: |
190 x 130 x 23mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
320 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-7123-5305-2 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General
Promotions
|
LSN: |
0-7123-5305-4 |
Barcode: |
9780712353052 |
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