My Goodreads review: Best Ghost Stories of Algernon Blackwood

[ankh_hpl]

Best Ghost Stories of Algernon Blackwood by Algernon Blackwood

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An excellent introduction to Blackwood for those who – like me – either haven’t read this notable British writer much, or possibly haven’t read him at all. Most of the stories here (other than “Max Hensig,” a crime tale with psychic overtones) were written before 1916, and combine traditional slow-burn horror with some of the finest atmospherics around.

Two of the longer tales – “The Willows” and “The Wendigo” – are weird fiction classics, and worth the very reasonable price of this collection all by themselves. The rest ring a wide variety of changes on the traditional ghost story. Some are distinctly horrific (I found “Secret Worship,” “The Listener,” and “The Empty House” particularly disturbing), while others focus on the pure experience of being haunted

Blackwood’s style is thoroughly English -- literary & “chewy.” His endings might be a little quiet for modern tastes, but he delivers some serious chills along the way.




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