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The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories
Certain houses like certain persons manage somehow to proclaim at once their character for evil. In the case of the latter no particular feature need betray them; they may boast an open countenance and an ingenuous smile; and yet a little of their company leaves the unalterable conviction that there is something radically amiss with their being: that they are evil.
Contents:
- The Empty House
- A Haunted Island
- A Case of Eavesdropping
- Keeping His Promise
- With Intent to Steal
- The Wood of the Dead
- Smith: an Episode in a Lodging-House
- A Suspicious Gift
- The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York
- Skeleton Lake: an Episode in Camp.
Contents:
- The Empty House
- A Haunted Island
- A Case of Eavesdropping
- Keeping His Promise
- With Intent to Steal
- The Wood of the Dead
- Smith: an Episode in a Lodging-House
- A Suspicious Gift
- The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York
- Skeleton Lake: an Episode in Camp.
316 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1906
About the author
Algernon Blackwood
1,122 books1,086 followersAlgernon Henry Blackwood (1869–1951) was an English broadcasting narrator, journalist, novelist and short story writer, and among the most prolific ghost story writers in the history of the genre. The literary critic S. T. Joshi stated, "His work is more consistently meritorious than any weird writer's except Dunsany's" and that his short story collection Incredible Adventures (1914) "may be the premier weird collection of this or any other century".
Blackwood was born in Shooter's Hill (today part of south-east London, but then part of northwest Kent) and educated at Wellington College. His father was a Post Office administrator who, according to Peter Penzoldt, "though not devoid of genuine good-heartedness, had appallingly narrow religious ideas." Blackwood had a varied career, farming in Canada, operating a hotel, as a newspaper reporter in New York City, and, throughout his adult life, an occasional essayist for various periodicals. In his late thirties, he moved back to England and started to write stories of the supernatural. He was very successful, writing at least ten original collections of short stories and eventually appearing on both radio and television to tell them. He also wrote fourteen novels, several children's books, and a number of plays, most of which were produced but not published. He was an avid lover of nature and the outdoors, and many of his stories reflect this.
H.P. Lovecraft wrote of Blackwood: "He is the one absolute and unquestioned master of weird atmosphere." His powerful story "The Willows," which effectively describes another dimension impinging upon our own, was reckoned by Lovecraft to be not only "foremost of all" Blackwood's tales but the best "weird tale" of all time.
Among his thirty-odd books, Blackwood wrote a series of stories and short novels published as John Silence, Physician Extraordinary (1908), which featured a "psychic detective" who combined the skills of a Sherlock Holmes and a psychic medium. Blackwood also wrote light fantasy and juvenile books.
Blackwood was born in Shooter's Hill (today part of south-east London, but then part of northwest Kent) and educated at Wellington College. His father was a Post Office administrator who, according to Peter Penzoldt, "though not devoid of genuine good-heartedness, had appallingly narrow religious ideas." Blackwood had a varied career, farming in Canada, operating a hotel, as a newspaper reporter in New York City, and, throughout his adult life, an occasional essayist for various periodicals. In his late thirties, he moved back to England and started to write stories of the supernatural. He was very successful, writing at least ten original collections of short stories and eventually appearing on both radio and television to tell them. He also wrote fourteen novels, several children's books, and a number of plays, most of which were produced but not published. He was an avid lover of nature and the outdoors, and many of his stories reflect this.
H.P. Lovecraft wrote of Blackwood: "He is the one absolute and unquestioned master of weird atmosphere." His powerful story "The Willows," which effectively describes another dimension impinging upon our own, was reckoned by Lovecraft to be not only "foremost of all" Blackwood's tales but the best "weird tale" of all time.
Among his thirty-odd books, Blackwood wrote a series of stories and short novels published as John Silence, Physician Extraordinary (1908), which featured a "psychic detective" who combined the skills of a Sherlock Holmes and a psychic medium. Blackwood also wrote light fantasy and juvenile books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
August 28, 2019
Very atmospheric and spooky, the ghost stories and other horror tales herein are psychologically scary, rather than full of action. Each man in the story feels that something is off, rather than sees it. It's all about the sensitivity of the man to the supernatural or sensitivity to evil. Algernon Blackwood, wonderful name , is a master at creating that feeling of the hair standing up on your neck or the creepy, crawly itchiness that comes with the presence of something not quite of this earth. Some of the stories are masterpieces, like The Empty House, other stories are not nearly as good, but they all contain the same marvelous weirdness.
November 4, 2012
Horror fiction. A genre that does not nearly get all the credit that it deserves. A genre dominated by Stephen King and Dean Koontz. A genre that has so much to offer but much of it is marginalized by these two famous authors. Granted, King and Koontz have written some pretty frightening and powerful stories that are beloved by millions of readers. But outside of the works of these two bestselling authors, not much is known to mainstream readers. This is unfortunate. There was, in fact, a time when The Shining or Carrie didn’t exist. What spine chilling stories did readers devour before they read about haunted hotels and child killing clowns? Even Stephen King would admit that his stories probably would not exist if it were not for horror fiction pioneers such as this man, Algernon Blackwood.
This book, The Empty House and other stories, is a collection of 10 ghost stories that was first published in the early 1900s and is now in the public domain. Out of the 10 I would say that at least 7 are very good stories. One of the interesting characteristics is that a particular character, a man by the name of Shorthouse, is featured as the main character but in vastly different settings. Whether the story unfolds in a remote cottage in the wilderness of Quebec, or a haunted house in Long Island, Algernon Blackwood, like Lovecraft, is a master of descriptive writing conveying moods of dread and suspense. It is unfortunate that this collection is not more well-known. Blackwood’s short story, The Willows, seems to be the only story from this author that really gets any attention. It is absent here but I believe that the 10 stories featured in the collection are equally worth reading. Give this book a shot. After the second story, The Haunted Island, I just could not put it down. Maybe you will too.
This book, The Empty House and other stories, is a collection of 10 ghost stories that was first published in the early 1900s and is now in the public domain. Out of the 10 I would say that at least 7 are very good stories. One of the interesting characteristics is that a particular character, a man by the name of Shorthouse, is featured as the main character but in vastly different settings. Whether the story unfolds in a remote cottage in the wilderness of Quebec, or a haunted house in Long Island, Algernon Blackwood, like Lovecraft, is a master of descriptive writing conveying moods of dread and suspense. It is unfortunate that this collection is not more well-known. Blackwood’s short story, The Willows, seems to be the only story from this author that really gets any attention. It is absent here but I believe that the 10 stories featured in the collection are equally worth reading. Give this book a shot. After the second story, The Haunted Island, I just could not put it down. Maybe you will too.
November 9, 2019
Me han encantado estos relatos de Algernon Blackwood. Terror no dan, pero en ciertos momentos sientes cierta inquietud. Se trata de cuentos de fantasmas muy bien escritos, en este caso traducidos por el gran Francisco Torres Oliver, bien ambientados, sin giros sorprendentes, desde la actualidad, y deliciosos de leer.
Transición. (*****) Relato de breves páginas, del que es imposible contar nada sin incurrir en los tan temidos destripes; de un tiempo a esta parte, lo cierto es que cada vez me importan menos.
La casa vacía. (*****) Un joven y su tía se disponen a pasar la noche en una casa encantada.
Cumplió su promesa. (****) El protagonista, que está esa noche abstraído en sus estudios, recibe la visita de un antiguo compañero.
Puede telefonear desde aquí. (****) La protagonista espera la llamada de su marido, que está de viaje a París.
La cita. (****) El protagonista, tras hacer fortuna, vuelve en busca de su amor de juventud.
Lobo corredor. (*****) Hyde viaje en sus vacaciones al lago Medicine, donde abunda la pesca. Bosques profundos, algo que fascinaba al autor.
El valle de las bestias. (****) Un cazador y su guía indio, van tras un alce, pero este último se niega a adentrarse en el bosque donde se ha ocultado.
El que escucha. (*****) A modo de diario, el protagonista nos narra lo que le va sucediendo en su nueva casa.
Culto secreto. (*****) Un relato de John Silence, investigador de lo oculto. Un antiguo estudiante inglés, está realizando un nostálgico viaje por Alemania, para visitar el lugar donde estudió de joven.
Transferencia. (****) Una institutriz, que trabaja que para un matrimonio y sus dos hijos pequeños, cuenta la visita del tío de estos. La historia se centra en un extraño y lúgubre lugar del jardín donde no crece nada.
El hechizo de la nieve. (***) Un esquiador es seducido por una mujer para esquiar durante la noche.
Luces antiguas. (****) El protagonista, un agrimensor, visita lo que será su nuevo lugar de trabajo.
El cuento de fantasmas de la mujer. (***) Una mujer, interesada en la parapsicología, narra su visita a una casa encantada.
El encubridor. (***) Un viajero tiene una extraña visión en su camino.
Transición. (*****) Relato de breves páginas, del que es imposible contar nada sin incurrir en los tan temidos destripes; de un tiempo a esta parte, lo cierto es que cada vez me importan menos.
La casa vacía. (*****) Un joven y su tía se disponen a pasar la noche en una casa encantada.
Cumplió su promesa. (****) El protagonista, que está esa noche abstraído en sus estudios, recibe la visita de un antiguo compañero.
Puede telefonear desde aquí. (****) La protagonista espera la llamada de su marido, que está de viaje a París.
La cita. (****) El protagonista, tras hacer fortuna, vuelve en busca de su amor de juventud.
Lobo corredor. (*****) Hyde viaje en sus vacaciones al lago Medicine, donde abunda la pesca. Bosques profundos, algo que fascinaba al autor.
El valle de las bestias. (****) Un cazador y su guía indio, van tras un alce, pero este último se niega a adentrarse en el bosque donde se ha ocultado.
El que escucha. (*****) A modo de diario, el protagonista nos narra lo que le va sucediendo en su nueva casa.
Culto secreto. (*****) Un relato de John Silence, investigador de lo oculto. Un antiguo estudiante inglés, está realizando un nostálgico viaje por Alemania, para visitar el lugar donde estudió de joven.
Transferencia. (****) Una institutriz, que trabaja que para un matrimonio y sus dos hijos pequeños, cuenta la visita del tío de estos. La historia se centra en un extraño y lúgubre lugar del jardín donde no crece nada.
El hechizo de la nieve. (***) Un esquiador es seducido por una mujer para esquiar durante la noche.
Luces antiguas. (****) El protagonista, un agrimensor, visita lo que será su nuevo lugar de trabajo.
El cuento de fantasmas de la mujer. (***) Una mujer, interesada en la parapsicología, narra su visita a una casa encantada.
El encubridor. (***) Un viajero tiene una extraña visión en su camino.
October 27, 2014
Certain houses, like certain persons, manage somehow to proclaim at once their character for evil. In the case of the latter, no particular feature need betray them; they may boast an open countenance and an ingenuous smile; and yet a little of their company leaves the unalterable conviction that there is something radically amiss with their being: that they are evil.
First published in 1907, this is Algernon Blackwood's first collection of short stories, and it takes on what is probably the oldest theme in horror fiction: the haunted house. The Empty House contains 10 stories, all of which feature mysterious, brooding locales: it's not impossible that the opening of the title story, which I quote at the beginning, could have inspired the famous beginning of Shirley Jackson's later novel, The Haunting of Hill House.
Blackwood has led an interesting life, and it is reflected in his stories - which feature a student receiving a strange visit from a friend in his Edinburgh flat; a man seeking solitude cottage on a remote Canadian island gets more than he bargained for; a lodger is growing increasingly more disturbed by what he overhears of his neighbors' conversation. Several of these stories are connected by the character of Jim Shorthouse - a man with a deep interest in the supernatural, possibly the author's fictional portrayal of himself - but all can be read independently.
My favorite story is the one where Shorthouse returns for the last time, The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York. In the story Shorthouse is working as a secretaty for a Mr. Sidebotham, who orders him to deliver some papers to a Mr. Garvey, his former business partner. The implication is strong that Sidebotham wants to blackmail Garvey, who has became a recluse - an unpleasant affair which Shorthouse intends to finish as quickly as possible. But it won't be this easy - Garvey lives in a secluded, spooky mansion with an equally spooky servant, and all is not quite right with him. Despite the official matter with which he came he's overjoyed to have Shorthouse's company, and insists that he stays the night - which Shorthouse realize he will have to do, as he misses his last train. What follows is a really suspenseful and engaging romp, reminiscent of Jonathan Harker's stay at Dracula's Castle and his experiences there. The end is quite sudden, and one would wish to spend more time with these characters and this spooky mansion - though maybe it is also a good thing, as th story never overstays its welcome and grows to bore the reader. It's also an interesting entry from a historical perspective - Garvey's servant is Jewish, and is clearly meant to be an example of the Other - with constant mentions of his devilish and odious Jewish nature reflecting the ferocious antisemitism of the early 20th century.
Like virtually all of Blackwood's work this collection is also in public domain, and can be legally downloaded from the internet - like his other two famous stories which I read and reviewed, The Wendigo and The Willows. Grab a copy here:
http://www.feedbooks.com/book/1066/th...
First published in 1907, this is Algernon Blackwood's first collection of short stories, and it takes on what is probably the oldest theme in horror fiction: the haunted house. The Empty House contains 10 stories, all of which feature mysterious, brooding locales: it's not impossible that the opening of the title story, which I quote at the beginning, could have inspired the famous beginning of Shirley Jackson's later novel, The Haunting of Hill House.
Blackwood has led an interesting life, and it is reflected in his stories - which feature a student receiving a strange visit from a friend in his Edinburgh flat; a man seeking solitude cottage on a remote Canadian island gets more than he bargained for; a lodger is growing increasingly more disturbed by what he overhears of his neighbors' conversation. Several of these stories are connected by the character of Jim Shorthouse - a man with a deep interest in the supernatural, possibly the author's fictional portrayal of himself - but all can be read independently.
My favorite story is the one where Shorthouse returns for the last time, The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York. In the story Shorthouse is working as a secretaty for a Mr. Sidebotham, who orders him to deliver some papers to a Mr. Garvey, his former business partner. The implication is strong that Sidebotham wants to blackmail Garvey, who has became a recluse - an unpleasant affair which Shorthouse intends to finish as quickly as possible. But it won't be this easy - Garvey lives in a secluded, spooky mansion with an equally spooky servant, and all is not quite right with him. Despite the official matter with which he came he's overjoyed to have Shorthouse's company, and insists that he stays the night - which Shorthouse realize he will have to do, as he misses his last train. What follows is a really suspenseful and engaging romp, reminiscent of Jonathan Harker's stay at Dracula's Castle and his experiences there. The end is quite sudden, and one would wish to spend more time with these characters and this spooky mansion - though maybe it is also a good thing, as th story never overstays its welcome and grows to bore the reader. It's also an interesting entry from a historical perspective - Garvey's servant is Jewish, and is clearly meant to be an example of the Other - with constant mentions of his devilish and odious Jewish nature reflecting the ferocious antisemitism of the early 20th century.
Like virtually all of Blackwood's work this collection is also in public domain, and can be legally downloaded from the internet - like his other two famous stories which I read and reviewed, The Wendigo and The Willows. Grab a copy here:
http://www.feedbooks.com/book/1066/th...
November 10, 2014
I didn't intend to read this book properly; I just wanted to sample a few stories to get a feel for the author's style, in preparation for a blog post about ghost stories I'm in the process of writing. I did, however, end up reading all ten stories, although I skimmed over a few of them a little more quickly than I usually would. The edition I read, one of many available on Kindle (this is a public domain work, which you can download for free at Project Gutenberg) has the provocative and rather daft subtitle '10 extreme ghost stories for hardcore horror fans only'. Despite the fact that this was one of the first things I bought when I got a Kindle, that subtitle actually put me off trying it for a long time - not because I thought I was going to be terrified, but because I expected high melodrama and gore, neither of which are things I particularly value in ghost stories.
As it turns out, however, Blackwood's stories have much in common with other, similar tales from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some feature descriptions of hauntings that might have been perceived as 'extreme' at the time, but are hardly traumatic by modern standards, while just as many are relatively subtle. My favourites were: 'A Haunted Island' - a man staying on a deserted island finds himself besieged by a terrifying vision in his own home; 'Keeping His Promise' - a student's old schoolfriend reappears in (almost comically) strange circumstances; and 'The Wood of the Dead' - a visitor from the city encounters an old man in a country pub, and learns that the stranger is considered to be a harbinger of death. Another one of the best is 'A Suspicious Gift', which is not about anything supernatural at all, but a neatly duplicitous crime story in which a man's acceptance of an unexpected windfall leads to unfortunate and gruesome consequences.
The most problematic, and least successful, stories are those featuring the recurring character Jim Shorthouse. Why Shorthouse reappears is unclear, as there is little to no continuity in his characterisation; his behaviour, reactions to the strange things he experiences, and even the timeline of his life don't appear to match up across the four stories he features in. This makes it annoying when a story features Shorthouse, because the continuity problems hold it back even if the story itself is good, like 'A Case of Eavesdropping', in which he overhears what seem to be terrifying events in the room next door. 'The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York', by far the longest and most imaginative story included here, has the potential to be really interesting, but it's blighted by blatant anti-Semitism, and ends so abruptly it feels like the author couldn't be bothered to finish it. 'The Empty House', which opens the book, is quite scary in parts, but it's also exactly the sort of over-the-top melodrama I feared I would find in these stories. 'With Intent to Steal', meanwhile, is rambling and overdramatic in the extreme.
This, though, is an early collection of stories from Blackwood - I believe it was the first thing he ever published - so it's not surprising that it sometimes feels amateurish. Perhaps I should have started with some of his later stories. I've just been looking at Blackwood's Wikipedia page, and some of them sound amazing, eg:
'The House of the Past - A vaguely psychological story expressed in supernatural terms about the relationship between memories, dreams and past lives.'
'A Psychical Invitation - A man's experimentation with drugs opens his mind to an attack by a supernatural force. The tale is based on both Blackwood's own experiments with drugs and his occult learning whilst in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.'
'Ancient Sorceries - A village in a Cathedral town in France, with an above average population of cats, turns out have in its midst a number of dabblers in the dark arts.'
So yes, I will probably read more by the author, and I'm glad to have got the measure of his style. This collection was simply too uneven to be anything more than an average read overall.
***
List/order of stories in the edition I read:
1. The Empty House
2. A Haunted Island
3. A Case of Eavesdropping
4. Keeping His Promise
5. With Intent to Steal
6. The Wood of the Dead
7. Smith: An Episode in a Lodging-House
8. A Suspicious Gift
9. The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York
10. Skeleton Lake: An Episode in Camp
As it turns out, however, Blackwood's stories have much in common with other, similar tales from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some feature descriptions of hauntings that might have been perceived as 'extreme' at the time, but are hardly traumatic by modern standards, while just as many are relatively subtle. My favourites were: 'A Haunted Island' - a man staying on a deserted island finds himself besieged by a terrifying vision in his own home; 'Keeping His Promise' - a student's old schoolfriend reappears in (almost comically) strange circumstances; and 'The Wood of the Dead' - a visitor from the city encounters an old man in a country pub, and learns that the stranger is considered to be a harbinger of death. Another one of the best is 'A Suspicious Gift', which is not about anything supernatural at all, but a neatly duplicitous crime story in which a man's acceptance of an unexpected windfall leads to unfortunate and gruesome consequences.
The most problematic, and least successful, stories are those featuring the recurring character Jim Shorthouse. Why Shorthouse reappears is unclear, as there is little to no continuity in his characterisation; his behaviour, reactions to the strange things he experiences, and even the timeline of his life don't appear to match up across the four stories he features in. This makes it annoying when a story features Shorthouse, because the continuity problems hold it back even if the story itself is good, like 'A Case of Eavesdropping', in which he overhears what seem to be terrifying events in the room next door. 'The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York', by far the longest and most imaginative story included here, has the potential to be really interesting, but it's blighted by blatant anti-Semitism, and ends so abruptly it feels like the author couldn't be bothered to finish it. 'The Empty House', which opens the book, is quite scary in parts, but it's also exactly the sort of over-the-top melodrama I feared I would find in these stories. 'With Intent to Steal', meanwhile, is rambling and overdramatic in the extreme.
This, though, is an early collection of stories from Blackwood - I believe it was the first thing he ever published - so it's not surprising that it sometimes feels amateurish. Perhaps I should have started with some of his later stories. I've just been looking at Blackwood's Wikipedia page, and some of them sound amazing, eg:
'The House of the Past - A vaguely psychological story expressed in supernatural terms about the relationship between memories, dreams and past lives.'
'A Psychical Invitation - A man's experimentation with drugs opens his mind to an attack by a supernatural force. The tale is based on both Blackwood's own experiments with drugs and his occult learning whilst in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.'
'Ancient Sorceries - A village in a Cathedral town in France, with an above average population of cats, turns out have in its midst a number of dabblers in the dark arts.'
So yes, I will probably read more by the author, and I'm glad to have got the measure of his style. This collection was simply too uneven to be anything more than an average read overall.
***
List/order of stories in the edition I read:
1. The Empty House
2. A Haunted Island
3. A Case of Eavesdropping
4. Keeping His Promise
5. With Intent to Steal
6. The Wood of the Dead
7. Smith: An Episode in a Lodging-House
8. A Suspicious Gift
9. The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York
10. Skeleton Lake: An Episode in Camp
June 24, 2012
I keep reading the same phrase on the reviews for Algernon Blackwood's, The Empty House And Other Ghost Stories - "This was free on my Kindle...". Yes, and what an extraordinary gift for the Kindle it is. Many of Algernon's works are Free for the Kindle, and aren't we blessed and ecstatic about that? I am - because Algernon Blackwood is the master of the ghost story and of things that go bump in the stormy night.
Back in the day when these stories were written, you know, around the time of the Saber Tooth Tiger and T Rex, horror wasn't about blood, gore and shock value, the modern day ghost story, written then, was about nuance. A strange creak in the floor board, a cold wind sending chills down your spine, voices coming from an empty room. These stories are made of events that spawn imagination, and everyone knows imagination is more powerful than gore and violence and shock treatment. That's what makes these stories so delightfully good to read. And again, we are so lucky to have them, Free for the Kindle! The original works of Algernon Blackwood in book form are very expensive.
Take this morsel from The Empty House, where Jim Shorthouse and his elderly auntie plan to spend the night in a known haunted house - "for there is nothing more desolate in all the abodes of men than an unfurnished house dimly lit, silent, and forsaken, and yet tenanted by rumour with the memories of evil and violent histories." And if that can't get your imagination reeling, check your pulse.
Yes, these are much more than mere campfire stories. These are stories to be read at night under the light of the candle, late, while the winds howl at the window. Who needs blood and guts when we have great subleties from brilliant writers such as Algernon Blackwood who spent his life writing spine tingling tales to scare and amuse.
This book is filled with wonderful tales of hauntings, bizarre occurrences and the accounts of vagabond travelers taking refuge in strange boarding houses, farms and quaint out of the way villages. If one enjoys ghost stories, look no further. This book isn't about in your face violence and over the top gore, it's about fright like that creepy feeling you get when something crawls down your arm and sets your neck hairs on end.
There are great stories in this collection (the first story collection published by Algernon): A Haunted Island, A Case Of Eavesdropping (my favorite), Keeping His Promise, With Intent To Steal, and many more.
Let me put this in Algernon's own words: "Imaginative authors may write, moralists may preach, and scholars may criticise but they are dealing all the time in a coinage of which they know not the actual value."
Algernon Blackwood - Free for the Kindle-Amen To That!!
Back in the day when these stories were written, you know, around the time of the Saber Tooth Tiger and T Rex, horror wasn't about blood, gore and shock value, the modern day ghost story, written then, was about nuance. A strange creak in the floor board, a cold wind sending chills down your spine, voices coming from an empty room. These stories are made of events that spawn imagination, and everyone knows imagination is more powerful than gore and violence and shock treatment. That's what makes these stories so delightfully good to read. And again, we are so lucky to have them, Free for the Kindle! The original works of Algernon Blackwood in book form are very expensive.
Take this morsel from The Empty House, where Jim Shorthouse and his elderly auntie plan to spend the night in a known haunted house - "for there is nothing more desolate in all the abodes of men than an unfurnished house dimly lit, silent, and forsaken, and yet tenanted by rumour with the memories of evil and violent histories." And if that can't get your imagination reeling, check your pulse.
Yes, these are much more than mere campfire stories. These are stories to be read at night under the light of the candle, late, while the winds howl at the window. Who needs blood and guts when we have great subleties from brilliant writers such as Algernon Blackwood who spent his life writing spine tingling tales to scare and amuse.
This book is filled with wonderful tales of hauntings, bizarre occurrences and the accounts of vagabond travelers taking refuge in strange boarding houses, farms and quaint out of the way villages. If one enjoys ghost stories, look no further. This book isn't about in your face violence and over the top gore, it's about fright like that creepy feeling you get when something crawls down your arm and sets your neck hairs on end.
There are great stories in this collection (the first story collection published by Algernon): A Haunted Island, A Case Of Eavesdropping (my favorite), Keeping His Promise, With Intent To Steal, and many more.
Let me put this in Algernon's own words: "Imaginative authors may write, moralists may preach, and scholars may criticise but they are dealing all the time in a coinage of which they know not the actual value."
Algernon Blackwood - Free for the Kindle-Amen To That!!
March 26, 2022
The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories collects a few of Algernon Blackwood's most atmospheric stories. Like Lovecraft and Poe, his stories rely mostly on creating a sense of dread through long passages of eerie descriptions that transport the reader to another world full of eldritch entities that make the imagination run wild. Blackwood tends to explore more tame and down-to-earth locations and subjects, choosing to focus on the every day horrors and mysteries of life such as haunted houses, creepy woodlands and local superstitions.
Not that scary or intriguing by the standards of today, but it has a great classic 'ghost stories by the campfire' vibe to them. Cozy and eerie in equal measure, perfect for a gothic winter night.
Not that scary or intriguing by the standards of today, but it has a great classic 'ghost stories by the campfire' vibe to them. Cozy and eerie in equal measure, perfect for a gothic winter night.
November 7, 2010
I am usually not a big fan of ghost stories but Blackwood is an exception, not to say that only ghosts were involved in these tales. Blackwood is the epitome of fear, a true master at making hearts beat faster with deceptively simple ease. Most people tend to compare Blackwood to Poe but I never felt the same intense reactions to Poe's work as I do Blackwood's. Maybe this partially has to do with reading all of Poe's works at a much younger age. The only other writer I can think of who creates the same unease, curiosity, and fear as Blackwood does is Bradbury, someone who may not initailly come to mind but if you can get past the settings and purpose behind each author's writing, to simply look at the words and emotions involved, then both are very similar.
Like all of Blackwood's works, I finish wishing more people would read his stories, and with many eerie pictures in my head, from ghosts dragging a scalped body behind them, to the eyes behind the picture, and the possessed climbing over rafters, this is the best kind of horror.
Like all of Blackwood's works, I finish wishing more people would read his stories, and with many eerie pictures in my head, from ghosts dragging a scalped body behind them, to the eyes behind the picture, and the possessed climbing over rafters, this is the best kind of horror.
December 21, 2016
This is a fine collection of scary, suspenseful short stories, reminding me of Lovecraft, Steam Punk and other mystery/supernatural stories of the turn of the last century.
January 4, 2019
A couple of the stories were pretty good but it was mostly pretty dull.
September 6, 2016
Though slightly dated, this collection still warrants 5 stars if only because of its role in the history of the horror genre. Along with Poe, Machen, and Lovecraft, Blackwood's significance can not be minimized and neither can his style of storytelling.
I doubt this will appeal as much to the modern reader unless, like me, you happen to appreciate the subtle side of horror which ultimately derives its power from fear of the unknown,a fear whose limits exist only within the confines of our imagination.
Blackwood's stories aren't so much scary as they invite us to explore that which scares us. After all, the ghosts and demons and evils that we fear the most are those manufactured and nurtured in the psyche.
I doubt this will appeal as much to the modern reader unless, like me, you happen to appreciate the subtle side of horror which ultimately derives its power from fear of the unknown,a fear whose limits exist only within the confines of our imagination.
Blackwood's stories aren't so much scary as they invite us to explore that which scares us. After all, the ghosts and demons and evils that we fear the most are those manufactured and nurtured in the psyche.
August 21, 2018
”Certain houses, like certain persons, manage somehow to proclaim at once their character for evil.”
This first sentence of Algernon Blackwood’s short story collection The Empty House may already suggest that we are about to experience more traditional in-door horror rather than the kind of fare we might expect of Blackwood – stories like “The Willows” or “The Wendigo” that deal with the more nameless, whispering horrors hovering over a seemingly idyllic countryside. In fact, most of the stories presented in this book tend to be classical ghost stories, telling us of haunted houses, spectres that are made to haunt the places of their sufferings or crimes, or others that return to keep a promise made in a more light-hearted vein. The stories fitting into this category are the following:
The Empty House: A young man and his aunt spend a night in a house that is rumoured to be haunted. The story itself is not really very remarkable, but there is one outstanding passage in which Blackwood describes the effect of the terror experienced by the aunt, on her outward appearance.
A Case of Eavesdropping: Another classical ghost story, which accidentally has the same protagonist as the story mentioned above, namely young Jim Shorthouse, who will appear in two more stories in this collection. It seems, however, as though, there are at least two Jim Shorthouses in the four stories concerned, because the character does not really act coherently. The story plays in rented rooms, where Jim Shorthouse involuntarily eavesdrops on the conversations of his neighbours, and it is also remarkable for the grim humour linked with the extremely practically-minded Yankee landlady.
Keeping His Promise: Here a young student who is cramming for an exam is surprised by a nocturnal visit of an old friend of his, who has fallen into disgrace with his family. Soon, however, the old friend displays some unsettling characteristics.
Smith: An Episode in a Lodging-House: A story about a student who is bothered by his mysterious neighbour that seems to dabble in black magic. It is an atmospheric tale, but it reminded me of a similar story written by Arthur Conan Doyle.
There are two more unusual ghost stories, namely The Wood of the Dead, which is quite a melancholy tale reminding us of the inevitability of death as a fact that one may just as well embrace with equanimity no matter how sad it might make us. This story has quite a brooding touch to it. Quite another mood will be created in With Intent to Steal, a tale that witnesses an older Jim Shorthouse and a younger man (the first-person narrator) spend the night in a barn that is haunted by a particularly malicious ghost intent on stealing people’s vital energy.
The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York would be a very good story, had the author found it beneath him to peddle anti-Semitic stereotypes. Those bigoted slurs aside, however, the story will enthral its readers because of its grotesque absurdity and the nightmarish menace that becomes more and more obvious behind the genial façade of the old businessman Jim Shorthouse has to pay an important visit to. All in all, this story may remind you of the style of Poe or Robert Aickman.
There are two stories that do not really deal with supernatural horror but more with crime. Whereas A Suspicious Gift is a most silly and exaggerated endeavour – additionally spoiled by a shaggy-dog ending –, the story that concludes the collection, Skeleton Lake: An Episode in Camp is of more interest. Suppose you see two people go out hunting, and later find only one of them returning, in a distraught state of mind, telling a story that not only has holes but also inconsistencies – what would you believe had happened in that dark forest, with only the two people around?
The best story in this collection is the second one, A Haunted Island, where a young man wants to use the seclusion of a Canadian island in order to prepare for an exam. Haunted by vague premonitions, he one day no longer finds himself able to sleep in the room he has hitherto occupied without seconds thoughts, and consequently moves into another part of the lonely house. Then, at night, a canoe with two ghostly Indians arrives … This story shows how Blackwood is able to create a chilling atmosphere of terror and suspense, keeping his reader involved and ready to share the emotions experienced by the protagonist. This foreshadows a lot of Blackwood’s later writings.
To conclude, one might say that the bulk of the stories may be traditional with regard to its subjects and settings but still Blackwood enriches most of these tales by his fine manner of describing human emotions, which was to reach its full scope in his later stories. I could not help noticing, however, that most of these stories end rather abruptly, giving some of them a rather unfinished touch, which does not always leave the reader in a satisfied state of mind.
This first sentence of Algernon Blackwood’s short story collection The Empty House may already suggest that we are about to experience more traditional in-door horror rather than the kind of fare we might expect of Blackwood – stories like “The Willows” or “The Wendigo” that deal with the more nameless, whispering horrors hovering over a seemingly idyllic countryside. In fact, most of the stories presented in this book tend to be classical ghost stories, telling us of haunted houses, spectres that are made to haunt the places of their sufferings or crimes, or others that return to keep a promise made in a more light-hearted vein. The stories fitting into this category are the following:
The Empty House: A young man and his aunt spend a night in a house that is rumoured to be haunted. The story itself is not really very remarkable, but there is one outstanding passage in which Blackwood describes the effect of the terror experienced by the aunt, on her outward appearance.
A Case of Eavesdropping: Another classical ghost story, which accidentally has the same protagonist as the story mentioned above, namely young Jim Shorthouse, who will appear in two more stories in this collection. It seems, however, as though, there are at least two Jim Shorthouses in the four stories concerned, because the character does not really act coherently. The story plays in rented rooms, where Jim Shorthouse involuntarily eavesdrops on the conversations of his neighbours, and it is also remarkable for the grim humour linked with the extremely practically-minded Yankee landlady.
Keeping His Promise: Here a young student who is cramming for an exam is surprised by a nocturnal visit of an old friend of his, who has fallen into disgrace with his family. Soon, however, the old friend displays some unsettling characteristics.
Smith: An Episode in a Lodging-House: A story about a student who is bothered by his mysterious neighbour that seems to dabble in black magic. It is an atmospheric tale, but it reminded me of a similar story written by Arthur Conan Doyle.
There are two more unusual ghost stories, namely The Wood of the Dead, which is quite a melancholy tale reminding us of the inevitability of death as a fact that one may just as well embrace with equanimity no matter how sad it might make us. This story has quite a brooding touch to it. Quite another mood will be created in With Intent to Steal, a tale that witnesses an older Jim Shorthouse and a younger man (the first-person narrator) spend the night in a barn that is haunted by a particularly malicious ghost intent on stealing people’s vital energy.
The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York would be a very good story, had the author found it beneath him to peddle anti-Semitic stereotypes. Those bigoted slurs aside, however, the story will enthral its readers because of its grotesque absurdity and the nightmarish menace that becomes more and more obvious behind the genial façade of the old businessman Jim Shorthouse has to pay an important visit to. All in all, this story may remind you of the style of Poe or Robert Aickman.
There are two stories that do not really deal with supernatural horror but more with crime. Whereas A Suspicious Gift is a most silly and exaggerated endeavour – additionally spoiled by a shaggy-dog ending –, the story that concludes the collection, Skeleton Lake: An Episode in Camp is of more interest. Suppose you see two people go out hunting, and later find only one of them returning, in a distraught state of mind, telling a story that not only has holes but also inconsistencies – what would you believe had happened in that dark forest, with only the two people around?
The best story in this collection is the second one, A Haunted Island, where a young man wants to use the seclusion of a Canadian island in order to prepare for an exam. Haunted by vague premonitions, he one day no longer finds himself able to sleep in the room he has hitherto occupied without seconds thoughts, and consequently moves into another part of the lonely house. Then, at night, a canoe with two ghostly Indians arrives … This story shows how Blackwood is able to create a chilling atmosphere of terror and suspense, keeping his reader involved and ready to share the emotions experienced by the protagonist. This foreshadows a lot of Blackwood’s later writings.
To conclude, one might say that the bulk of the stories may be traditional with regard to its subjects and settings but still Blackwood enriches most of these tales by his fine manner of describing human emotions, which was to reach its full scope in his later stories. I could not help noticing, however, that most of these stories end rather abruptly, giving some of them a rather unfinished touch, which does not always leave the reader in a satisfied state of mind.
June 6, 2017
✭✭✭
“The Empty House” (1906) ✭✭✭✭
“A Haunted Island” (1899) ✭✭✭✭
“A Case of Eavesdropping” (1900) ✭✭✭
“Keeping His Promise” (1906) ✭✭✭
“With Intent to Steal” (1906) ✭✭½
“The Wood of the Dead” (1906) ✭✭½
“Smith: An Episode in a Lodging-House” (1906) ✭✭✭
“A Suspicious Gift” (1906) ✭✭
“Skeleton Lake: An Episode in Camp” (1906) ✭½
“The Strange Adventures of a Private a Secretary in New York” (1906) ✭✭✭½
“The Empty House” (1906) ✭✭✭✭
“A Haunted Island” (1899) ✭✭✭✭
“A Case of Eavesdropping” (1900) ✭✭✭
“Keeping His Promise” (1906) ✭✭✭
“With Intent to Steal” (1906) ✭✭½
“The Wood of the Dead” (1906) ✭✭½
“Smith: An Episode in a Lodging-House” (1906) ✭✭✭
“A Suspicious Gift” (1906) ✭✭
“Skeleton Lake: An Episode in Camp” (1906) ✭½
“The Strange Adventures of a Private a Secretary in New York” (1906) ✭✭✭½
September 6, 2024
4.13⭐
The Empty House • (1906) 5⭐
A Haunted Island • (1899) 4.25⭐
A Case of Eavesdropping • [Jim Shorthouse] • (1900) 4⭐
Keeping His Promise • (1906) 4.5⭐
With Intent to Steal • (1906) 3.25⭐
The Wood of the Dead • (1906) 5 ⭐
Smith: An Episode in a Lodging House • (1906) 3.25⭐
A Suspicious Gift • (1906) 4.5⭐
The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York • (1906) 4.25⭐
Skeleton Lake: An Episode in Camp • (1906) 3.25⭐
The Empty House • (1906) 5⭐
A Haunted Island • (1899) 4.25⭐
A Case of Eavesdropping • [Jim Shorthouse] • (1900) 4⭐
Keeping His Promise • (1906) 4.5⭐
With Intent to Steal • (1906) 3.25⭐
The Wood of the Dead • (1906) 5 ⭐
Smith: An Episode in a Lodging House • (1906) 3.25⭐
A Suspicious Gift • (1906) 4.5⭐
The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York • (1906) 4.25⭐
Skeleton Lake: An Episode in Camp • (1906) 3.25⭐
March 26, 2015
Transición (5/5): un hombre simplón viaja hacia su casa contento con los regalos que ha comprado para estos. Tiene un accidente, y está a punto de morir… Muchas películas que nos han impactado han cogido la idea de este relato.
La casa vacía (4/5): un cuento de casa encantada. Con un fantasma muy diferente a lo visto.
Cumplió su promesa (3/5): Típico relato de apariciones.
Puede telefonear desde aquí (4/5): Ya leí un relato muy parecido por King. Presenciamos como una casada recibo llamadas misteriosas.
La cita (4/5): Descripción de la situación previa a volver a ver a tu amada tras 10 años. ¡Oju!
Lobo corredor (3/5): Persigamos a un lobo, pues vemos rasgos humanos. ¿Seguro que los tiene?
El valle de las bestias (3/5): es el nombre con el que se conoce un bosque, en que ningún Indio es capaz de entrar. Pero nuestro gran cazador entrara solo. Y así se quedara.
El que escucha (4/5): Encuentra una casa barata, adecuada para su renta anual. Pero poco a poco su vivencia en ella se vuelve más inadecuada. Tanto por criados, animales, seres y dolores. Lo barato siempre sale caro.
Culto secreto (2/5): un caballero viaja a su antigua ciudad/pueblo, para rememorar su juventud, y en especial desea ver aquel colegio donde los sacerdotes impartían las clases. Pero estos han cambiado, y son más religiosos que nunca.
Transferencia (2/5): Sentir lo que otros.
El hechizo de la nieve (2/5): a seguir a una misteriosa mujer por los montes nevados.
Luces antiguas (3/5): visitar rápidamente un bosque encantado, o eso dice el narrador.
El cuento de fantasmas de la mujer (3/5): Soy un fantasma que necesita del amor de alguien para ser liberado. ¿Me quieres?
El encubierto (2/5): ¿Son vagabundo o personas disfrazadas? Mejor me callo…
La casa vacía (4/5): un cuento de casa encantada. Con un fantasma muy diferente a lo visto.
Cumplió su promesa (3/5): Típico relato de apariciones.
Puede telefonear desde aquí (4/5): Ya leí un relato muy parecido por King. Presenciamos como una casada recibo llamadas misteriosas.
La cita (4/5): Descripción de la situación previa a volver a ver a tu amada tras 10 años. ¡Oju!
Lobo corredor (3/5): Persigamos a un lobo, pues vemos rasgos humanos. ¿Seguro que los tiene?
El valle de las bestias (3/5): es el nombre con el que se conoce un bosque, en que ningún Indio es capaz de entrar. Pero nuestro gran cazador entrara solo. Y así se quedara.
El que escucha (4/5): Encuentra una casa barata, adecuada para su renta anual. Pero poco a poco su vivencia en ella se vuelve más inadecuada. Tanto por criados, animales, seres y dolores. Lo barato siempre sale caro.
Culto secreto (2/5): un caballero viaja a su antigua ciudad/pueblo, para rememorar su juventud, y en especial desea ver aquel colegio donde los sacerdotes impartían las clases. Pero estos han cambiado, y son más religiosos que nunca.
Transferencia (2/5): Sentir lo que otros.
El hechizo de la nieve (2/5): a seguir a una misteriosa mujer por los montes nevados.
Luces antiguas (3/5): visitar rápidamente un bosque encantado, o eso dice el narrador.
El cuento de fantasmas de la mujer (3/5): Soy un fantasma que necesita del amor de alguien para ser liberado. ¿Me quieres?
El encubierto (2/5): ¿Son vagabundo o personas disfrazadas? Mejor me callo…
August 22, 2012
Amazing how scary simple ghosts can be!! Blackwood is a masterful storyteller, and has just the right touch of drama without being heavy-handed. I made a point to read these stories at night. I actually found myself a little scared in the dark after reading "The Haunted Island." Delicious!!
October 21, 2016
So scary I fell asleep.
September 28, 2016
A haunted house in an English seaside town, a solitary cabin on a Canadian lake, lonely rooms in a boarding house late at night, a dilapidated mansion, an old barn out in the woods ... these are the trite but effective settings Algernon Blackwood draws upon in his first collection of weird tales, The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories (1906). The chilling events that take place in these buildings are often left murky: Blackwood’s not one to burden his tales with Dickensian descriptions or lengthy explanations. Instead, these slow moving tales of suspense - each an exploration into “the processes by which a personality may be disintigrated and destroyed” by fear - have been written to create an uneasy atmosphere that will send a frisson down your spine.
Like most authors, Blackwood draws from his own experiences to create his fiction. He is unusual only in having had so much experience at such an early age. By the time he was thirty he had been schooled in Britain, studied with a Moravian sect in Germany, farmed and tried his hand at business in Canada, slept rough on New York city’s streets, worked as a reporter for the New York Times, and served as a private secretary on Long Island. Years later he decided that life had given him enough in his first three decades to justify an autobiography, which he entitled Episodes before Thirty.
His fictional characters, though, aren’t nearly as varied as his life or his settings. Many of the stories in this collection feature Jim Shorthouse, a fearless, though often predictable lad who in most respects is the author’s alter ego. Insanely curious about the supernatural, Shorthouse volunteers to walk where angels fear to tread. He figures in some of the best stories in this collection: “The Empty House,” an exploration of a house whose long deceased occupants reinact horrific scenes for any who dare spend the night with them; “With Intent to Steal,” a long, cold night in a bleak barn draws Shorthouse to the edge of insanity and self-destruction; and “The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York,” a bizarre and somewhat offensive tale about a night spent in the house of a madman ... or is he a werewolf.
Good as these early stories are, they aren’t Blackwood’s finest tales. If you’re looking for superb storytelling, turn to the “Willows,” “Ancient Sorceries,” or the “Wendigo.” Uninspired dialogue, flat characters, and derogatory racial stereotyping show The Empty House to be the work of not only of the author’s youth but of his times. Will this book scare you? Hmmm. I waited until after the sun set, then turned out all the lights, set my reader to grey text on an inky black background, and opened every window to hear the odd whispering sounds of the sea swirling on the beach at night. There were moments, especially while reading “With Intent to Steal,” when I felt pleasantly unnerved. Even if you don’t catch a fright from this book, you may still find yourself entertained by Blackwood’s high Edwardian pulp style, his deliberate pacing, and his unusual examination of the psychology of fear.
Like most authors, Blackwood draws from his own experiences to create his fiction. He is unusual only in having had so much experience at such an early age. By the time he was thirty he had been schooled in Britain, studied with a Moravian sect in Germany, farmed and tried his hand at business in Canada, slept rough on New York city’s streets, worked as a reporter for the New York Times, and served as a private secretary on Long Island. Years later he decided that life had given him enough in his first three decades to justify an autobiography, which he entitled Episodes before Thirty.
His fictional characters, though, aren’t nearly as varied as his life or his settings. Many of the stories in this collection feature Jim Shorthouse, a fearless, though often predictable lad who in most respects is the author’s alter ego. Insanely curious about the supernatural, Shorthouse volunteers to walk where angels fear to tread. He figures in some of the best stories in this collection: “The Empty House,” an exploration of a house whose long deceased occupants reinact horrific scenes for any who dare spend the night with them; “With Intent to Steal,” a long, cold night in a bleak barn draws Shorthouse to the edge of insanity and self-destruction; and “The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York,” a bizarre and somewhat offensive tale about a night spent in the house of a madman ... or is he a werewolf.
Good as these early stories are, they aren’t Blackwood’s finest tales. If you’re looking for superb storytelling, turn to the “Willows,” “Ancient Sorceries,” or the “Wendigo.” Uninspired dialogue, flat characters, and derogatory racial stereotyping show The Empty House to be the work of not only of the author’s youth but of his times. Will this book scare you? Hmmm. I waited until after the sun set, then turned out all the lights, set my reader to grey text on an inky black background, and opened every window to hear the odd whispering sounds of the sea swirling on the beach at night. There were moments, especially while reading “With Intent to Steal,” when I felt pleasantly unnerved. Even if you don’t catch a fright from this book, you may still find yourself entertained by Blackwood’s high Edwardian pulp style, his deliberate pacing, and his unusual examination of the psychology of fear.
September 7, 2020
These are stories that make you keep the lights on and keep you checking over your shoulder...just in case. Blackwood is a master of the ghost tale….a master at creating eerie environments and taking the reader on a weird and a sometimes wild ride. It’s a collection of short, creepy, goose-bump producing stories that have obviously well stood the test of time. They are, or are like, the stories that have been told by dying campfires…told on dark & stormy nights…and passed down from generation to generation. Some things are just timeless and that certainly applies to these stories that will tickle your imagination no matter what you believe or disbelieve about the supernatural. My Scottish granddad used to say “I don’t believe in ghost…but I’m very much “afeared” of them". I bet you’ll be “very much “afeared” of them” also after reading the first few.
December 29, 2010
Don't get me wrong: I do like Blackwood, especially when he writes about starving journalists and easily distracted students. But too often he falls into the Cthulhu trap ("it was so hideous/eerie/scary that I can't describe it") or says things like "somehow I knew I was in danger," both of which feel like horror-writer outs. Also, just cultural changes, it's a bit awkward when the Other who is American Indian, or Jewish, is the horror. Not that minorities haven't a right to be blood curdling, but Blackwood does make them scary by virtue of their otherness. Not his fault, but still dampens the adventure a little.
September 1, 2024
قرأتها مترجمة باسم المنزل الخالي لدار بيوند للنشر والتوزيع بترجمة سمر شكري
مجموعة قصص قصيرة من أدب الرعب
المنزل الخالي
رقم المنزل ثلاثة. عشر
جزيرة مسكونة
حالة تجسس
المحافظة على الوعد
القصص ممتازة الترجمة جيدة جدا الا في بعض الجمل كانت ترجمة جوجل الحرفية
مجموعة قصص قصيرة من أدب الرعب
المنزل الخالي
رقم المنزل ثلاثة. عشر
جزيرة مسكونة
حالة تجسس
المحافظة على الوعد
القصص ممتازة الترجمة جيدة جدا الا في بعض الجمل كانت ترجمة جوجل الحرفية
September 15, 2022
Elegí esta antología de relatos de Algernon Blackwood, ya que había leído anteriormente un par de relatos suyos y me gustaron. Aunque algunos relatos de esta antología me han gustado, me esperaba mucho más de ella, en general, es entretenida. La temática de los relatos de este libro es común y es el tema paranormal.
Entre los relatos que más me han gustado están: Cumplió su promesa y Transferencia, y los que me han gustado un poquito menos son los siguientes: La casa vacía, Culto secreto, El hechizo de la nieve y El cuento de fantasmas de la mujer.
Entre los que menos me han gustado destaco: Lobo corredor, El valle de las bestias y El que escucha.
Entre los relatos que más me han gustado están: Cumplió su promesa y Transferencia, y los que me han gustado un poquito menos son los siguientes: La casa vacía, Culto secreto, El hechizo de la nieve y El cuento de fantasmas de la mujer.
Entre los que menos me han gustado destaco: Lobo corredor, El valle de las bestias y El que escucha.
August 10, 2015
Blackwood tiene algunos cuentos sobrenaturales que son verdaderas cumbres de la literatura de terror: "El Wendigo", "Los sauces" (ambos casi insuperables), "Antiguas brujerías", "A haunted island", "El campamento del perro"..., y luego tiene un montón de relatos que el tiempo no ha tratado demasiado bien, en los que se da vueltas y más vueltas a ideas y tramas demasiado manidas, y que Blackwood, desgraciadamente, tarda más de lo necesario en desarrollar.
En este libro hay muchos de estos últimos, pero, aún así, en algunos (o en ciertas partes de esos algunos) sale a relucir su maestría, como por ejemplo en "The Listener" ("El que escucha"). La mayoría, sin embargo, son bastante prescindibles.
En este libro hay muchos de estos últimos, pero, aún así, en algunos (o en ciertas partes de esos algunos) sale a relucir su maestría, como por ejemplo en "The Listener" ("El que escucha"). La mayoría, sin embargo, son bastante prescindibles.
January 7, 2013
Typical writing for its period however many of the included stories put me to sleep rather then kept me up at night, a couple however were pretty good. Unfortunately this makes it hard to rate a collection. Again I must say, I prefer to be told the scary story and not necessarily read someones iterpretation of events if that makes any sense. These stories read more like someone memories rather than trying to place the reader there in the moment.
February 10, 2011
Exceptional short tales by the premier writer of the supernatural in the early 20th century. Sorry, Machen, Lovecraft, etc. Blackwood can kick your butt.
July 30, 2011
It is a collection of short stories. Like most short story collections, I liked some (example: The Wood of the Dead) and disliked others (example: Skeleton Lake).
February 28, 2013
Some excellent spooky stories, though a couple suffer from the racism of the period.
November 28, 2022
Christmas 2022 Read #10
"Certain houses, like certain persons, manage somehow to proclaim at once their character for evil. Willy nilly, they seem to communicate an atmosphere of secret and wicked thoughts which makes those in their immediate neighbourhood shrink from them as from a thing diseased."
I've mentioned before (many times) that I'm A big Algernon Blackwood fan, so of course I put this on my Christmas TBR list. Shorthouse is summoned by his aunt to tour a haunted house with because she claims he fears nothing.
I never thought it would happen . . . but . . . I didn't like this story. It was atmospheric. A great and haunting build up. But it never came to a climax. No reveal of any kind. Well, except that Aunt Julia had been right about her nephew. I felt totally cheated.
"Certain houses, like certain persons, manage somehow to proclaim at once their character for evil. Willy nilly, they seem to communicate an atmosphere of secret and wicked thoughts which makes those in their immediate neighbourhood shrink from them as from a thing diseased."
I've mentioned before (many times) that I'm A big Algernon Blackwood fan, so of course I put this on my Christmas TBR list. Shorthouse is summoned by his aunt to tour a haunted house with because she claims he fears nothing.
I never thought it would happen . . . but . . . I didn't like this story. It was atmospheric. A great and haunting build up. But it never came to a climax. No reveal of any kind. Well, except that Aunt Julia had been right about her nephew. I felt totally cheated.
May 1, 2015
Empty house is described as a horror but more to me it's a horror fiction, it seems more about the feel of suspense and thrill than about the gore and the death count for which a lot of people dislike I for one am not one of those people I love the feel the jitteriness of a real ghost story to wonder, to look over my shoulder and feel nervous, this book did that and I loved it for it.
The language in this book is although eloquent and sometimes overly descriptive it doesn't detract from the horror and suspense the author wanted to make his reader feel. Back when this story was written, horror was about the feeling of goosebumps on your skin, the listening in the night to that strange thump and thinking it was more than the backyard gate not what the modern day count horror to be, blood guts and gore. The story of the the empty house made you wonder if every creak of the stairs was really the old house settling or if it were footsteps coming towards you, a cold wind blowing through a room wasn't just a breeze was the chill of something more. The way this is written made me feel all of those things and more and quite thankfully I'm glad I read it in the morning so I could forget about it before I go to sleep tonight lol, I know that sounds pathetic but a mental description of these little unexplainable actions to me feels more scary and more real than a ton of fake blood shed. The writer scared you by the most powerful way he could, through your own imagination and that's what makes him so talented it plants that seed of doubt in your mind and well being that your brain is a central hub of neurones it makes you think more outside of that box than inside, it sparks imagination.
The scenes within this book were so vividly described and set that as a reader I was drawn into believing I wasn't only reading, I was there as a fly on a wall that didn't want to be spotted. Reading this I felt suspense, fear, apprehension and curiosity to what was real and what wasn't what was my own imagination and what was planted there.
Overall, I loved this book I'm glad I picked it up on a whim and my next Algernon Blackword won't be such a whim I'll purposely search out some more of his work.
The language in this book is although eloquent and sometimes overly descriptive it doesn't detract from the horror and suspense the author wanted to make his reader feel. Back when this story was written, horror was about the feeling of goosebumps on your skin, the listening in the night to that strange thump and thinking it was more than the backyard gate not what the modern day count horror to be, blood guts and gore. The story of the the empty house made you wonder if every creak of the stairs was really the old house settling or if it were footsteps coming towards you, a cold wind blowing through a room wasn't just a breeze was the chill of something more. The way this is written made me feel all of those things and more and quite thankfully I'm glad I read it in the morning so I could forget about it before I go to sleep tonight lol, I know that sounds pathetic but a mental description of these little unexplainable actions to me feels more scary and more real than a ton of fake blood shed. The writer scared you by the most powerful way he could, through your own imagination and that's what makes him so talented it plants that seed of doubt in your mind and well being that your brain is a central hub of neurones it makes you think more outside of that box than inside, it sparks imagination.
The scenes within this book were so vividly described and set that as a reader I was drawn into believing I wasn't only reading, I was there as a fly on a wall that didn't want to be spotted. Reading this I felt suspense, fear, apprehension and curiosity to what was real and what wasn't what was my own imagination and what was planted there.
Overall, I loved this book I'm glad I picked it up on a whim and my next Algernon Blackword won't be such a whim I'll purposely search out some more of his work.
January 11, 2016
The short story I have read today is called The Empty House by Algernon blackwood. This book is a short horror story. The main characters in this horror story are Aunt Julia and a guy named Shorthouse. The setting takes place in Aunt julia's home on a sea-front in the other side of there town. Aunt julia is a apple skin wrinkled lady mentioned by shorthouse. The author doesn't really describe shorthouse but i assume that he is a strong man mentally and emotionally due to stuff he does through in the story.
The problem that drives the story is that the house he is staying in, aunt julia's house, is haunted and there is a variety of events that happen that demonstrate that the problem is the house. i say it's the house do to the noises late at night in the dark that get louder and louder, who wouldn't get scared if you know it's not someone pranking you when there is only two people in the house. The resolution to the problem was satisfying and pretty obvious but the story was entertaining and i enjoyed the ending of the story.
I enjoyed reading this story because i enjoy any type of horror or suspense. This story was interesting because the details in the story made me feel like it was in that dark haunted house.
the book did reach my expectations i was expecting a lame story or not as interesting but i clearly was interested and couldn't stop reading it was as if i was glued to the story. A choice i wish the author made was turning around to see what was walking behind Shorthouse and aunt Julia.
Overall i would recommend this book to others due to how you just don't want to stop reading and want to know what happens next. This book really does catch you attention and i would recommend it.
The problem that drives the story is that the house he is staying in, aunt julia's house, is haunted and there is a variety of events that happen that demonstrate that the problem is the house. i say it's the house do to the noises late at night in the dark that get louder and louder, who wouldn't get scared if you know it's not someone pranking you when there is only two people in the house. The resolution to the problem was satisfying and pretty obvious but the story was entertaining and i enjoyed the ending of the story.
I enjoyed reading this story because i enjoy any type of horror or suspense. This story was interesting because the details in the story made me feel like it was in that dark haunted house.
the book did reach my expectations i was expecting a lame story or not as interesting but i clearly was interested and couldn't stop reading it was as if i was glued to the story. A choice i wish the author made was turning around to see what was walking behind Shorthouse and aunt Julia.
Overall i would recommend this book to others due to how you just don't want to stop reading and want to know what happens next. This book really does catch you attention and i would recommend it.
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