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Post by wireman on May 19, 2021 12:28:55 GMT
Today we will discuss A Haunted Island by Algernon Blackwood
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Post by wireman on May 19, 2021 17:03:21 GMT
I found this one to be very suspenseful and beautifully written.
I liked this passage:
For the space of a hundred seconds there was silence, such as might have existed before the birth of sound.
Blackwood, Algernon. The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories (p. 21). Kindle Edition.
It's a supernatural story with an ambiguous ending. Funny how the narrator was concerned about hostile Indians at the beginning of the story and ended up being terrorized by supernatural Indians. Maybe it was all a dream?
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Post by spideyman on May 19, 2021 18:17:13 GMT
Enjoyed this short story. Was caught up with the imagery of the lake, Autumn , the trees, the beauty all around.
There was no explanation, no hint as to why these "phantom" natives committed this act.
Good question as to whether it was just a dream.
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Post by wireman on May 19, 2021 18:31:48 GMT
Enjoyed this short story. Was caught up with the imagery of the lake, Autumn , the trees, the beauty all around.
There was no explanation, no hint as to why these "phantom" natives committed this act.
Good question as to whether it was just a dream. |
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Post by drawntokatet on May 20, 2021 12:46:16 GMT
Thanks for this story. The author has a fine use of imagery and I felt submerged in the fog and the fear. Blackwood was an English writer born in 1869 England. This fact sets the stage for his character's attitude toward the Indians. Usually we fear that which we do not understand. This is the case with his character. He 'sees' and 'hears' the Indians and places malevolent intentions on them.
Today I can say that's just hogwash and the product of a fearful mind and an overactive imagination. But, how would I have reacted 20, 30, 40 years ago? Would I have blamed the Indigenous population for my fears? Maybe I would have.
Two things I have learned from reading fiction. First is time and place. From time and place I can understand the author's mindset while writing. Blackwood wrote this in the early 20th century in England. Second is empathy. I can empathize with the character's fear of sleeping upstairs and the noises that frightened him. And I can empathize with the Indigenous people who may or may not have been there and probably just wanted to be left alone.
2 men dragging a scalped body through the house? Up and down stairs? Not seeing him, but he can SEE them? LOL!!!
Thought provoking choice!
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Post by edwardjohn on May 20, 2021 19:33:34 GMT
I echo what others have said about this story, it is masterful.
There is a lot of ideas in this tale, one of the most particular of which, in my opinion, is: the idea of place. A stretch of land which is cursed because of what previously occurred there is a common theme in Blackwood's work. For anyone interested in the personal history of Blackwood, he had visited Canada many times throughout his life and he often spoke of how much he loved the scenery as it reminded him of his native Britain. I assume that he had came across numerous natives, as they are a common element in his work. Obviously his travels inspired this tale, maybe he heard or came across a story similar to the one he wrote.
The ambiguous ending is terrifying and shocking, I've said this numerous times but its no surprise that HP Lovecraft was greatly inspired by Blackwood.
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Post by edwardjohn on May 20, 2021 19:36:13 GMT
Enjoyed this short story. Was caught up with the imagery of the lake, Autumn , the trees, the beauty all around.
There was no explanation, no hint as to why these "phantom" natives committed this act.
Good question as to whether it was just a dream. |
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Post by spideyman on May 21, 2021 12:33:47 GMT
Little Red's Tango is the next story in Interior Darkness. On my kindle it runs approx 74 pages. A 2 week read?
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Post by wireman on May 21, 2021 15:20:54 GMT
Little Red's Tango is the next story in Interior Darkness. On my kindle it runs approx 74 pages. A 2 week read? Sounds good.
Discussion for Little Red's Tango by Peter Straub on June 2.
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Post by neesy on May 26, 2021 17:20:44 GMT
Little Red's Tango is the next story in Interior Darkness. On my kindle it runs approx 74 pages. A 2 week read? Sounds good.
Discussion for Little Red's Tango by Peter Straub on June 2.
I wish I could participate - our library is locked down again but I will see if there is any way to order this one
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Post by cat on May 31, 2021 2:35:36 GMT
Nice, suspenseful little story. I actually thought when he "saw" the Indians pulling his own body around the house, that they (and I felt they were also ghosts) had killed him the night before and he was a ghost. Which explained his sudden unease in the bedroom. But that was not what happened because the farmer woke him. I do feel the Indians were ghosts.
I just know I would not want to spend any nights on this island! 😄
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Post by neesy on May 31, 2021 22:31:58 GMT
Re: that Peter Straub book of short stories - I ordered it from the local library last night so I hope it will come in soon; then I could read Little Red's Tango.
I had to get the regular type and normally I read large type but I figure if I just read a bit at a time it shouldn't be too hard on my eyes
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